Color Theory
Brief Overview
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.
According to color theory, harmonious color combinations use any two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, any three colors equally spaced around the color wheel forming a triangle, or any four colors forming a rectangle (actually, two pairs of colors opposite each other). The harmonious color combinations are called color schemes – sometimes the term 'color harmonies' is also used. Color schemes remain harmonious regardless of the rotation angle.
Color Wheel
The Color wheel is made up of primary, secondary, and intermediate colors. See the table below for the color names and where they appear in the wheel.
| Color Name |
Start |
End |
Type |
 |
| Red | 345° | 15° | Primary |
| Red-Orange | 15° | 45° | Intermediate |
| Orange | 45° | 75° | Secondary |
| Yellow-Orange | 75° | 105° | Intermediate |
| Yellow | 105° | 135° | Primary |
| Yellow-Green | 135° | 165° | Intermediate |
| Green | 165° | 195° | Secondary |
| Blue-Green | 195° | 225° | Intermediate |
| Blue | 225° | 255° | Primary |
| Blue-Violet | 255° | 285° | Intermediate |
| Violet | 285° | 315° | Secondary |
| Red-Violet | 315° | 345° | Intermediate |
Terms
Warm colors are the colors that are on the color wheel from yellow around to and including red violet. Warm colors come forward in a painting.
Cool colors are the colors on the color wheel from yellow green to and including violet. Cool colors recede in the painting.
Complementary colors are colors that are directly opposite each other (red/green). These colors show the greatest contrast. A warm color is contrasted by a cool color.
Analogous colors are colors with a color in common. (Yellow, yellow green, green -- or red, red violet, violet.) An analogous color scheme may be "cool" or "warm" and is a low contrast color color scheme.
Monochromatic color scheme. A monochromatic color scheme is one in which the whole or most of a drawing/painting is done in one color with all its tints and shades for variety.
Tints are colors mixed with white. Pink is a tint of red. A color mixed with white appears less intense.
Shades are colors mixed with black. A color mixed with black appears darker.