Color Wheel and Color Schemes 3.02 and 3.03

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

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.

Primary Colors Yellow, red, blue are the basic colors and

cannot be created by mixing other colors.

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.

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

Intermediate Colors

Color Terminology Hue – The name of a color

Intensity- The brightness or dullness of a color

Value- The lightness or darkness of a color

a.Shade- adding black to a color

b. Tint- adding white to a color

Warm and Cool 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.

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 Schemes or Harmonies Pleasing combinations of colors based on

their respective positions on the color wheel.

There are 6 basic color schemes/harmonies

Monochromatic Simplest color scheme. Uses a single hue and variation is created

by changing the values and intensities

Monochromatic

Analogous 3-5 color 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

                                                      

Complementary Two colors that are positioned across from

each other across on color wheel. They make each other look brighter and

more intense.                                                       

Complementary

Complementary

Split-Complementary 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.                                                       

TRIADIC 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.

TRIAD

Neutral 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

Resources Housing Decisions, pages 253-270 Housing and Interiors, pages 406-421 www.colormatters.com/colortheory www.color-wheel-pro.com

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