As an illustrator, color is one of the things I struggle with most. (Also, proportion, composition, coming up with good ideas, and keeping the ink off my clothes.) Adobe has recently put together a site called Kuler, and it’s purpose is to help people come up with pleasing color palettes.
Color is extremely subjective and finding a good palette can be like selecting the components of a perfect meal. Some people seem to do it instinctively, and a lucky few are born with super powers, but we’re not going to bother with them right now. This is for the rest of us.
You can search by specific colors, keywords (e.g. “winter”), or just browse until you find something that will fit. You can design your own, and share them with the community. It’s a great place to start a project.
Or, if that doesn’t work for you, just pick your palettes based on what people are wearing as they walk down the street. That’s what this blogger does.