How to Use a Split Complementary Color Scheme…Lovely!

The split complementary scheme is a variation of the standard complementary scheme. It uses a color and the two colors adjacent to its complementary color. 



Split-Complementary Color Scheme



An example of such three colors are yellow-orange, blue, and violet. Another split-complementary harmony is blue with red-orange and yellow-orange. The split complementary scheme offers more possibilities than the complementary scheme, and yet it has strong visual contrast for a striking effect.

Tips:

1. Use a single warm color against a range of cool colors to put an emphasis on the warm color (red with blue-green and a greenish yellow-green, or orange with blue-violet and blue-green).

2. You might wish to avoid using desaturated warm colors (e.g. brownish reds, brownish oranges, or dull yellows), because this may ruin the scheme.

Looking for a Great Color Scheme? Try a Triad!

A triadic color scheme consists of 3 hues found an equal distance from each other on the color wheel. Primary colors are triadic (as shown here), and the secondary colors (orange, green, and purple) are, too.

But wait, there's more! The six intermediate colors make two sets of terrific triads! Red-orange, blue-violet, and yellow-green look great together.  Yellow-orange, red-violet, and blue-green do, too. 






Try a triad today.

For more fab ideas, check out http://www.colorcombos.com/

                                    

Analogous Color Schemes Are Captivating!

Harmonious, related colors are always gorgeous together.


Take a good look at a 16-point color wheel. Analogous colors are those found immediately next to each other there. They look so pleasing together because they are a family of sorts.



Black, white, gray, and the neutrals such as beige and brown are not found on the color wheel,

but they certainly can be used in an artwork with analogous colors. Some analogous artworks

are done in all warm colors (reds, yellows, and oranges), while others, such as the 

sample below, use cool colors--anything  from violet to green. Or choose a combination

     of related warms and cools, an example of which is red, red-violet, violet, blue-violet, and blue. 

This still life was done with wax crayon and watercolors.

Here are some links to other posts about color schemes: http://mixedmediamanic.blogspot.com/2011/09/looking-for-great-color-scheme-try.html and

http://mixedmediamanic.blogspot.com/2012/08/three-color-schemes-and-contest.html