What is the color theory of 2D animation?

This is where design meets emotion. In 2D design, you’re dealing with shapes, space, and flow. Color theory ties it all together. It’s the study of how colors play together and affect how we feel about what we see. Nail this, and you’ve got design that actually communicates.

How do I choose a color palette for my animation?

Start by asking: What’s the goal? Who’s watching? How do I want them to feel? Then match your answers with color harmony principles (like those seven we just covered). Keep it tight, readable, and brand-friendly.

Can I change colors during post-production?

Totally. Post-production is where you fine-tune colors like a boss. Most animation tools let you tweak saturation, contrast, and tone.

How can Animated Videos help with my animation’s color design?

Animated Videos isn’t just a team of animators. We’re color nerds in the best way. From picking the perfect palette to making sure your brand’s vibe comes through in every frame, we’ve got it covered. You bring the idea, we bring the color logic.

Why is color important in 2D animation?

Without color, your animation is basically a silent movie. Color adds tone, depth, and emotion. It tells your audience where to look and what to feel. All without saying a word. It’s the difference between “meh” and “wow.”

Does color contrast affect buying behavior?

Oh yeah, big time. A whopping 85 percent of shoppers say color is their main reason for choosing a product. That’s not a typo. If your colors don’t pop or feel confusing, people bounce. Animated Videos helps brands avoid that mistake by getting contrast just right.

2d animation

Color Theory in 2D Animation: Tips for Choosing the Right Theme For Videos

July 7, 2025

Ever feel like your animation just isn’t landing, even though the story, background, and motion are all on point? The problem might be color.

Using the wrong color palette can completely throw off the vibe of your video. According to Online Library, nearly 20 percent of a video’s success depends on color choice alone. The right colors help evoke the right mood, make your message stick, and paint your message in a way that truly connects.

Whether you’re a creator yourself or looking to commission a high converting 2D animation, this guide is for you. Let’s break down how to choose the perfect color palette and how studios like Animated Videos can help create scenes that actually feel right.

What Is 2D Animation?

2D animation is a type of visual storytelling where characters, objects, and scenes are created in a two-dimensional space. Unlike 3D, where you see all angles, 2D keeps everything flat. Think classic cartoons, explainer videos, and most motion graphic content.

It’s still the top choice for businesses who want to get their message across fast, creatively, and without a huge production budget. If you’ve ever scrolled through brand social videos or watched an explainer video that simplified a complex idea in 60 seconds, chances are, you’ve already seen the power of well-done 2D Animation.

Why Color Theory Matters in Animation

Color isn’t decoration. It’s a decision. Each choice tells the viewer how to feel and what to focus on. In animation, especially 2D, where visual cues are everything, this becomes even more important.

The best animation ideas often fall flat when color theory is ignored. Using random palettes might give you pretty scenes, but not purposeful ones. And when you’re trying to communicate, entertain, or convert, pretty won’t cut it.

Smart use of color theory in animation helps:

Establish mood instantly
Highlight key characters or elements
Guide the viewer’s eye through the frame
Reflect the tone and values of your brand

How to Choose the Right Colors for Your Animation

Picking colors shouldn’t feel like guessing. Here’s a breakdown of how pros do it.

Start With the Story or Message What emotion do you want to trigger? Calm, joy, urgency, seriousness? Colors aren’t just visuals, they’re psychological cues.

Blue = Trust, calm, safety
Red = Passion, energy, urgency
Yellow = Optimism, happiness
Black = Luxury, control, mystery

Build a Palette With Purpose You don’t need ten colors. Most animations use a primary color (for the main message or character), a secondary (for balance), and 1 or 2 accents (for callouts or emotions).

Stick to a consistent palette across your scenes. It creates visual harmony and makes animations color choices feel intentional.

