Using the Color Wheel

by Barbara Wilson

Using the Color Wheel

When trying to develop a color scheme for your logo or web site, you don't have to re-invent the wheel!

The Color Wheel was first developed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666. It begins with the primary hues (yellow, red and blue) and proceeds in a logical sequence around the wheel by combining adjacent colors.

There are formulas for combining these hues that will guarantee your colors will complement each other and create a pleasing visual experience.

First, let's briefly discuss the basics of the color wheel.

Yellow, red and blue are the Primary colors. These are the 3 base colors that can not be created by mixing or combining any other colors. All other colors are made by combining these 3 colors.

The Primary Colors are yellow, red and blue

Mixing any two Primary colors will create the Secondary colors. For example, combining yellow and red creates orange. Mixing red and blue will give you violet.

The Secondary Colors are orange, green and violet

Combining two adjacent Secondary colors gives you the Tertiary colors; yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green.

The Tertiary Colors are red-orange, red-violet, yellow-green, yellow-orange, blue-green and blue-violet

You want to select colors for your web site or logo design that create harmony. Harmony can be simply defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts. This is not difficult if you use the color wheel and one of the following formulas.

Using Complimentary Colors

Complimentary colors are colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.

A complimentary color scheme using yellow-orange and blue-violet

Using Split Complementary Colors

A Split Complementary color scheme is created by choosing any color and adding the two colors adjacent to it's complementary color.

A Split Complementary color scheme using red, yellow-green and blue-green

Using Double Complementary Colors

This color scheme uses two pairs of complementary colors. I chose yellow-green and violet, orange and blue-violet.

A Double Complementary color scheme using yellow-green and violet, orange and blue-violet

Using Analogous Colors

Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12 part color wheel, such as blue, blue-green and green.

For this Analogous color scheme I used blue, blue-green and green

Using Triad Colors

A Triad color scheme uses colors based on purity. Select any color on the wheel, say yellow. To select your Triad color scheme, draw an equilateral triangle inside the wheel (this will select every fourth color on a 12-part color wheel). Starting with yellow, your Triad scheme would be completed with red and blue - the primary colors.

Let's create a Triad color scheme starting with red-orange.

This Triad color scheme was created using red-orange, yellow-green and blue-violet

Your Triad color scheme would consist of red-orange, yellow-green and blue-violet. You can use all three colors in the Triad or any two of the colors.

Using Alternate Complementary Colors

This is another 4-color scheme. You start with a Triad scheme and then add the complement of one of the hues.

An Alternate Complementary color scheme using yellow, red, blue-violet and blue

Selecting a color scheme for your web site using the color wheel guarantees a harmonious use of colors. All you have to do is follow one of the formulas shown above.

Start with your favorite color and see what combinations you can create.

Have fun!

Barbara Wilson
www.ecoverdesigns.com

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