Color Theory

Temperature

"Temperature" describes whether a color is cool or warm. Cool colors have blue undertones, while warm colors have yellow undertones. Combining cool and warm colors can create balance and interest in your quilting projects.

Value

"Value" is another key term in quilting color schemes, referring to how light or dark a particular color is. High-value colors are lighter, while low-value colors are darker. Understanding value is important for creating contrast and depth in your quilt designs.

Tips to Picking out Colors for your next Quilt

1) Pick your color scheme FIRST. (The colors you want to work with. i.e., red, orange with blue and green) 2) Look to existing fabric you love to help you pick a color scheme. 3) Buy good quality quilting cotton. Your quilt will last a lot longer. 4) Start out by buying fat quarters. 5) Decide on a background fabric. 6) See what neutral colors are best for your color scheme. - White - Beige - Brown - Black - Gray - Navy Blue 7) Choose the right binding. One to frame your quilt and accent your quilt, or one to blend in with your quilt. ______________________________________ 1) Start with a focal fabric. 2) Choose a fabric that you love as your inspiration and build the rest of your color scheme around it. 3) Look for colors in the focal fabric that you can pull out and use as accents. 4) Invest in a color wheel. You can use a quilter's color wheel that has disks to help pick your color schemes. 5) Check out Stitch Palettes and BHG Colors.com for color references. 6) Consider t

Polychromatic Color Scheme

A polychromatic or multi-color harmony uses a wide variety of colors from all around the wheel. This can be a fun color combination, especially if you use all the colors from one color system. If you want to give the effect of a rainbow of colors in your project, use a polychromatic saturated colors in about equal proportions. Choosing one main color in your combination and using all the others sparingly or in a muted tint, tone and shade will have the effect of taking on the personality of the main color with all others in a supporting role.

Saturated Colors

Also known as intensity or chroma. When mixing a hue with its complement or with grey, It will become less vibrant. Many colors with low saturation is considered neutral colors. This may include a darker, less saturated beige or gray, as well as pastel colors with low saturation, such as blue-gray or a faded pink. These colors stand out less and tend to be more gentle on the eyes. Colors with more saturation will draw the eye and using too many bright colors can be overwhelming. Using saturation thoughtfully can help choose the right colors for your quilt. Use online color tools to help you choose the right color combination.

Primary Colors

Are Red, Yellow & Blue. These colors cannot be made by mixing together any of the colors. These 3 colors are only used to create every other color. These colors are visually stronger in their purest hue.

Tertiary Colors

Are colors that are visually stronger than both the primary & secondary colors.

Complimentary Colors

Are the most intense & interesting combo on the wheel. CC are directly across from each other on the color wheel

Language of Color

As you become familiar with these terms you will grow to understand their unique meanings and will learn to personalize them with your own artistic adventure.

Winter Colors

Blue, White, Silver and Black

Cool Colors

Blue, green and violet, colors of water

Playful and Energetic Colors

Bold and bright colors, such as hot pink, bright orange, and electric blue, are also a popular choice for modern quilt color schemes. These colors are playful and energetic element to your quilts, making them stand out and draw attention.

Orange

Equal amounts of red and yellow

Low Volume

It can be plain white, dark grey, or what is referred to as "low volume". Low volume fabrics are fabrics that have very little visual impact when you look at them. Think text fabrics, or white fabric with simple monochromatic designs. They read as light but have a secondary pattern. If you squint your eyes or look at them from far away you might assume it's a solid color fabric. They don't always have to be black and white, but for my quilt I'm going to stick to black, white and gray low volume fabrics. If you are going to use low volume fabrics as your background, make sure that your "feature" fabrics are all HIGH contrast to the low volume. They should be bright and saturated in order for the pattern to stand out.

Achromatic Color Scheme

It does not use color. It uses a combination of black, white and gray shades. This combination can have stark contrast or feel harsh when restricted to only black and white, or can have more subtle, muted effects when many tones of gray are used. Knowing the basics of color harmony is a great way to help you fine-tune your own color style. Sensitivity to different colors, preference or personal style are different in each and every person. So there no right way. Your particular color personality is specifically your own. Have fun learning all the different harmonies. Make a note of what you like and what you don't like, and give some new ideas a try in your next quilt or sewing project.

Painter's Color Wheel

It's historical, scientific, easier to use to when using subtractive color. Printer's is easier to use when using additive color.

Color is Relative

Its as its seen. Its according to the preception of the eye and the translation from the brain to the mind. Its the absolute color as it is, in reality. The relationship & contrast of the color.

