Color Theory What is color theory? Color theory is a set of principles used to create harmonious color combinations. Color relationships can be visually
represented with a color wheel -- the color spectrum wrapped into a circle.
The Color Wheel: the visual representation of color theory
According to color theory, harmonious color combinations use any two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, any three colors equally spaced around the color wheel forming triangle, or any four colors forming a rectangle. These harmonious color combos are called color schemes.
The Six Color Schemes
- Monochromatic
- Analogous
- Complementary
- Split Complementary
- Triadic
- Tetradic (Double Complementary)
Monochromatic:
The monochromatic scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color. This scheme looks clean and elegant. Monochromatic colors go well together, producing a soothing effect. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues.
| Analogous Color Scheme:
The analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent to one another on the color wheel. One color is used as a dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme. The analogous scheme is similar to the monochromatic, but offers more nuances.
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Complementary Color Scheme:
The complementary color scheme consists of two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. The scheme looks best when you place a warm color against a cool color, for example, red versus green-blue. This scheme is intrinsically high contrast. |
Split Complementary Color Scheme:
The split complementary scheme is a variation of the standard complementary scheme. It uses a color and the two colors adjacent to its complementary. This provides high contrast without the strong tension of the complementary schemes.
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Triadic Color Scheme:
The triadic color scheme uses three colors equally spaced
around the color wheel. This scheme is popular among artists because it
offers strong visual contrast while retaining balance, and color richness.
The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme,
but it looks more balanced and harmonious.
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Tetradic (Double Complementary) Scheme:
The tetradic (double complementary) scheme is the richest
of all the schemes because it uses four colors arranged into two complementary
color pairs. This scheme is hard to harmonize; if all four colors are
used in equal amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced, so you should choose
a color to be dominant or subdue the colors
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