I would have to say that usually the hardest part about creating a web site from scratch is selecting colors that look good and go well together. By no means am I a graphic designer. That is why I refer to sites like Colors On The Web for assistance.
Several of their features are extremely useful for those of us who know very little about color theory and are not going to take art classes anytime soon.
First off, they very clearly and concisely explain the basics of color theory. Some of these concepts most of us have heard of, like the color wheel, the primary colors, etc. But other concepts, like the subtractive color system and tertiary colors, are not so obvious. They also explain the relationship of colors with each other in the context of choosing colors for a web site.
The main feature of the site, and the primary reason for its existence, in my opinion, is the Color Wizard. This is the real meat, so to speak. Here is a screenshot:
This tool allows you to input your desired color (using the RGB bars or hexadecimal input box at the top) and it calculates hue, saturation, and tint variation along with sets of colors that relate in different ways to the color you chose. How does this help? These color combinations are a great choice for your site and are likely to provide great visual appeal. Final judgment is left up to you, of course, but these can and will help you make a better decision on your color scheme.
Lastly, if all else has failed and you are about to give up, you have the option of following a pre-made color scheme or spinning the Color Wheel. The former will save you a lot of time and the latter will randomly choose three colors and place them together as text, a background, and a secondary color. If you don’t like the colors, spin again and hope for better ones the next time around.
Obviously, these concepts and tools apply to much more than just web design. Maybe the next time you need to paint your house you should consult the Color Wizard to assist in your decision.
