How to Use a Color Wheel — The Magic Of Color Theory
The colour wheel is one of the fundamental tools used by painters, illustrators, designers, and others in the visual arts. Every part of a traditional artist’s colour wheel contains useful information that will enhance your skills as a designer.
As an artist, you know that colour is one of the most important elements of your work. But what about when you’re not painting or drawing? The use of colour is everywhere, and understanding how to use it can enhance your life in a variety of ways. In this post, we’ll introduce you to the basics of colour theory using the colour wheel. With this newfound knowledge, you’ll be able to better understand and use colour in your everyday life.
When choosing a piece of art because you want it to compliment your existing décor, not just because “you have to have it”, decide if the artwork needs to blend in or stand out. If it should blend in, you need to select something that either is part of or complements your existing colour scheme. If you are looking for something to stand out yet still create the visual experience you are looking for, then consider how it will contrast with your existing colour scheme and how the size, shape, texture, and materials used all tie into the visual look you are trying to create.
There are many ways to approach this, and people tend to lean one way or another, making it easier for them to make decisions and for me as an artist.
What is a colour wheel?
A colour wheel is a visual representation of the colours in the visible spectrum, and it’s a primary tool that every artist should have in their toolbox. The colour wheel is divided into six simple hues: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. These hues are then further divided by their respective shades and tones. As you can see, the colour wheel is a great way to visualize how colours interact with each other.
The history of the colour wheel
A colour wheel is an ideal tool to help us define colours and their relationships to one another. The first colour wheel was created by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. Newton observed that when light passes through a prism, it is dispersed into a spectrum of colours. He used this information to create a circular diagram showing the colours’ relationships. Artists and designers have used this simple invention for centuries to create harmonious colour palettes and manipulate colours in visual media.
How to use a colour wheel
A colour wheel is an arrangement of hues around a circle. Each shade represents one of the primary colours. These three hues form the foundation of all other colours, as they can be combined with different hues to produce lighter or darker shades.
The secondary colours (green, orange, and purple) are formed by combining two primary colours:
Red and yellow form orange
Blue and yellow form green
Blue and red form purple
Complementary colours are pairs of opposites: red and green, blue and orange, and purple and yellow.
The term “colour wheel” is also commonly used in art to refer to a similar visual tool in which paint is arranged around a circle, assigned a number according to its hue, or used as a colour scheme for a painting or piece of art. It can help you mix and match colours effectively and create harmonious colour schemes. Here are a few tips on how to use a colour wheel:
Create Color Schemes and Color Mixing
The colour wheel gives a visual presentation of all colour possibilities, from the basics to the most turbulent shades. The wheel presents a variety of contrasting and harmonious relationships that can be used in graphic design, industrial design, and fashion.
A colour wheel is helpful for artists to choose a suitable colour scheme or colour scheme. A colour scheme is 3, 4, or even 5 colours chosen from the wheel. By consulting this wheel, one can create harmony or contrast by applying some geometrical methods that allow selecting the distance between colours on a wheel. It will be easier for you to choose the proper colour schemes for your work.
Colour Schemes
The colour scheme of a design or piece can communicate a large amount of information very quickly. Colour meanings correspond with specific emotions and can combine to emphasize certain aspects of your designs. A good grasp of colour theory is necessary to produce solid concepts that are not just nice-looking sketches but also convey desired functionality and meaning. Let’s examine each in more detail.
- Monochromatic colour
Monochromatic colour schemes consist of a single colour with varying shades and tints to produce a consistent look and feel. It often appears very clean and polished, allowing you to change your colours’ darkness and lightness easily.
Like the one shown here, create balance by consisting of similar tones, the use of a single colour scheme makes for a clean, consistent design.
2. Analogous
The Analogous colour scheme is made from three or more colours — the next colour on the colour wheel after each primary colour is used for accentuation. Generally, the prior two colours will be dominant and feature the same tone (i.e. see the image above for an Analogous scheme with three colours).
The Analogous structure is often used to create a colour scheme. An analogous colour scheme uses two or more neighbouring colours on the colour wheel, which results in a softer, calmer look. Identical structures do not create high-contrast designs, so they are typically used to communicate a gentler mood.
3. Complementary
When it comes to colour schemes, complementary colours are always a safe bet. Complementary colours are two colours that are opposite of each other on the colour wheel.
