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Description
I've been studying color theory and how I can make use of it in the designing of clothing, jewelry, and various accessories with a Steampunk bent (and in general). These are my observations.

This article is free for download and re-distribution, though if re-published I prefer that I am contacted and referenced. Thank you, and I hope I've helped others in their art!

UPDATE: By the by, I found this as a beautiful reference. The site displays antique arms and armor, with this page being for swords. It displays the vast array of colors you can see in metals due to different curing methods. There are some really great examples of bluing here, for instance, as well as some browned pieces: www.ambroseantiques.com/swords…

UPDATE: Since so many have enjoyed the graphic I created for this tutorial, I offer it in links below its own, in PNG and JPEG format.

UPDATE: Since my techniques have changed over the years, I've added a new update to this as of 2016. I also cleaned up a few typos.

UPDATE: Firefox does not seem able to read the PDF, but I was able to play with it so it at least notes there IS a PDF there available for download. Annoying, and I really hope for a solution. I have also posted a version of this as a journal for now:

Steampunk Fashion: Use of Color Theory and MetalsSteampunk Fashion: Use of Color Theory and Metals
This is a journal version of my popular Steampunk Color Theory article, since issues with Firefox and some other browsers have made it difficult to see the original, which is still linked above and available in PDF format.

The Steampunk Color Wheel
For those unfamiliar with the term, Steampunk is a both an actual successor of sorts and a spiritual predecessor to Cyberpunk, but where the latter draws from visions of a dystopian and highly technological future, Steampunk draws from the past, or rather a re-imagined past. This past originally centered around the Victorian era of England, but has expanded to potentially include the Edwardian era as well as fashions from abroad, particularly the United States, as well as alternate worlds that follow the Steampun

Description
I've been studying color theory and how I can make use of it in the designing of clothing, jewelry, and various accessories with a Steampunk bent (and in general). These are my observations.

This article is free for download and re-distribution, though if re-published I prefer that I am contacted and referenced. Thank you, and I hope I've helped others in their art!

UPDATE: By the by, I found this as a beautiful reference. The site displays antique arms and armor, with this page being for swords. It displays the vast array of colors you can see in metals due to different curing methods. There are some really great examples of bluing here, for instance, as well as some browned pieces: www.ambroseantiques.com/swords…

UPDATE: Since so many have enjoyed the graphic I created for this tutorial, I offer it in links below its own, in PNG and JPEG format.

UPDATE: Since my techniques have changed over the years, I've added a new update to this as of 2016. I also cleaned up a few typos.

UPDATE: Firefox does not seem able to read the PDF, but I was able to play with it so it at least notes there IS a PDF there available for download. Annoying, and I really hope for a solution. I have also posted a version of this as a journal for now:

Steampunk Fashion: Use of Color Theory and MetalsSteampunk Fashion: Use of Color Theory and Metals
This is a journal version of my popular Steampunk Color Theory article, since issues with Firefox and some other browsers have made it difficult to see the original, which is still linked above and available in PDF format.

The Steampunk Color Wheel
For those unfamiliar with the term, Steampunk is a both an actual successor of sorts and a spiritual predecessor to Cyberpunk, but where the latter draws from visions of a dystopian and highly technological future, Steampunk draws from the past, or rather a re-imagined past. This past originally centered around the Victorian era of England, but has expanded to potentially include the Edwardian era as well as fashions from abroad, particularly the United States, as well as alternate worlds that follow the Steampun