When you’re working on a project with a set color scheme, everything looks neat and put together. But what if you feel like adding a color that isn’t in your original plan? Does that mean your plan is wrong? Not at all! Sometimes, stepping outside the lines can make your work stand out—but you need to do it carefully.

Work with what you have

Before you grab a totally different color, try adjusting the colors you’re already using. For example, if your project uses blue, red, and yellow, but you think it needs green, see if you can mix a soft blue-green or yellow-green from your existing colors.

You might find that tweaking one of your original colors a little—like making it lighter, darker, or more muted—gets you close to the color you want without breaking the harmony.

Keep the new color small

If you do need to add a new color, don’t overdo it. Use just a tiny bit so it doesn’t throw off the rest of your design. This could mean using it for a small detail or an important feature that you want people to notice, like a highlight or an accent.

For example, let’s say your design is mostly warm colors like red and orange. Adding a touch of yellow or soft green (colors close to your palette) will look more natural than suddenly adding bright blue.

From Skip Whitcomb: My advice on this, is first try to get an approximation of that color within your color plan. Then, if you find it still not working go ahead and introduce the other color. But keep it to a bare minimum so it will not upset the overall harmony. This will work especially if that color is an adjacent one on the color wheel. Bottom line, trust your eye, if it comes across as an alien color in the overall plan then don’t use it.

Ranch Road Ridgeway by Skip Whitcomb

Take a step back

Take a step back and look at your project. Does the new color fit in, or does it stick out in a way that feels weird? If it feels out of place, try using less of it or blending it with your original colors to make it look more natural.

You can also try using the new color in a lighter or softer shade so it doesn’t draw too much attention.

It’s okay to break the rules

The rules about color harmony are there to help your work look good, but they’re not unbreakable. If adding a new color makes your project better, go for it! Just make sure it’s there for a reason and not randomly thrown in.

That said, if you keep running into problems with your current palette, it might be time to rethink it. Try exploring bigger color schemes with more variety, like adding four colors instead of three. This gives you more freedom while still keeping things balanced.

Trust your eye

At the end of the day, it’s all about what looks good to you. If the new color fits and makes your design pop, use it. If it looks odd or out of place, either adjust it or leave it out.

Great designers learn the rules of color so they know how to break them in smart ways. Don’t be afraid to try something new—just pay attention to how everything works together.

Want to learn more on color harmony from a professional artist? Join Skip Whitcomb in his mentoring course, "The Power of Orchestrated Color,” with open enrollment three times a year: