Life in colour: Sam Coldy

Looking at Sam Coldy's work, it's not hard to understand the judges' decision. Coldy uses the latest computer technology to create images that explode on the eye. His use of colour is not just bold, it's almost confrontational, a pick and mix of candy hues that demand attention.

"I work a lot with computers, but I also like to play with paint," he explains. "With paint you get a real organic feel for layers and textures." The challenge of transferring the feel and texture of physical brushwork on to the screen is something that occupies much of his working time.

"Whatever I do, I put some kind of grain on it or it looks too flat, I think. I don't try to be different but I do like to have my take on these things."

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His take can involve experimentation with both colour and the source of its inspiration, which sometimes comes from unlikely places.

"I look at videos of heat patterns and movements and infrared tracking, and put them on the computer," he explains. "Then I try to get a palette that works. It's basically experimenting until I get it right."

It was his constant experimenting that led him to colour in the first place.

"The way I got to my designs has been quite instinctive and they seem to appeal to a lot of people. People always seem to like bold and bright colours and find them attractive. It's made me a more cheerful person too."

That response has included the enthusiasm of record company executives, and his work for bands such as O Children, Peace, Bondax, and The History of Apple Pie has attracted the attention of major labels EMI and Columbia. The challenge for the modern designer of album artwork, Coldy explains, is the amount of space at their disposal. The 12-inch squares of 1970s LPs gave way to five inches of CD, and now, in the digital age the visual real estate has shrunk still further.

"As a designer, you've now got 500 pixels to catch someone's attention. Attention spans are so short these days that a splash of colour might just make people pause for a second."

Interestingly, it is the glory days of album design that Coldy's most striking work often harks back to, the likes of Roger Dean's surealist inspired collaborations with Yes, or the Hipgnosis-designed artwork for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. The influence of Dalí, in particular, is easy to detect in some of Coldy's recent work.

Coldy's vibrant use of colour in his work is balanced by a more muted personal palette. "I tend to wear quite bland clothing and my home is minimal, but in my studio I surround myself with colour, so perhaps I'm expressing some thing that I'm missing."

Now in their second year, the Dulux Let's Colour Awards recognise those whose work with colour has enriched our lives in six categories: Homes & Interiors; Fashion & Beauty; Technology & Design; The Arts; Contribution to Colour; and Colour Ambassador.

Look out for coverage of the award winners in Weekend.

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