Harlequin Colour Guide
The Harlequin is a seven-layer shadow box design combining deep black, rich purple, vivid orange and crimson with warm, pale skin tones. The strong contrasts are an important part of her theatrical expression and unmistakable harlequin character.
This interactive colour guide is for anyone who would like to recreate the palette shown in my visualisation. The colours are a little less open-ended than in some of my other designs, because the skin tones, makeup and dark outlines need enough contrast to keep the face clearly defined. The guide is still a starting point rather than a rulebook, though—I’m sure someone will surprise me with a completely different combination that works beautifully!
Interactive colour guide
The guide contains a suggested cardstock colour for every layer, using:
Encore Cardstock for the USA and Canada
Vaessen Creative cardstock for Europe
These two palettes have been matched as closely as possible using physical cardstock swatches—not colours guessed from a screen.
Inside the PDF, simply click or tap the appropriate brand beside each layer to view the corresponding cardstock.
Why Vaessen and Encore?
Because cardstock availability differs considerably between regions, I wanted to provide two practical options.
Encore Cardstock is available through 12x12 Cardstock Shop for customers in the United States and Canada. Vaessen Creative cardstock is widely available throughout Europe and is the brand I will be offering through the new Studio Tokano website.
The two ranges are not identical, but I have matched them as closely as possible so that both versions preserve the overall character and contrast of the original palette.
Ordering Vaessen cardstock in Europe
For now, I can ship Vaessen Creative cardstock to:
- Belgium
- France
- Germany
- Italy
- Luxembourg
- The Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
I hope to add more European destinations later.
I am also researching suitable shipping options for the United Kingdom, but unfortunately I have not yet found a practical solution. Luckily, Vaessen Creative cardstock is also available through Amazon and various craft shops. You can use the exact colour names and codes from the guide to search for the correct sheets.
Making the Harlequin
For a standard 12 × 12 inch sheet of cardstock, I recommend resizing the complete design to approximately 11.5 × 11.5 inches—about 292 × 292 mm. Always resize all layers together with the proportions locked.
For cutting, stacking, gluing and framing instructions, please check out the assembly guide
... and ofcourse you need the Harlequin SVG too!
Show me your version!
If you create the Harlequin, please share a photograph in the Studio Tokano Facebook group. I would love to see which colours you choose—and your version may inspire someone else to try a completely different palette.
Please note that cardstock colours can look slightly different because of lighting, screen settings, photography and paper finish.
Some links in the interactive guide are affiliate links. Studio Tokano may receive a small commission when you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.