Unsaturated colors

Muted, dull, pale; lack of energy, draining of life, gloomy

Color Combos to try out

Navy Blue - Orange Black, White, Gray, Blue Black, White, Red Pink, Aqua and Navy Blue

Halloween colors

Orange, Yellow and Black

These colors cannot be made by mixing together any of the other colors.

Primary Colors

Christmas Colors

Red, Green or Blue and Silver

Warm and Cool Color Combinations

Red, Orange, Yellow and Blue, Green, Violet

Fall colors (of leaves)

Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, and Browns

Primary colors

Red, Yellow and Blue

Warm Colors

Red, orange, yellow, colors of fire

Adequate Color Contrast

Suitable contrast of colors. Such as black and white, gray, blue and white.

Tints are not just pastels

The color names melon, pink and periwinkle are all names we give to tints. These colors are always lighter in value than the pure hues they originate from. These variations of colors are always duller and lighter than the pure hue. Some examples of names we give to toned tints are, light gold, pale sienna, dove blue and butter.

Monochromatic Colors

These are colors from the same family. Monochromatic color refers to a color scheme that is comprised of variations of one color. 4 components monochromatic colors are tints, tones and shades of a single hue. It can create a sophisticated and elegant look that is easy on the eyes. If you want the focus to be on the shapes in your quilt, use a single color and a neutral color. If you want the focus to be on the color of the quilt, add variety to your color by changing up saturation (level of intensity) and brightness. "Mono" means 'one' and a quilt color scheme uses one color in various saturations and values. You can do a lot with just one color, think ombre quilts. This can create a cohesive and calming effect that showcases the various shades and hues of the chosen color.

Complementary Color Schemes

These are made of 2 colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. These are the most intense and interesting combination on the wheel. They are directly across from each other on the color wheel. These colors complement one another. They complete or cancel each other out. Mix both color and you'll get a neutral gray. Complementary colors are colors that exist on opposite sides of the color wheel. If the colors feel too strong next to each other, you can use one color less often as an accent, change the saturation and/or brightness of one or both colors, or use colors that aren't exact complements. Use complementary colors whenever you want to create high-contrast, dynamic designs, or need to add visual interest. Knowing which colors are complementary to one another can help you make good color decisions. For instance, complementaries can make each other appear brighter, they can be mixed to create effective neutral hues, or they can be blended together for shading.

Split-Complementary Colors

These color schemes are a variation of the complementary color scheme that uses 2 colors adjacent to it's complement.

Tints, tones, and shades

These colors are lightness or darkness which refer to value. The most classic value combination is black and white.

Warm Colors

These colors are yellows and red that transmit happiness and energy.

What is color?

This doesn't really exist. It's merely an interpretation of vibrations that exist in the atomosphere. Our minds create color, shape, sounds and smells as a means of comprehending these vibrations.

Color Theory

This is both the science and art of using color. It explains how humans perceive color; and the visual effects of how colors mix, match or contrast with eachother. It also involves the messages colors communicate; and the methods used to replicate color.

How to achieve that is visually compelling.

To achieve a quilt that is visually compelling, it is important to think about color in terms of balance, contrast, and texture. One way to create a dynamic color scheme is by using the color wheel. Colors that are opposite each other on the wheel, such as blue and orange or green and red, are called complementary colors. Pairing complementary colors can create a harmonious yet bold contrast.

Color in Context

To design with context in mind, follow these three steps: 1. Figure out the components of the color you're working with.As an example, let's say I'm working with aqua colored fabric. Aqua is made up of blue and green. 2. Figure out which of the components you want to maximize, and which you want to minimize.In this example, I want to minimize the green, and maximize the blue. 3. Use it next to the color you want to minimize, or next to the complement of the color you want to maximize.I could pair it with green to minimize the green tones, or pair it with orange to maximize the blue tones.

Tones

Tones are hues that have gray added to them. There are also many, many varieties in tones. Gray can be complements to make brownish grays. Tones are sage, terra cotta and mauve.

Triadic Color Schemes

Use colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel. Note that one triad combo will contain the 3 primaries or parent colors in a system. That also means one triad will contain 3 secondary colors, and there will be 2 sets of tertiary triad combinations. Using a triad of 3 primary colors can have a very elemental or basic feel. In this combination you see the 3 primaries of the RYB color wheel.

Shades

When black is added to pure hues, shades are created.

Green

Yellow and blue

Color wheel colors are

Yellow, Yellow-Orange, Orange, Red-Orange, Red, Red-Violet, Violet, Blue-Violet, Blue, Blue-Green, Green, Yellow-Green

Neutral Colors

You can always use a neutral color to settle a quilt color scheme down. A white, black, gray, or a very pale color will give your eye a place to rest. If you like bold colors, the neutral color gives it balance and keeps it from becoming overwhelming.

