Types of Color Schemes in Design

OCcreativeDecember 30, 2014Graphic DesignLeave a Comment

by Erin Nolan

As a follow up to Color Palettes in Interior Design, this entry delves deeper in the
world of complimentary colors and the different methods of combining color
schemes. Here is a summary if you are not up for the quick read:

Have you ever had an idea of how you would like your environment decorated,
but didn’t have a clue how to make that idea a finished product? I’ll tell you a
secret … it is a strong art composition. Remember back in grade school when
your art teacher tried to teach you the elements of good design? Each of those
elements play off one another and are intrinsically connected.
In addition to proportion of color (suggested 60-30-10), there are also palettes
based on the color wheel which offer further color suggestions.

Monochromatic
Monochromatic color schemes are all of a single tint, shade and hue. Because
they lack definition or focal areas they tend to be relaxing. They are really easy to
manage as there are no more decisions to be made concerning color. However,
depending on which hue is chosen, it could be stimulating as well – imagine a
room entirely of coral! Yikes! This is the easiest color guide. Just choose one
color and go!

Analogous Palette
This palette uses harmonizing colors, either in the warm or cool spectrum. For
instance, red-orange-yellow combinations or green-blue-violet are more
appealing than violet-green-orange. Again there are exceptions. Try not to use
too many analogous colors because it will ruin the flow of the area.
Complementary
Ok. Choose two colors. Now create shades, tints and tones of those same
colors. Congratulations! You just created your own complementary color palette.
Using shades creates depth and character to your room. In this palette, the tints
are used for focal points. This can create everything from a bright cheerful style
to a soothing formal look.

Split Complementary
On the color wheel there are exact opposites. Red’s opposite is green. Violet’s
nemesis is yellow and the anti-blue is orange. Here is where it gets difficult, so I’ll
break it down. 1. Choose a color (I’ll choose blue). 2. Find its complimentary
(orange). 3. Now choose colors on either side of orange on the color wheel
(yellow-orange and red-orange). This allows for nuances of color, yet still
maintains strong focal areas.

Triadic Complementary
Have you ever played cat’s cradle with a piece of string? Working with a triad
complementary color scheme is kind of like that. It looks easy if you know what
you’re doing. If you don’t, you just end up with a mess. The fundamental idea is
that you take three colors which are evenly spaced around the color wheel.
When everything is working the palette provides a rich, balanced, and
harmonious style that the others do not have. Because of its nature, it is used by
many artists.

Tetradic (Double Complementary)

Don’t. Just don’t… unless you like the sound of “triadic double split
complementary.” Yeah. I thought so. Google it if you really want to know.

Now go and create a color scheme yourself using one of these palette
generators:
https://kuler.adobe.com/create/color-wheel
http://colorschemedesigner.com
http://www.degraeve.com/color-palette
Color schemes
Colors have great power if used correctly. The palette that you choose may bring
harmony to the design or it may ruin it. The colors chosen for the design form a color
scheme. They are used to create style and appeal or to convey a certain mood. A basic
color scheme may be composed of two colors that look appealing together.
Color is one of the most important things in design and art. Finding a good color palette
is not easy, in fact sometimes it can be a real struggle. Even experienced designers may
find it difficult. But it is worth the effort - by selecting the right color palette, you can
achieve visual balance. If you do it wrong and the colors may seem to clash. Planning a
successful combination has to be backed up with the understanding of basic color
relationships.
The color wheel and color schemes
To understand the ideas behind color schemes we need to comprehend the color
wheel first (also referred to as a color circle). It is a circular color diagram introduced by
Sir Isaac Newton in 1666, a visual representation of color hues arranged circularly
according to their chromatic relationship.
Color wheel is a starting point for combining colors. Color schemes are just logical
combinations made using the wheel. It is an easy way to visualize the relationships
between colors.
Types of color schemes
Monochromatic color scheme
This scheme is composed of different tints, shades of tones of the same color. These color
schemes are relatively easy to use and comprehend. They can be very effective but some
designers may look for greater diversity of hues. You can explore them with out tool.
Analogous color scheme
These are colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. They usually match quite
well. We can find a lot of examples of this scheme in the natural world.
Complementary color scheme
Colors located across from each other on a color wheel, for
example: blue and orange, yellow and purple. They usually create a vibrant look due to
high contrast between them. A palette of this sort is great for emphasizing element that
need to stand out, for instance a call to action buttons.
Split-Complementary color scheme
A variation of the complementary color scheme. It is composed of the base color and two
colors adjacent to its complement. That gives it strong visual contrast but without the
tension of the complementary color scheme.
Triadic color scheme
This scheme is made of colors that are evenly spaced along the color wheel. A vibrant
palette is produced.
Tetradic color scheme
This scheme is composed of four colors comprising of two complementary pairs.