The Color
Wheel &
Color
Schemes
The Color Wheel
The color wheel is the basic
tool for combining colors.
The first circular color
diagram was designed by
Sir Isaac Newton in 1666.
The color wheel is designed so that virtually any
colors you pick will look good together. Over the
years, many variations of the basic design have
been made, but the most common version is a
wheel of 12 colors based on the RYB (or artistic)
color model.
Hues and Neutral Colors
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•
Hue- a hue is the name of any pure color
found on the color spectrum and color wheel:
red, yellow, blue, etc…
Neutral- a color that is not on the color wheel
like: black, white, gray, and brown
They aren’t associated with hues.
The 12 Colors on the Color Wheel
Primary: can’t be mixed
red
yellow
blue
Secondary: = combination of
2 primaries
orange green violet
Intermediate or Tertiary= the comniantion of 1
primary + 1 secondary
1.
+
= yellow-green
2.
+
= red-orange
3.
+
=
4.
+
=
5.
+
=
6.
+
=
Color Schemes
Color Scheme- a systematic way of using the
color wheel to put colors together… it is the
group of colors you choose in your art
work, putting together the clothes you wear,
deciding what colors to paint your room…..
There are several different color schemes:
1.
Warm
2.
Cool
3.
Complementary
4.
Monochromatic
5. Analogous
6. Triadic
7. Split-complementary
Warm & Cool Colors
Warm and cool colors
The color wheel can be divided into
warm and cool colors.
Warm colors are vivid and
energetic, and tend to advance in
space (jump out at you).
Cool colors give an impression of
calm, and create a soothing
impression.
Remember: white, black, brown
and gray are considered to be
neutral. They aren’t on the wheel.
This drawing has a warm color scheme.
This drawing has a _________ color scheme.
Color:
Color comes from light; if it weren’t
for light we would have no color.



When the light rays hits an object
our eyes responds to the light that is
bounced back and we see that color.
Monochromatic is a color scheme
where one color is used but in
different tones or values
and intensity – showing the lights
and darks of that 1 color.
Tint- a light value; a color plus white
Shade- a dark value; a color
plus black
MONOCHROMATIC
COLOR SCHEME
A
MONOCHROMATIC
color scheme
shows lights and
darks of one main
color.
What is the dominant color
of this painting?
"The Creation"
What is the
dominant color in
this color
scheme?
Can you find a tint?
Do you see a shade?
Building More Stately Mansions,
1944
Value:

is the lightness or darkness of a color.
A value scale is a grid that shows the range of values for a color.
ADD white
tint
ADD black
shade
This is a Monochromatic value scale that shows the gradual change
from light to dark with 1 color: blue
Petunias, Georgia O'Keeffe
Cotopaxi , Frederick Church
Complementary color scheme
Colors that are opposite each other on
the color wheel are considered to be
complementary colors
(example: red and green).
The high contrast of complementary colors creates a
vibrant look especially when used at full saturation.
Analogous color scheme
Analogous color schemes use colors that
are next to each other on the color
wheel.
They usually match well and create serene and
comfortable designs.
Analogous color schemes are often found in nature
and are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.
Make sure you have enough contrast when choosing
an analogous color scheme.
Choose one color to dominate, a second to support.
The third color is used (along with black, white or
gray) as an accent.
Triadic color scheme
A triadic color scheme uses colors
that are evenly spaced around the
color wheel.
Triadic color schemes tend to be quite
vibrant, even if you use pale or
unsaturated versions of your hues.
To use a triadic harmony successfully, the
colors should be carefully balanced - let
one color dominate and use the two
others for accent.
Split-Complementary color
scheme
The split-complementary color
scheme is a variation of the
complementary color scheme. In
addition to the base color, it uses
the two colors adjacent to its
complement.
This color scheme has the same strong visual contrast
as the complementary color scheme, but has less
tension.
The split-complimentary color scheme is often a good
choice for beginners, because it is difficult to mess up.
Credits
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http://www.tigercolor.com/color-lab/colortheory/color-theory-intro.htm