How to make a tonal color palette by stealing from nature

Designers have long been inspired by nature when creating color palettes, but one area that often gets overlooked is how tonal changes in nature can guide our design decisions.

The smooth transitions from light to dark in natural landscapes provide excellent references for building tonal palettes that transition from tints (lighter tones) to shades (darker tones) of a base color.

Creating a natural-looking tonal palette involves more than simply adding black or white to a base color to create tints and shades. This basic approach often results in a mechanical palette that lacks vibrancy.

In nature, tints and shades adjust not just in lightness, but also in hue. This makes colors feel richer and more organic.