Standard Color Harmonies
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 onto a circle.
Monochromatic Color Scheme
The monochromatic color 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.
Marcel Duchamp
Nude Descending a Staircase #2
24 X 14 ½”
Philadelphia Museum of Art
New York
Analogous Color Scheme
The analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent to
each other on the color wheel. One color is used as a
dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme.
Paul Klee
Viaducts Break Ranks
20 ¾ X 16 ¼”
Kunshalle,
Hamburg
Complementary Color Scheme
The complementary color scheme consists of two colors that
are opposite each other on the color wheel. This scheme looks
best when you place a warm color against a cool color, for
example, red versus green. This scheme is high-contrast.
Pablo Picasso
Lobster and Cat
20 1/8 X 25”
J.K. Thannhauser Collection
New York
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 scheme.
Claude Monet
Tulips in Holland
19 X 24”
Louvre, Paris
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 harmony and color richness. The triadic
scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary
scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious.
Stuart Davis
Figure Five in Gold
25 X 20”
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York
Double Complementary Color Scheme
The double complementary scheme is the most varied
because it uses two complementary color pairs. This scheme
is hard to harmonize; if all four hues are used in equal
amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced, so you should
choose a color to be dominant or subdue the colors.
Marc Chagall
I and the Village
24 ½ X 19 “
Museum of Modern Art
New York
Accented Neutral Color schemes use neutral colors (grays,
beiges or whites) as main color and then add a punch with a dark
accent color to add visual interest.
Pippin Horace
The Domino Players
15 ¾ X 27
Phillips Collection
Washington, DC
Warm colors are vivid in nature. They are bold and energetic. Warm colors
are those that tend to advance in space; therefore, caution needs to be taken
so you do not overwhelm your content with eye catching hues. If an element
in your design needs to pop out, consider using warm colors to do that.
Cool colors are soothing in nature. They give an impression of calm and
rarely overpower the main content or message of a design. Cool colors tend to
recede; therefore, if some element of your design needs to be in the
background, give it cool tones.
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Warm colors are the reds, oranges,
and yellows
Cool colors are the blue, greens and
violets
Peter Max
Better World 3
24 X 28”
1999
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