Talking color —–Gaoyang Cai

This piece was inspired by a movie I loved as a kid, Coraline. It’s a dark fairytale with a strange, gothic style. I was drawn to its strong use of colour. The colours are vivid but not too sweet—rich yet a bit eerie. I used bright yellow, blue, and orange to make bold contrasts, and I also used waves and dots to add a sense of order and some chaos. The childlike colors and handmade texture give a mix of sweetness and hidden unease.

This one is about self-observation. I used coloured pencils and thick paint to build a small private space. The bright colours of the room—red and blue bedding, pink and purple walls, and a yellow chair—make it stand out. Little things like hanging clothes and different bed covers feel slightly off. On the right, the black-and-white grids and machines look more real, which makes the space feel dreamlike.

This work has a background of red-brown and bright blue. The eyes are the calmest but also the strongest part. I didn’t use bright colours there—just soft tones and light shadows to make the gaze look real. Even when everything else is bright, the eyes are what pull me in first.

This piece started from the colourful Halloween candy I saw at Lidl. I used old stuff to make new shapes—an old laundry net, bubble wrap painted red and yellow, and black paint inside to form candy shapes. I added cotton under it to make it soft. The black background makes the colours pop even more.

I made this after seeing the big round moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival. I used yellow for the moon, pink for the church, and blue-green for the clouds. The contrast made everything clear and lively. The buildings became simple shapes, and the clouds turned abstract, mixing real and dreamlike space.

This was my first go at a coloured pencil still life. I tried to show the full shape of each object, even the hidden parts. I used bright colours and small items to create a calm afternoon tea scene. My lines are rough but full of feeling—it was my first time exploring shape and daily-life charm.

For this project, I wanted to see how colour can show emotion without clear shapes. I used acrylic paint and bubble wrap to make layers and texture. I liked how blue, purple, and yellow mixed to show both calm and energy. Sometimes the paint blended in ways I didn’t expect, but that made the work feel more alive. It helped me understand how colour and texture shape the mood.

Here, I was looking at how colours tell stories in daily life. It shows a person waiting on the street. I used warm brown for the coat to give a calm, nostalgic feeling. The background buildings are cool-toned and sharp, making a nice contrast with the person. I used colour and perspective to show space and air instead of making it too realistic.

This is a quick floral clothing sketch done with pencil and crayon. The lines are free and simple. The colours are bright, and the flowers and leaves feel full of life. It catches a small bit of nature’s energy and freshness.