(absence of all color), white (presence of all color), silver, grey, and brown
(warm neutral) hues.
a. Neutrals make good backgrounds.
b. Neutrals serve to unify diverse color palettes.
c. Neutrals may stand alone as the only or primary focus of a design.
2. Complementary is a type of color scheme that consists of two colors directly
opposite from each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors are some
-
times called contrasting colors. Colors directly opposite each other on the color
wheel share a simultaneous contrast: One is always warm, and the other is
always cool. Complementary colors make each other appear brighter and more
intense. This type of contrast makes rooms and textiles look brighter and more
dramatic. Examples of complementary color schemes are blue (cool) and
orange (warm) as well as red (warm) and green (cool).
B. Three-color schemes
1. Split complementary are color schemes that use three colors and are cre
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ated when one hue (the “mother color”) is used with the two hues adjacent to
its complement. The original hue selected is usually the dominant color, and
the adjacent colors to its complement are used to provide contrast. An exam-
ple would be violet (the mother color) used with yellow-green and yellow-
orange. An advantage of a split complementary color scheme is that there are
never any colors that clash with each other. Tips for using split complements
include:
a. The mother color should be used in accent pieces (e.g., pillows).
b. It is best to darken one altered hue and to lighten another for interesting
variations in carpets or fabrics.
c. One of the altered hues could be neutralized with grey walls.
2. Triad is a color scheme that uses any three hues that are an equal distance
apart on the color wheel, such as every fourth color on the color wheel. Skill is
needed to create a pleasing triad color scheme because of the sharp color
contrasts. Yet changing the values and intensities can soften the contrasts.
Examples of triadic color schemes are:
a. Primary colors: yellow, blue, and red
b. Secondary colors: orange, violet (purple), and green
c. Tertiary colors (e.g., yellow-orange, red-violet, and blue-green)
C. Four or more color schemes
1. Analogous are color schemes that consist of four or more hues that are adja
-
cent (next to each other) on the color wheel (e.g., green, blue-green, blue, and
blue-violet). These colors tend to blend well together because they are related.
Each color seems to effortlessly merge into the other. Analogous color
schemes work best when one hue is chosen as the dominant and the other
adjacent colors are used in smaller amounts. Analogous color schemes are
considered sophisticated.
Lesson: Color Concepts
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