Pure hues

are colors that are fully saturated and bright

Secondary colors

are formed by mixing 2 primaries

Hues

are fully saturated, bright colors that have nothing added to them

Secondary colors

are less visually strong than the primaries that form them as more of the visible spectrum is subtracted.

The 12 pure hues can be modified by adding...

black, gray or white to produce Shades, Tones and Tints.

Tertiary colors are made by...

blending a primary color with a secondary color.

Diad Theory

combines 2 colors that are spaced one color apart from each other on the wheel. These harmonic colors offer a bit more contrast than an analogous pair of colors because they are not direct neighbors. These colors almost always blend together well. Red/Orange Orange/Yellow Yellow/Green Green/Blue Blue/Purple Purple/Red

Tetrad Color Harmony

combines 4 colors evenly spaced around the wheel. Tetrad combinations can form a perfect square. A tetrad combination will always result in 2 complementary pairs, but does not include color neighbors as in the double complementary color harmony. Blue/Orange complementary pair, and a magenta/green complementary pair. These combinations may result in intense, vibrant or jarring combinations when all colors used are all full saturation. You may prefer using one or two of these colors fully saturated, and using muted tints, tones and shades.

Violet

equal amounts of red and blue

Tints are ranged

in intensity from the palest hint of color to colors that are only slightly lighter than their pure hues.

The warm shades...

include the colors of autumn, pumpkin, rust, brown, burnt sienna and olive.

Double Complementary

includes 2 complementary pairs from anywhere around the wheel. Its very colorful and can have many of the vibrant characteristics you would expect to see with complementary pairs. This color combo may be hard to balance if all 4 colors are fully saturated. Red, Green, Yellow and Purple are very bright and intense mix of color. A good way to balance the strong contrasts in a double complementary harmony is to pick one main color and to look for more subdued tints, tones and shades of the other colors. Another way to balance this color combo is to use one main color in a large area, and keep the 3 others to a minimum in the design. Pick out your favorite prints and find a combo of 3-4 colors to bring it out. Save these combos in your swatch book for later references.

Tint

is Pure hues mixed with white

Gray

is formed through the blending of black with white.

White

is not a color. It is in this case, the absence of color. Scientifically speaking, however, the opposite is true.

Shade

is pure hues mixed with black

Tone

is pure hues mixed with gray

Tints are

lighter valued versions of pure hues and are made by adding white to a color.

Tertiary colors

made by blending a primary and secondary color. These colors are visually less strong than both the primary and secondary colors.

Color can be expanded into...

pure hue, tint, tone and shade. The color scale is used to describe the millions of variables of the 12 colors of the color wheel.

Analogous Colors

uses 2 to 4 colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. These color scheme types have close relationships to one another. Such as Red, Red-Orange, Orange / Blue, Blue-Violet, Violet / Violet, Red-Violet, and Red / Yellow, Yellow-Green, Green Analogous color schemes are more harmonious than complementary schemes, and have more variety than monochromatic schemes. Analogous is a good starting point for quilting, but its not the only way to make colors work together. Because the colors are next to each other on the color wheel, analogous colors are well-suited for making gradients. However, if you want to maximize contrast, use fewer mid-tones and mix up the color placement.

Shades

...are usually rich and dramatic, crisp and clear rather than dull and subdued like tones. Shades can be described as warm or cool. The cool shades are deep and rich such as navy, forest green and grape.

Summer Colors

All cool and bright colors

Hue

Another name for color

Tones

Are the most muted versions of your base color

Black and White

Most artists believe black is a color and white isn't, whereas most scientists believe the opposite.

Cool Colors

These colors are the blues and greens, that convey calmness and peace.

Tetriadic color schemes

Use 4 colors arranged into 2 complementary pairs.

Colors are considered pure when they are...

not diluted in any way. A pure hued green implies fresh green grass. A pure hued red is that of a fire engine, and pure-hued yellow is the color of a ripe lemon.

The primary colors are

the basis of all other colors.

Split Complement

this begins with 1 color on the wheel, and includes the 2 colors on each side of the main colors complement. The color combo has similar contrast to a complementary pair, but is less jarring and intense. Red is the main color, combined with 2 colors on each side of red's complementary pair blue-green, and yellow-green. The red still pops, not as, jarring as pure complementary pairs.

Secondary colors are...

violet, orange and green.

What I see vs what you see...

you may see as red-orange or red violet. What you call blue, I may call blue green or blue violet.