COLOR THEORY

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

COLOR SCHEMES
A color scheme is an arrangement of colors based upon
a color system, in this case the color wheel, that is then
applied to an illustration, design or work of art.

A monochromatic color scheme is one of the most simple

combinations. It's made up of different values (tints, tones and
shades) of the same color. While monochromatic color schemes
are visually appealing, they don't contain a lot of contrast. Junior
Gorg from Fraggle Rock has a nice monochromatic color scheme:
His fur, hair, shirt and shoes are all different values of brown.

monochromatic

MONOCHROMATIC IN
GRAYSCALE

MONOCHROMATIC IN RED

IN YOUR SKETCHBOOKS WRITE THE TERM:

MONOCHROMATIC
LIST THE DEFINITION:

THE TINTS AND SHADES

OF A SINGLE COLOR.
DRAW SQUARES AND COLOR A SAMPLE IN YOUR SKETCHBOOK

TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME

This color scheme uses 3 colors equally
spaced around the color wheel.

DO YOU RECOGNIZE
THESE EXAMPLES OF THE
TRIADIC COLOR
SCHEME?

PRIMARY COLORS AND SECONDARY

COLORS ARE CLASSIC EXAMPLES OF
THE TRIADIC COLOR SCHEMES

Primary and Secondary Colors

Primary=first colors, cannot be mixed
Secondary=made by mixing two primary colors

TRIADIC-PRIMARY

TRIADIC

This triadic color scheme consists primarily of the 3 secondary colors.

PRIMARY AND SECONDARY

COLOR SCHEMES

WARM COLORS IMPLY HEAT OR WARMTH

COOL COLORS IMPLY COLD OR COOLNESS

WARM COLOR
SCHEME

COOL COLOR
SCHEME

Georgia OKeeffe

WARM COLORS COOL COLORS

American painter. She was a master using color in
her works of art.

WARM AND COOL

COMBINED COLOR SCHEME COMPOSITION

ANALOGOUS

An analogous color scheme is made up of any 3-4 colors

that are next to each other on the color wheel & share a
common hue. For example, yellow-green, yellow and yelloworange all contain yellow. In an this color scheme it's common
for 1 of the 3 colors to predominate. Notice that Wembly
Fraggle is mostly yellow-green, but the yellow and yelloworange in his hair help create a harmonious color scheme

ANALOGOUS EXAMPLES

Complementary colors are any two colors that are directly

opposite one another on the color wheel. When combined,
complementary colors will enhance each other and create a
striking visual contrast. With his blue-green face and red-orange
hair, Boober Fraggle exemplifies good use of complementary
colors.

SPLIT-COMPLEMENT:

A COLOR AND
TWO COLORS
ADJACENT TO ITS
COMPLEMENT.

Yellow House, Vincent Van Gogh

(Blue, Yellow-Orange and Red-Orange)

Recognize this guy?

FIREFOX

SPLITCOMPLIMENTARY
COLOR SCHEMES IN
EVERY DAY
ADVERTISING

REI

This is a wrestling poster designed

with split complementary colors

Two examples of colour used to

effect in the media. the first uses
neutral tones with a red highlight and
the second uses split complimentary
colours of blue red and orange.