Color Control

 The Color Wheel

A color wheel shows how colors are related. On a color wheel, each secondary color is between the primary colors that are used to make it. Orange is between red and yellow because orange is made by mixing red with yellow. What goes between secondary colors and primary colors? Intermediate, or tertiary, colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color that is next to it. Red-orange, yellow-orange and yellow-green are some intermediate colors.

The lightness or darkness of a color is called its value.

You can find the values of a color by making its tints and shades.

Tints are light values that are made by mixing a color with white. For example, pink is a tint of red, and light blue is a tint of blue.

Shades are dark values that are made by mixing a color with black. Maroon is a shade of red, and navy is a shade of blue.

 

Two useful tools to aid our color decisions are

the use of complementary and

balancing saturated color with compound colors.

 

Primary colors

Primary colors are known as basic colors because they cannot be created by mixing other hues. Since humans are trichromatic, the primary colors yellow, red, and blue are fundamental to human vision. Primary colors are the building blocks of all other colors.

 

Secondary colors are made by combining two primary colors.

Secondary colors are created by the equal mixture of two primary colors. For example, yellow and red make orange, red and blue make purple, and blue and yellow make green. On a color wheel, the secondary colors are located between two primary colors.

 

Triadic

Triadic color schemes offer high contrasting color schemes while retaining the same tone. Triadic color schemes are created by choosing three colors that are equally placed in lines around the color wheel.

Tertiary colors are also called intermediate colors.

When you blend secondary and primary colors together, you get what is called a tertiary color, or intermediate color. On a color wheel, the tertiary colors are found between the primary and secondary colors. Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green are examples of tertiary colors.

ANALOGOUS COLORS

Analogous (uh-NAL-uh-gus) colors sit next to each other on the color wheel. They tend to look pleasant together because they are closely related. Analogous colors flatter each other when used together because they are so close to each other on the color wheel. When using analogous colors, painters make sure they have enough contrast, often choosing one dominant color, a second supporting color, and a third color that acts as an accent.

Orange, yellow-orange, and yellow are an example of analogous colors. They are blended nicely in Sunflowers

Monochromatic colors are really just a variety of one color.

A monochromatic color scheme uses variations of a single hue to create a clean, elegant, and single-colored work of art. Using this type of color scheme will establish one overall mood and can be visually appealing.

 

THE COMPLEMENTARY COLORS

The complementary are colors directly opposite one another on the color wheel.  Allowing one color to dominate and but maintains a balanced color arrangement. Complementary 
colors sit opposite each other on the color wheel. Because they are opposites, they tend to look especially lively when used together. When you put complementary colors together, each color looks more noticeable.

Red and green are an example of complementary colors

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SATURATED COLORS

Saturated colors contain either one or two primary colors and no black or white. They are the purest colors of each hue.

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COMPOUND COLORS

Compound colors are colors containing all three primaries. They are all the earth colors - browns, khakis, greys etc.

 

NEUTRAL COLORS

Neutral colors are also known as earth tones.

Neutral colors include black, white, gray, and sometimes brown and beige. They are sometimes called “earth tones.” Neutral colors don't show up on a color wheel. They can be created by mixing two complimentary colors or combining a pure color with white, black, or gray. Pure neutral colors include black, white, and all grays while near neutrals include browns, tans, and darker colors.

 

WARM COLORS

Warm colors are made with red, orange, yellow, or some combination of these. Warm colors tend to make you think of sunlight and warmth.

COOL COLORS

Cool colors are made with blue, green, purple, or some combination of these. Cool colors might make you think of cool and peaceful things, like winter skies and still ponds.

The Meaning of Color

Along with varying visual impact, different colors also carry different emotional symbolism.

• Red — typically associated with power, passion, or energy, and can help encourage action on your site
• Orange — joy and enthusiasm, making it a good choice for positive messaging
• Yellow — happiness and intellect, but be wary of overuse
• Green — often connected to growth or ambition, green can help give the sense that your brand is on the rise
• Blue — tranquility and confidence, depending on the shade — lighter shades provide a sense of peace, darker colors are more confident
• Purple — luxury or creativity, especially when used deliberately and sparingly on your site
• Black — power and mystery, and using this color can help create necessary negative space
• White — safety and innocence, making it a great choice to help streamline your site