~~April 24, 2024
I feel as though I should have done this ages ago but never committed to it so, here goes.
My vision and development of this visual color scheme guide.
A history.
Inception:
When I returned to Gaia, around 2018-2019, I was frankly overwhelmed by the amount of items and colors. Everything was like new again and I had to relearn it all. The first color scheme I became aware of was Demure. And from there it grew. I wanted to know more. And I learned more, Drachen and Sea Dreams and Starry. Sea Dreams taught me the importance of tagging. As some are sea dreams (two words) and some are seadream (one word). Starry showed me the world of starry overlay schemes and later hue shifts. But I wanted to understand. I discovered there were Gaia made schemes and usermade schemes. And adopted schemes. Things were finally making sense! I learned about colors and how schemes shared these colors. And some schemes had unique colors. I felt there was more to be known. I visited Zeetheus's guide frequently.
Then in 2020, I began.
The Cropping:
I wanted to see the big picture. Gaia had monthly tie-dye images but they only had a dozen or so pictured schemes. I gathered them all. And began cropping. And cropping, and cropping. PowerPoint my dear friend.
Zeetheus's guide was a huge inspiration. I thought about taking it over after it closed but that mantle was already taken up by etemology. And so, as not to duplicate efforts, mine would be a visual guide.
So much cropping later, I realized I would need to make avatars for the remaining scheme images. And so I did. One by one. I recreated the style of the original Gaia released tie-dye images. Found a matching font. This is the same style you see today. I had originally wanted to color the text of the names of the colors themselves but this was too big an effort.
I created avatar after avatar, months upon months of consistent work in the off hours. So many slides in PowerPoint. Sometimes others would contribute avis. But mostly it was a slow and plodding business. My folder of images grew. Then the next stage began.
The Sorting:
The actual sorting. The part that had lived in my brain for a year or more. The visual representation of all those schemes. I sorted and sorted and agonized over the arrangement. And made new versions and began again. I did this until I was happy. And then and then.
And then I had to create the guide! My first guide. My pride and joy. I uploaded I don't know how many images to imgur. And set about meticulously creating each post.
It was daunting. But I did a little by little and it grew. Until finally it was at a place of substance. I had reserved three pages of posts but was determined to have all of the schemes on the first page. The other pages could be for other things. And so, arranged by the rainbow, I have the visual color scheme guide. There are still some organizing questions I have: Do the browns go with the golds? Do the pinks go below the reds or with the purples and pastels? Where do highly contrasting schemes go? That is why I created the final light and dark color combos post.
Finally, the guide comprised around 350 Gaia schemes. But I was not done, oh no. This was but the base. I began exploring outward. I found ladykayra and the unguided schemes, the tiny schemes, and the forgotten schemes. I added as many as I could. I also joined the Discord for the color scheme experts and learned a fraction of the vast color scheme secrets. They have been an immense help.
Now the guide is where you see it today. Probably over 400+ I have not counted. Aeternam created the usermade color scheme guide as a sort of spin off from this one that includes item lists and creators. Gaia tie-dye rotations are no more and the Gaia made official color scheme guide came about. But my visual guide was before that. Regardless, I continue on through the waves of color schemes new and old. All this to say, it was a lot of cropping, a lot of sorting, and a lot of formatting. But I feel, well worth it for all those who said they have used and appreciated it. ^_^
The current process:
A scheme reaches the threshold to be added (detailed below). The name is added to the to do list or removed from the watchlist. I go into my trusty PowerPoint and copy and paste my template as many times needed. The avi is created, either by me or another. The image is saved to the slide. I add the color names and the avatar creation credit and the scheme name. Group and center many times. Save all images. Upload to imgur. Copy those url's over to the post in the thread. Spend an annoying amount of time scrolling and comparing to find the right place to put the scheme. Add the code, resize, remove, move, add, again and again until it is right. Some placements never feel right to me others are perfect the first time. Then the scheme name is added to the top of the post for searching and finally the name is removed from the to do and added to the done. All this and then the next week Gaia comes out with a new one. Haha
Intention:
My intention for the guide is to document and display the various color schemes available on the site and the actual items that are useable in those schemes. A few times Gaia created representative pictures of unreleased and still unreleased recolors of items. This is exactly what I didn't want to do, none of this should be theoretical, all should be items that are useable. Additionally, the scheme should use items made for that scheme, yes many items can be used for many schemes. But that is not the point. The scheme and items should match in this guide. For making avis for fun, that is another thing.
Finally, a note of those included.
I have included all "official" Gaia made schemes, and used the original tie-dye image when applicable. I have included as many usermade schemes as I could find that fit the criteria of: having at least three dedicated multi-pose items. Many lovely usermade schemes have only single-pose items or hairs. While this is nice, it cannot yet qualify for a scheme here. As what is an outfit made of only a wig and a belt! To make a representative avi there must be clothes to work with! I have bent the rules once or twice for when schemes have enough single-pose clothing items to make an outfit. The avis should not have a background, represent a varied selection of skintones and bases, and mostly have plain faces that follow the color scheme. Obviously, things vary but these are my own criteria and what I look for in avi submissions.
In the end, this is all my interpretation of how color schemes can be arranged visually, I am doing my best, but I always love others' views and feedback. With that, I conclude my essay!
50
100
0
(Looks a lot like Sinful) tab 
(Someone forgot Ace existed)
(Kanoko revival?) 
cringe? 
what is this? "multiberry cringe momo redux"
Bread scheme? Acornucopia scheme! 
I call this Carnival + Course = this thing! 
Will-o-Wisp (Or like forget Toxic and Bamboo and then yeah) 
Strategic Kaguyahime | 
A Little Zombie | 
Bardic Glass Hearted Poet | 
I am Windy Yokai | 
Conquering Ceaseless Blade | 
Twirling Jewelled Dancer | 
Solimella | 
Sugar Plum Fairy Blanchella & 
Sugar Plum Fairy Biancamella | 
Digital Upbeat Sweetie Baby | 
Digital Hoshino Yuki | 
Familiar Strawberry Moon | 
Cringey Low FrequenScene | 
Unbearably Cringe E | 
Fueled Up Fed Up | 
Jellywave Beats |
Summer Ripples | 
Observing Trailing Stars | 
Urban Winter | 
Cheeky Midnight Visitor | 
Cheeky Adoughable Loaf
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