Think Contrast and Readability If your character wears red on an orange background, nothing stands out. Use light vs dark and warm vs cool contrasts to make key elements pop. This is critical for scenes with text or action.
Match Colors to Brand Identity If your client (or your brand) uses green and grey in their logo, the animation should echo that. Consistency matters. Animated Videos ensures every animation follows branding without feeling forced.

What Are the Color Tools You Can Actually Use

You don’t need to be a designer to pick better colors. Here are free or affordable tools:

Coolors.co: Auto-generates palettes based on mood or keywords.
Adobe Color Wheel: Lets you build custom palettes and check harmony.
Khroma: Uses AI to learn your taste and suggest combinations.
Paletton: Helps you see how colors look together in real-time scenes.

Use these to build palettes before you start animating. It’ll save hours later.

What Are Common Color Mistakes in Animation?

Here’s where many creators mess up:

Overusing bright colors: Makes everything fight for attention.
Ignoring background colors: Suddenly text becomes unreadable.
Changing palette mid-animation: Confuses viewers, breaks flow.
Using trendy but clashing combos: Looks cool today, dated tomorrow.

Avoiding these mistakes is easier when you work with a professional colour animation studio like Animated Videos that handles design, storyboarding, and final production under one roof.

How Animated Videos Helps With Color Strategy

Animated Videos doesn’t just make animations. We build branded, color-smart 2D animations that fit your story and style. Whether it’s a corporate explainer video, product showcase, or social ad, every shade is there for a reason.

Here’s what we do:

Use your brand colors where it matter most
Suggest complementary shades to build balanced palettes
Design characters, scenes, and transitions with color flow in mind
Run checks for accessibility and readability

If you’re not a designer, this kind of guidance can save your animation from looking like a patchwork. You get pro-level polish without learning everything from scratch.

How to Know If You’re Using the Right Color Theory

Here’s a quick test:

Do all your scenes feel like part of the same world?
Is your message clear without relying on text alone?
Are your key elements standing out?
Does the color match the tone of your story or brand?

If you’re unsure on any of those, it’s time to rethink your palette. Or better yet, let a right explainer Video company like Animated Videos sort it out while you focus on the message.

Color Theory and the Explainer Video Production Process

Choosing the right color is part of the early design phase. In the explainer video production process, here’s when it happens:

Brief and Message Review: What’s the purpose? What emotion should viewers feel?
Storyboard and Styleframes: Visual mockups help preview palette use.
Color Styling: Final color decisions based on tone, audience, and brand.
Animation Phase: Colors get applied to every asset — characters, props, transitions.
Final Tweaks and Rendering: Making sure contrast, mood, and flow work together.

Every step connects. Color isn’t a final touch. It’s built in from the start.

Why Brand Consistency Matters in Colors Animated Projects

A good-looking video isn’t enough. People need to recognize your brand. When animation color choices don’t align with brand identity, they confuse more than they convert.

Animated Videos Services are designed to keep every element, especially colors! That aligned with the feel, voice, and emotion of your brand. That’s why brands that work with them get explainer videos that not only look good but perform well, too.

Where to Start If You’re New to Color Theory

Start small. Pick one animation idea. Think about the feeling you want to communicate. Then test out 2 to 3 color combinations using the tools above.

Or better, collaborate with pros. Animated Videos is built to guide creators at every stage, from color ideas to full video production. You don’t have to do it alone.

Conclusion: Set the Theme of Your Animation

If your color animations aren’t landing, don’t blame your script or characters just yet. The problem might be color. Choosing the right palette can transform a basic video into one that holds attention, builds trust, and gets remembered.

Use the logic behind color theory. Plan your palette. Avoid common mistakes. And work with a studio like Animated Videos that understands color in animation is more than an aesthetic.

Alex Rudank

Alex Rudank is a digital marketer at Animated Videos, and a true animation enthusiast. His passion for storytelling through interesting vocabulary makes him an integral part of the team. Alex’s expertise ensures that every blog he crafts resonates with our commitment to precision, creativity, and delivering industry-leading animation solutions.