Color Scheme Theory

Color schemes primarily depend on a sense of aesthetics for applicable uses. The theory behind color schemes provides a general framework for understanding how colors relate. Understanding color scheme theory allows one to experiment with alternative color selections while keeping in mind how those colors relate on the color wheel.

Monochromatic

A monochromatic color scheme involves one color on the color wheel. Distinctions within a particular color involve brightness and saturation. A color's saturation is basically how close it is to becoming a neutral color. Neutral colors are gray, black and white. The brightness of a color is referred to as its value. Monochromatic color schemes use one color while maintaining differences in value and saturation.

Analogous

A color scheme that is analogous uses one color on the color wheel and the two colors next to it. Analogous color schemes may be warm (red, orange and yellow) or cool (blue, purple and green) or both.

Complementary

Color schemes may involve complimentary colors. The complementary pairs include blue and orange, red and green, and purple and yellow. Color schemes using complementary pairs may use different levels of brightness and saturation to increase color variety.

Split Complementary

Split complementary color schemes use one color and the two colors on ether side of its complement. The two colors on either side of a primary color are tertiary colors. The primary colors are red, yellow and blue. The secondary colors are purple, green and orange. The colors in between the primary and secondary colors are called tertiary colors.

Triadic Color Schemes

If an equilateral triangle was drawn over the color wheel, its corners would touch three colors. The colors it touches are considered triadic colors. The primary colors are triadic, as are the secondary colors and the tertiary colors.

Tetradic Color Schemes

This color scheme theory involves using two complementary pairs simultaneously. If a rectangle were drawn over the color wheel, the two complementary pairs the corners touch would be the basis for a triadic color scheme.

General Color Scheme Information

Remember that each color scheme may be modified through the addition of black, white or a color's complement to one or more of the colors. Mixing a color with its complement increases the neutrality of a color. Tinting a color means adding white to that color. Brightness, or value, of a color is an important factor in color schemes. Adjust the colors in a color scheme by experimenting with both saturation and value.

References

• Tiger Color
• Color Wheel

Resources

• Read this Article in Portuguese