For example, red and green or purple and yellow. Because they are complementary, they are naturally drawn to each other, creating a high-contrast look that is both bold and timeless. If you’re looking to create a colour scheme for your next design project, start with complementary colours.
4. Split Complementary
A colour scheme is a set of colours to create a visually appealing design. There are many schemes, but one of our favourites is the split complementary colour scheme. This scheme uses three colours — a primary colour plus its two divided complements.
For example, blue is the primary colour, and orange and yellow are split complements. To create a split complementary colour scheme, you’d use blue as the main colour, with orange and yellow as the secondary colours. This scheme is very versatile because it’s harmonious and has high contrast at the same time. It’s also effortless to mix and match different colours in this scheme.
5. Triadic
A triadic colour scheme uses three evenly spaced colours around the colour wheel. This colour harmony is often vibrant and eye-catching. Because triadic colour schemes involve three colours, they can be used in a wide variety of applications. You can use them in your wardrobe, home décor or even when painting your nails. When using triadic colour schemes, it’s essential to consider the saturation and brightness of the colours. You’ll want to use colours within the same range to create a cohesive look. Our Clare Cat Eye Sunglasses in Blue Ivy are the perfect accessory for adding a pop of colour to any outfit.
6. Square
A colour square is a great way to explore colour combinations. Simply select four colours and mix them in the square. You can create different colour schemes by varying the amount of each colour you use, giving you a good sense of how each colour works with the others. Plus, it’s an enjoyable way to experiment with different shades and combinations. Our featured product, the Marquise Pendant, is the perfect accessory to show off your hand-crafted colour schemes.
What Is Color Theory?
As an artist, you know that colour is one of the most important elements of your work. But what about when you’re not painting or drawing? The use of colour is everywhere, and understanding how to use it can enhance your life in various ways. In this post, we’ll introduce you to the basics of colour theory using the colour wheel. With this newfound knowledge, you’ll be able to better understand and use colour in your everyday life.
Understanding colour theory
Colour theory can help any designer create harmonious colour combinations, whether a fine artist or graphic designer. Since painting began, artists and designers have been “eyeballing” colour combinations. Colour theory is the science behind it all, bringing logic and rule-based structure to what before was an intuitive process — and creating a systematic method for creating beautiful colour combinations in any design project.
Colour theory can make the difference between creating a masterpiece or a mess! Prominent artists and designers use colour theory to make visually striking works of art. For example, a triadic colour scheme involves three evenly-spaced colours on the colour wheel, yielding a bold combination. Meanwhile, a tetradic colour Scheme involves four colours evenly spaced out on the colour wheel and can work if you want to use a dominant colour with supporting accent colours.
It studies the properties of colour and how they are used to create specific desired effects. It encompasses everything from the physics of light to the psychology of perception. Understanding colour theory can help you choose colours that achieve the look you want for your brand or product. It can also help you understand why some colour combinations work well together, and others do not.
Modern colour theory
Colour theory studies how colour affects objects and the surrounding space. It’s a complex topic that has evolved over centuries, and many different theories exist. The French artist Johannes Itten developed the modern colour wheel in the 18th century. His wheel breaks colour down into three primary colours (red, yellow, and blue) and three secondary colours (green, orange, and purple). From there, it’s possible to create any colour imaginable by combining these six colours.
Designers’ colour theory challenges
Designers constantly challenge the colour wheel, experimenting with new colour combinations and pushing the boundaries of what’s considered “acceptable.” This can sometimes lead to some pretty wild results, but it’s also how we get those groundbreaking new colour combinations we see in fashion week shows and catalogues.
It’s also how we end up with new takes on old classics, like the ever-popular black-and-white pairing. There’s always something new to learn in the world of colour theory, so feel free to experiment with different combinations and see what works best for you.
Conclusion:
In the end, though, if you aim to please everyone, you ultimately please no one, Gonzalez says. He suggests finding your target audience and testing your colour schemes with your audience. By understanding the basics of colour theory, you can use colours to create an emotional response in others, evoke a certain mood, or enhance your own personal style. Colour is one of the most fundamental elements of design, and with a little bit of knowledge about how to use a colour wheel, you can use it to your advantage in any project.
