


So the complimentary colors that you should know about are blue and orange, red and green, and also purple and yellow. And the thing about complimentary colors, is that they're very pleasing to the eye when they're used together - not mixed together, but just used with each other in a composition, a painting, and face painting. Complimentary colors are right across from each other on the color wheel. You can use that order to help you make good choices when you're face painting.įor example, you've probably heard of complimentary colors. You're going to notice one thing about it, it's got colors all the way around the outside, but they're in a very specific order. In making color choices, it's helpful if you have a color wheel as I have my trusty color wheel here. This scheme is hard to harmonize if all four hues are used in equal amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced, so you should choose a color to be dominant or subdue the colors.If you haven't had any training in color theory, you may be choosing your colors intuitively based on what appeals to your eye. Knowledge of how colors interact, however, can remove much of the guesswork and help you make safe color choices while you're face painting. Tetradic (Double Complementary) Color Scheme The tetradic (double complementary) scheme is the most varied because it uses two complementary color pairs. The triadic scheme is not as contrasting as the complementary scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious. This scheme is popular among artists because it offers strong visual contrast while retaining harmony and color richness. Triadic Color SchemeThe triadic color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. This provides high contrast without the strong tension of the complementary scheme. It uses a color and the two colors adjacent to its complementary. Split Complementary Color SchemeThe split complementary scheme is a variation of the standard complementary scheme. This scheme is intrinsically high-contrast. This scheme looks best when you place a warm color against a cool color, for example, red versus green-blue.

The analogous scheme is similar to the monochromatic, but offers more nuances.Ĭomplementary Color SchemeThe complementary color scheme consists of two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. One color is used as a dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues.Īnalogous Color SchemeThe analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. Monochromatic colors go well together, producing a soothing effect. Monochromatic Color SchemeThe monochromatic color scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color.

Color schemes remain harmonious regardless of the rotation angle.Ĭlassic color schemes supported by Color Wheel Pro: The harmonious color combinations are called color schemes – sometimes the term 'color harmonies' is also used. The color wheel is a visual representation of color theory:Īccording to color theory, harmonious color combinations use any two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, any three colors equally spaced around the color wheel forming a triangle, or any four colors forming a rectangle (actually, two pairs of colors opposite each other). Color relationships can be visually represented with a color wheel - the color spectrum wrapped onto a circle. Color Theory Basics What is color theory?Color Theory is a set of principles used to create harmonious color combinations.
