diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index c869bc5c..f721e754 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -1510,19 +1510,19 @@ function has_black_border_for_default(st::Symbol)
     like_histogram(st) || st in (:hexbin, :bar, :shape)
 end
 
-
-# converts a symbol or string into a colorant (Colors.RGB), and assigns a color automatically
-function getSeriesRGBColor(c, sp::Subplot, n::Int)
+# converts a symbol or string into a Colorant or ColorGradient
+# and assigns a color automatically
+function get_series_color(c, sp::Subplot, n::Int, seriestype)
     if c == :auto
-        c = autopick(sp[:color_palette], n)
+        c = like_surface(seriestype) ? cgrad() : autopick(sp[:color_palette], n)
     elseif isa(c, Int)
         c = autopick(sp[:color_palette], c)
     end
     plot_color(c)
 end
 
-function getSeriesRGBColor(c::AbstractArray, sp::Subplot, n::Int)
-    map(x->getSeriesRGBColor(x, sp, n), c)
+function get_series_color(c::AbstractArray, sp::Subplot, n::Int, seriestype)
+    map(x->get_series_color(x, sp, n), c, seriestype)
 end
 
 function ensure_gradient!(plotattributes::KW, csym::Symbol, asym::Symbol)
@@ -1567,21 +1567,23 @@ function _update_series_attributes!(plotattributes::KW, plt::Plot, sp::Subplot)
     end
 
     # update series color
-    plotattributes[:seriescolor] = getSeriesRGBColor(plotattributes[:seriescolor], sp, plotIndex)
+    scolor = plotattributes[:seriescolor] 
+    stype = plotattributes[:seriestype]
+    plotattributes[:seriescolor] = scolor = get_series_color(scolor, sp, plotIndex, stype)
 
     # update other colors
     for s in (:line, :marker, :fill)
         csym, asym = Symbol(s,:color), Symbol(s,:alpha)
         plotattributes[csym] = if plotattributes[csym] == :auto
-            plot_color(if has_black_border_for_default(plotattributes[:seriestype]) && s == :line
+            plot_color(if has_black_border_for_default(stype) && s == :line
                 sp[:foreground_color_subplot]
             else
-                plotattributes[:seriescolor]
+                scolor
             end)
         elseif plotattributes[csym] == :match
-            plot_color(plotattributes[:seriescolor])
+            plot_color(scolor)
         else
-            getSeriesRGBColor(plotattributes[csym], sp, plotIndex)
+            get_series_color(plotattributes[csym], sp, plotIndex, stype)
         end
     end
 
@@ -1589,9 +1591,9 @@ function _update_series_attributes!(plotattributes::KW, plt::Plot, sp::Subplot)
     plotattributes[:markerstrokecolor] = if plotattributes[:markerstrokecolor] == :match
         plot_color(sp[:foreground_color_subplot])
     elseif plotattributes[:markerstrokecolor] == :auto
-        getSeriesRGBColor(plotattributes[:markercolor], sp, plotIndex)
+        get_series_color(plotattributes[:markercolor], sp, plotIndex, stype)
     else
-        getSeriesRGBColor(plotattributes[:markerstrokecolor], sp, plotIndex)
+        get_series_color(plotattributes[:markerstrokecolor], sp, plotIndex, stype)
     end
 
     # if marker_z, fill_z or line_z are set, ensure we have a gradient
diff --git a/src/backends/gr.jl b/src/backends/gr.jl
index 3831ffda..b7111562 100644
--- a/src/backends/gr.jl
+++ b/src/backends/gr.jl
@@ -548,7 +548,7 @@ end
 const _gr_gradient_alpha = ones(256)
 
 function gr_set_gradient(c)
-    grad = c isa ColorGradient ? c : cgrad()
+    grad = _as_gradient(c)
     for (i,z) in enumerate(range(0, stop=1, length=256))
         c = grad[z]
         GR.setcolorrep(999+i, red(c), green(c), blue(c))
diff --git a/src/backends/plotly.jl b/src/backends/plotly.jl
index 3fd226de..dc06ed45 100644
--- a/src/backends/plotly.jl
+++ b/src/backends/plotly.jl
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ end
 function plotly_colorscale(grad::ColorGradient, α)
     [[grad.values[i], rgba_string(plot_color(grad.colors[i], α))] for i in 1:length(grad.colors)]
 end
-plotly_colorscale(c, α) = plotly_colorscale(cgrad(alpha=α), α)
+plotly_colorscale(c::Colorant,α) = plotly_colorscale(_as_gradient(c),α)
 function plotly_colorscale(c::AbstractVector{<:RGBA}, α)
     if length(c) == 1
         return [[0.0, rgba_string(plot_color(c[1], α))], [1.0, rgba_string(plot_color(c[1], α))]]
diff --git a/src/backends/pyplot.jl b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
index 1e3ca98d..8697c07f 100644
--- a/src/backends/pyplot.jl
+++ b/src/backends/pyplot.jl
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ function py_colormap(grad::ColorGradient)
     cm."set_bad"(color=(0,0,0,0.0), alpha=0.0)
     cm
 end
-py_colormap(c) = py_colormap(cgrad())
+py_colormap(c::Colorant) = py_colormap(_as_gradient(c))
 
 
 function py_shading(c, z)
diff --git a/src/utils.jl b/src/utils.jl
index 472f67c4..4b9c7ceb 100644
--- a/src/utils.jl
+++ b/src/utils.jl
@@ -273,6 +273,9 @@ _cycle(v, indices::AVec{Int})       = fill(v, length(indices))
 _cycle(grad::ColorGradient, idx::Int) = _cycle(grad.colors, idx)
 _cycle(grad::ColorGradient, indices::AVec{Int}) = _cycle(grad.colors, indices)
 
+_as_gradient(grad::ColorGradient) = grad
+_as_gradient(c::Colorant) = ColorGradient([c,c])
+
 makevec(v::AVec) = v
 makevec(v::T) where {T} = T[v]