Understanding the Color Wheel | Contrast colours guidelines for your fashion
Understanding the Color Wheel | Contrast colours guidelines for your fashion
Think of a magical tool that helps you understand how colors play together in perfect harmony. It’s like a painter’s palette for your wardrobe, allowing you to mix and match hues like a pro. Well this article delight brings you ” The Colour Wheel ” to let you nail contrast colors without going overboard.
What is Colour Wheel ?
The color wheel, sometimes called a color circle, is a circular arrangement of colors organized by their chromatic relationship to one another. The primary colors are equidistant from each other on the wheel, and secondary and tertiary colors sit between them. We use the wheel in art and design to choose color schemes based on their relationships to one another. It’s a versatile and valuable tool in the world of color theory and creative expression.
Color Theory Basics: The Color Wheel
Whether you’re a painter, a home renovator, or looking to put together a stunning outfit; understanding color theory is the key to making harmonious color schemes and creating with confidence. The first one was invented in 1666 by Sir Issac Newton and several variations have been used since then. You’re probably familiar with the color wheel taught in most art classes, but did you know it’s not the only one?
Types of colour wheel
There are two main methods of producing color, subtractive or additive. An additive color wheel reflects how different wavelengths of lights can create visible color. The subtractive color wheel shows us how a color looks to us when white light, such as sunlight, reflects off of an object.
Digital screens like this use an additive color method, by beginning as black and then mixing different amounts of colored light they can create all the colors in the visible light spectrum. On this color wheel, the primary colors are red, green, and blue.
A subtractive color wheel is what we commonly think of as the painter’s color wheel. Subtractive colors start from white, and then colorants are used to cause the surface to reflect a different color back to our eyes. This can be paint, dye, pigment, or anything else. On a subtractive color wheel, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.
How to learn about colour combination from colour wheel ? | Understanding the Color Wheel
A 12-section color wheel can be used to help describe the relationship between different colors when they are viewed together. Artists use these color relationships to achieve different effects such as dramatic contrast or colors that are visually appealing together.
Guidelines of colour combination are here ;
Complimentary Colours Combination
Two colors that are on opposite sides of the color wheel provides a high contrast and high impact together. They are complimentary colours to each other. For example, purple and yellow contrasts greatly.
Analogous Colour Combination
Any three colors which are side by side on a colour wheel are analogous colours.This color combination is versatile, but can be overwhelming. To balance an analogous color scheme, choose one dominant color, and use the others as accents.
Monochromatic colour combination
Three shades, tones and tints of one base color. Provides a subtle and conservative color combination. This is a versatile color combination that is easy to apply to design projects for a harmonious look.
Triadic colour combination
Three colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel. This provides a high contrast color scheme, but less so than the complementary color combination — making it more versatile. This combination creates bold, vibrant color palettes.
Tetradic colour combination
Four colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel. Tetradic color schemes are bold and work best if you let one color be dominant, and use the others as accents. The more colors you have in your palette, the more difficult it is to balance.
Mastering Colour Combination for your wardrobe! This works for your art too..
The key to mastering contrast colors is balance. Let one color take the spotlight while the other plays the supporting role. Too much of a good thing can be overwhelming, so let the contrast speak volumes without overpowering your entire ensemble.
Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of the color wheel and the magic of contrast colors, it’s time to unleash your fashion creativity!
Warm and Cool colours in colour wheel
The color wheel can also be categorized into warm and cool colors, which are determined by their color temperature. Warm colors are often associated with energy and evoke feelings of coziness. They include shades of red through to yellow, resembling the warmth of the sun. Think of fiery reds, vibrant oranges, and sunny yellows that bring a sense of warmth and vitality to mind.
On the other side, Cool colors encompass shades of blue, green, and purple. They evoke a sense of calmness and serenity, reminiscent of cool water. Picture soothing blues, refreshing greens, and tranquil purples that create a cooling effect and a feeling of peacefulness.
Understanding these color temperatures helps in creating specific atmospheres and conveying desired feelings in various contexts, such as interior design, branding, and artistic compositions.
Real life examples of following the color wheel combination
Van Gogh used blues and oranges in his painting ‘Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles’, 1888, ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caf%C3%A9_Terrace_at_Night ) . Because he uses complementary colors the colors contrast and are vibrant.
Claude Monet uses analogous colors in his tranquil painting ‘Water Lilies’, 1904. He mainly uses dark green, light green and yellow.
The watercolor painting below, ‘Stripes and Ceramics’ by Britanny Cartie is an excellent example of monochromatic painting as it uses only green.
And the list is long.. alternatively you can uncover them on Google.
Final Takeaway | Understanding the Color Wheel
In the artistic and fashion world today, you find color theory as practical guidance that helps visual artists and designers come up with color schemes and define colors as we see them. And the main tool used to help artists understand these relationships is the color wheel. So with the Understanding the Color Wheel now, experiment and don’t be afraid to take risks. After all, fashion is all about expressing your unique style and radiating confidence !
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