Color Schemes

The use of colors in an artistic composition are much like that of the relationship of instruments in an orchestra. When they are warming up, without any sense of direction or organization, they can sound confusing, even unpleasant. However, when they are playing together, under the direction of the conductor, they make beautiful music together.

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Achromatic – The use of black, white and grey – ONLY.

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Monochromatic – One hue PLUS the tints (white), shades (black), and tones (greys) of that hue. Blues, light blues, dark blues and all the other levels of blues in between n are examples.

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Complimentary Colors – Hues that are directly across from one another. Red and Green are examples.

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Split-Complimentary Colors – A hue and the two hues that are next to its compliment. Red, Blue-Green and Yellow Green are examples.

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Color Triads – Three colors that are equally spaced from one another on the color wheel. Primary Color Triad, Secondary Color Triad and 2 different Tertiary Color Triads. Red Yellow and Blue are the Primary Color Triad.

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Analogous Colors – Colors that are side by side by side on the color wheel that share a common hue. Yellow – green, yellow, yellow orange, orange are examples.

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Warm Colors – Hues that remind one of warm things such as the sun, fire, hot coals, stove-tops  – These colors tend to move forward in the picture plane. The warm colors are: Red-violet, red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, and yellow.

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Cool Colors – Hues that remind one of cool things such as the grass on a summer day, reflection of the sky on snow, cool dips in the pool on a hot summer day. These colors tend to move backward in the picture plane. The warm colors are: Yellow-green, green, blue-green, blue, blue-violet, and violet.

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Tetradic Color Schemes: Pairs of Complementary Colors – Can be SQUARE or RECTANGULAR.