designfeedr

Welcome to the first part of a huge series of posts on black-and-white and monochrome design, illustration and everything in between. I’ve got some great posts lined up for you, expect black-and-white showcases on design, illustration, fashion illustration and interviews with Jeff Finley from GoMedia and Destill’s Mike Harrison.

So why black-and-white as the subject for a series of posts? It’s because black-and-white is an intriguing limitation and blessing at the same time. If black-and-white is used for a suitable project it puts you into a challenging but beneficial situation. Working in black-and-white is essentially a limitation, you have one less tool at your disposal after all. You’ll have to get by without using color to set the mood or focal point. Once you get the hang of working without color though you’ll start to see that the limitation you imposed on yourself actually has some very strong benefits.

There are many good reasons to choose black-and-white over color. Time, money, mood, target audience and the media you’re working for are all factors. To help you choose whether black-and-white is the way to go for your next job I’ve outlined nine strong points of losing the color. Enjoy and be sure to add your own thoughts to the comments so we can get a discussion going.

1. Maximum contrast
This is the most obvious use of black-and-white. By working with high contrast and no colors you eliminate a lot of factors that could have distracted your visitor. The viewer will instantly be able to see what the main focus of the piece is without having to give it any thought.

If you use a dark background with light design elements for example, it suddenly becomes very easy to make a focused composition that guides the eye and attention of the viewer however you like.

By losing the color and you can easily reach a powerful and striking
contrast. Illustration by Maxim Zestkov.

2. Ability to break the mold
The design and illustration field is filled to the brim with bright full-colored work and trust me this trend isn’t going anywhere for the time being. That however doesn’t mean that there isn’t any room for work that flows in another direction.

If you create a portfolio with some outstanding black-and-white pieces in it you’ll instantly stand out from the crowd. I’m not saying you should forsake color for the rest of your career, that would be silly and unpractical, but some strong black-and-white work in prominent places of your portfolio will show you in an entirely different light.

3. A faster workflow
Just like every new thing you try your hand at going black-and-white can be challenging at first if you’re used to working in full-color. Once you start to get a feel for the limitations and learn to work with them though you’ll find that you’ll be able to get good results at a faster pace. This is because you’re spending less time fretting over color intensity and combinations.

Niklas Lundberg created this dramatic and memorable piece for the
latest Depthcore chapter.

4. Set a dark mood
Black-and-white can look very harsh and dark if you work with high contrast and fitting imagery. If you go with a lot of contrast between your black and whites it’s very easy to set a dark, depressing, grim or frightening mood. Metal and rock bands are a good example of this and have been using black-and-white for ages to create stunning and dark covers.

The Touch or Suffer logo by GoMedia is a prime example of choosing black-and-white to set a dark and foreboding mood.

5. Combine white and grey for a gentle look
As harsh as black-and-white can be if you amp the contrast, it’s actually deceptively simple to create a really soft and gentle mood with it. If you simply skip black entirely and combine white with hues of gray that don’t differentiate too much from each other you’ll end up with a very gentle and inviting mood. The less contrast you use the softer the piece becomes.

6. Black and white is timeless
Black and white has a timeless and classy atmosphere and sometimes even feels nostalgic. The classic nature of the typical black-and-white look is perfect for clients and brands that want to look exquisite and classy without being too flashy. It’s also worth noting that designs and illustrations that have that classic black-and-white look generally stand the test of time very well.

7. Unifies elements
If you mix a lot of different media in your work going black-and-white instead of color has the benefit of making these elements blend together better. This means you’ll make work that looks more cohesive with less effort. No need to adjust the colors and their intensity, just desaturate and be done with it. You’ll get good result with less effort.

8. Can make color pop
If you use a black-and-white as a basis and add a hint of color over that you’ll end up with some interesting and eye-catching results. If you want to make colors “pop” combining really bright colors with black-and-white is a sure way to achieve this.

Yes yes I know it’s Paris Hilton but it’s also a great example by Pete Harrison on how subtle color can bring magic to a monochrome piece.

9. It’s budget friendly design
Less color means cheaper production. If your client is on a low budget and you’re working for print he’ll be grateful for your decision to go with black-and-white. This saves on printing costs which can really mean a lot to a client if money is an issue.