Color Wheel and Color Schemes

Analogus Colors

3-5 colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. Choose one color as the dominant and use smaller amounts of the others to add interest and variety.

Shade

Adding black to a color.

Tint

Adding white to a color.

Cool Colors

Blue, green, violet and all colors near them. Remind you of water, grass, and trees. Called "receding" colors because they make objects seem smaller and further away. Cool colors are quiet and restful. Used in hospitals and bedrooms.

Color

Color is an element or property of light. Can help create different moods in the residential and non-residential setting. Every color can have a psychological effect on people and no one single color can satisfy every member of the family.

Neutral Colors

Combinations of black, white, gray form this scheme. Can also add brown, tan, beige.Small amounts of color may be added for interest. This is called "accented" neutral.

Intermediate/Tertiary Colors

Made from using equal amounts of a primary and secondary color. (Primary color is always named first) Yellow-green and Yellow-orange Red-violet and Red-orange Blue-green and Blue-violet

Monochromatic Colors

Simplest color scheme. Uses a single hue and variation is created by changing the values and intensities.

Intensity

The brightness or dullness of a color.

Value

The lightness or darkness of a color.

Hue

The name of a color.

Complementary Colors

Two colors that are positioned across from each other across on color wheel. They make each other look brighter and more intense.

Triadic Colors

Uses three colors that are equally spaced on the color wheel. The primary and secondary colors form separate triadic schemes, change values and intensities to lessen the sharp contrasts.

Color Wheel

Most commonly used tool to understand the basis of all color relationships. 3 concentric rings make up the color wheel: outer, middle, inner. The middle ring consists of the primary, secondary, and intermediate/tertiary colors.

Split-Complentary Colors

One color is used with the two colors adjacent to it complement. One color should be dominant and the other two used to add variety and interest.

Secondary Colors

Orange, green, violet. These are created by mixing equal amounts of two primary colors and are located on the color wheel halfway between the two primary colors used to make it.

Primary Colors

Yellow, red, blue are the basic colors and cannot be created by mixing other colors.

Warm Colors

Yellow, red, orange and all of the colors near them. These color are called "advancing" because they make appear closer. These colors attract your attention and make you feel happy, energetic and excited. Red actually stimulates the nervous system.Overuse of these colors can make you feel nervous or tense.