Clyde Yoshida is known for Vibrant Colors in Soap

I should probably start this post off with a disclaimer. I have a huge “Soap Crush on Clyde”! Ok disclaimer over…I had a chance to catch up with the creator of Vibrant Soap at the HSCG (Handcrafted Soap and Cosmetics Guild) Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Clyde hosted a session on color theory and his expertise truly shined through the presentation. If you have ever watched any of his YouTube videos you already know that he is serious about color and sharing his knowledge. What I found most enlightening was his method of imparting basic and advanced principles with ease which made it very easy for the most color challenged. If you are struggling with primary colors, secondary colors and muddy colors you can definitely pickup a few pointers to get you on the right path with Clyde.

Priming the canvas

During Clyde’s session he discussed priming the canvas this can be described as setting the stage. It was during this portion of his talk that we got to know a little more about who I like to refer to as the color guru. He has always worked with color. He started with oil painting and went on to get a degree in Fine Arts. For 28 years he worked as a teacher presenting, organizing and simplifying for his students…until he ran into a bully.

Like many – Life Experiences alter our course

When Clyde came up against this bully he found himself dealing with depression, he wanted to get back to vibrance and remembered that painting is what made him happy. He started painting hummingbirds. For him this represented resilience and provided him with a great feeling. With a simple exercise of looking north, south, east and west for 10 seconds he found his inspiration and vibrance. He had a sense of peace that he was looking into infinity and beyond. How many of us have experienced something negative in our life? Did we grow or shrink from it? Clyde grew!

Clyde’s Methodology for Selecting Colors

Clyde likes to pair his color schemes with the scents he selects. When he smells a particular fragrance, he considers what colors would work well to enhance the essence of the scent. Don’t ask him to do anything mint with a color that doesn’t evoke the scent of mint. He also encourages us all to use nature as our pallet. It makes no mistakes.

Clyde’s Tips for Soap Makers and Color Schemes

As we all know, colorants can get very expensive. Clyde recommends practicing with water colors instead of mica. He also encourages the use of the color wheel. He’s also a fan of contrasting colors to create vibrancy in our soap designs. I agree with all of these recommendations.

Final Thoughts

Clyde is just as genuine and vibrant in person as he appears on video. He’s very energetic with a very supportive Dave by his side. My favorite quote from Clyde:

“Every once in a while something taints our vibrance. Wash it off and begin again!”

Until next time…