Real World Comparisons:
Light:
Robin’s egg
Caribbean ocean
Forget-me-not
Cornflower
Woad
Periwinkle…
Medium:
Sky
Pacific Blue Tang Fish
Blue Jay
Blue Rose
Curacao
The blue screen of death…
Dark:
Denim
Blueberries
Stormy water
Sapphires
Concord Grapes
Ink…
Shades of Blue:
Azure, periwinkle, turquoise, aqua, sky, robin’s egg, cerulean, cobalt, indigo, navy, royal…
Make every detail count
Colors are powerful descriptors, not fillers. Make sure that if you use a comparison or contrast to highlight a color, you choose the right one. Look at the setting and atmosphere you are working to create, then draw from the viewpoint character or narrator’s history, education and past experiences to find the right fit.
Colors not only paint a picture for readers; when used well, they can also create emotional and symbolic harmonies.
Looking to add vivid imagery to your character’s world? This thesaurus has been expanded and integrated into our online library at One Stop For Writers. There, entries have been enhanced to include symbolism opportunities, a wealth of real-world comparisons that can be woven into your writing, and examples of how to describe colors and patterns in ways that engage the reader’s imagination. This collection is also cross-referenced for easy searchability so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Interested in seeing a sampling of the updated Color and Pattern Thesaurus and our other collections? Head on over and register for free at One Stop!
Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.
I know, I know–how could I forget BLUE, right? I promise, I beat myself soundly with a wet noodle. It won’t happen again!!
Thanks for all the comments!
I wanted to let you know that I gave you the “One Lovely Blog Award” today. 🙂
I can’t get over how much work you put into your blog posts. This really is an excellent tool for writers.
wait – did you just post this yesterday?
Seriously?
Because I just used it TODAY! I went with blue like a robin’s egg. in fact the whole scene is blue 🙂
Thanks!
My favorite color. You almost left it OUT? Horrors. 🙂
I’m dreaming of the ocean…of the waterfalls and pools at the Havasupai Indian Reservation. Their name means, People of the blue-green waters….
My, I needed this list bad for my writing (long story). Thank you!
Great Thesaurus. I love your blog, so many fun things to read.
I had to laugh at your bad example. At least his final breath was germ free. 🙂
Thanks for this. Blue is sort of my nemesis color. I have such a hard time coming up with anything original. The same is true for yellow. I’ll have to go back and find your entry for that one.
I love the way you did this. I’m a huge fan of color. I like the humorous example. It was jarring. The “good” example keeps the mood though. It’s all about the mood you’re trying to create.
Yea! I was looking for this one the other day. Thanks for all your awesome thesaurus entries. 🙂
Very nice! I like how you divided them into different color intensities and shades. You are made of awesome!
A big thanks to writerrose who noticed I had left out one of the most used colors in the spectrum before retiring the Color Thesaurus: BLUE!
*hangs head in shame*