On Colour in Australia & New Zealand

#AdobeOnColour – a series inspired by the vibrancy and diversity of Asia Pacific. What better way to spotlight a renowned region bursting with culture than to bring local moments to life through colour! Last month we celebrated #AdobeOnColour in South East Asia; today we turn another page of Asia Pacific – #AdobeOnColour in Australia and New Zealand.

We partnered with two renowned creators across Australia and New Zealand to bring to this chapter to life. How did these two creators choose to represent the colours of their regions?

Through the spectacular shades of Autumn.

From the warmth of sunrise and changing leaves, to the crisp contrasts of the cool night’s sky, Autumn is a spectacular season of change across Australia and New Zealand. The diverse and endless landscapes of mountains, seasides, lakes and luscious forests is what makes the season remarkable and unique to the region.

As a season irresistible to the artist’s eye, its colour palette is a wonderous assortment. Meet our creators and their stunning representations of the nations.

Matthew Vandeputte (@matjoez)

Timelapse photographer, youtuber, and educator, developed a passion so strong for timelapse photography, today he specialises in the ‘niche within a niche’ called hyperlapse photography.

When conceptualising for #AdobeOnColour, he set out to capture the contrasting, stand-out colours of Autumn.

“I didn’t want grey and moody, I wanted vibrant and loud. Depending on where you travel you can get super harsh yet beautiful colour contrasts, like Autumn’s yellow trees in Wanaka paired with the crystal blue of the water and sky”.

Here, he captures the stunning contrasts of New Zealand’s Autumn:

The spectacular sunsets were one of the first things that came to mind for Vandeputte for the On Colour series, and in the Northern Territory of Australia he found not only an entirely different Autumn colour palette, but a rare and wonderous scene.

A rainbow over the Australian dessert that lasts for two hours is of course a unique spot to find some beautiful colours. It’s rare to see it rain in the outback so when it happens it’s quite special. That sunset will forever be one of my favourites.

My favourite always starts with a golden glow on the clouds. As the sun moves towards the horizon and past it this golden colour evolves to an orange, often a fiery red, then pink, then almost purple and blue. I love capturing this evolution in timelapse and I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it!

Follow Matthew Vandeputte’s creative process on Instagram.

Sha’an d’Anthes (@furrylittlepeach)

Adobe Insider, Sha’an d’Anthes, is an illustrator, artist and story teller renowned for her brand Furry Little Peach and stunning children’s book Zoom, both of which has garnered hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide. Working predominantly with watercolours to create playful, vibrant designs that evoke nostalgic memories of childhood, Sha’an was a natural fit for #AdobeOnColour as she created this wonderful sketch of two friends strolling through an Autumn forest at dusk.

“Orange was the first colour that came to mind for me. I imagine forests of orange leaves and sunsets – but we don’t have a lot of native trees in Australia that turn orange, so I really had to think about the colours I could use for this challenge. The colours I chose were meant to represent the feeling of Autumn’s crisp and cool air, as well as the tones of reds and yellows in our sunset. As such, I decided to create an untraditional Autumnal colour palette, one that represented how I feel in Autumn in hopes that it would resonate with others too.“

Sha’an’s unusual Autumnal palette is one she hopes will resonate with others, using the colder blue tones as a ‘celebration of cool weather’ whilst in some of her signature warmer tones for added balance. The blues in particular remind her of her childhood growing up in Manly Beach where she would swim with her father all year round.

As part of this project Sha’an also created a Colour Theory 101 story which helps explain her creative process further, which you can follow on Instagram.

Follow #AdobeOnColour on social for more cultural inspiration and stay tuned to the Adobe blog as we share the colours of Korea and China next.