'Color' is all around us. It adds excitement and emotion to our lives. Everything from the clothes we wear, the pictures we paint, and our environment revolves around color. Without color, the world would be a much less attractive place.
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| Color Adds Excitement to Our Lives! |
Color Theory is a set of guidelines that uses the element of color to create harmony, communicate ideas, or invoke an emotional response in the viewer.
We call it "theory" because we use generalizations to create aesthetically pleasing results.
It relies on using six colors or 'hue families' that follow the visual spectrum of light "ROYGBV." These color families can be further broken into tertiary colors, making 12 color families on the traditional color wheel system. Most importantly, they are all in the same order around the wheel.
Primary Colors
Are YELLOW, RED, and BLUE. When mixing pigments (subtractive color method), secondary colors are created by combining these together. Note that these three make a beautiful color scheme later introduced below as a "triad."
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| Primary Colors |
Secondary Colors
Are ORANGE, GREEN, and VIOLET. They are created by mixing two primaries. For example, ORANGE = RED + YELLOW. They also create a "triad" color scheme.
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| Secondary Colors |
Tertiary Colors
They are formed by mixing two secondary colors together. For example, they include YELLOW-GREEN, BLUE-GREEN, and YELLOW-ORANGE.
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| Tertiary Colors |
Now that we have all of the twelve essential color families in order around the wheel, the following color schemes are based on their relationships as we go around the wheel.
Compliments
Are the colors directly opposite from each other on the color wheel. Compliments together are incredibly eye-catching and vibrant.
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| Red & Green Complement |
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| Purple and Yellow Complement |
Split Compliments
Split compliments are less vibrant than compliments. Complements with an additional split complement are also eye-catching but more varied than a simple complementary scheme.
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| Orange & Green Split Complement |
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| Color Compliments with Split Complement |
Triads
Are any three colors with a specific relationship on the wheel, with three colors between each. This combination creates a colorful yet balanced scheme.
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| Triads |
Tetrads
Also known as a "square" combination, are any four colors with a specific relationship on the wheel that creates an "X" shape if connected by lines. It makes a colorful yet balanced scheme but is more complex.
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| Tetrads |
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| Tetrads |
Monochromatic
Is a single color with variations that change in lightness or darkness. "Tints" are created by adding white to a single color which lightens it. "Shades" are created by adding black to a single color which darkens it. 'Monochromatic' lack variety; however, they are quiet and soothing.
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| Monochromatic |
Analogous
Are colors right next to one another on the wheel. They feel natural, calm, or soothing and have little more variety than the monochromatic scheme.
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| Analogous |
Neutrals
Are colors diminished or "neutralized" by adding gray, black, earth tones., or their own color complement. Most of the colors found in plants or nature are neutral colors.
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| Neutrals or Low-Intensity Colors |
Achromatic
This means no color or void of any color, also referred to as a "monotone achromatic." This scheme consists of black, white, and gray combinations only.
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| Achromatic |
Clash of Polychrome
Of course, clashing colors will work if you do not want to create color harmony. Color on either side of its complement or a mixture of many contrasting colors will create a polychrome or color clash.
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| Clashing Colors |
Putting it All Together
Let's recap these color combinations. Notice how they are all about relationships on the wheel...
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| Color Theory Relationships |
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