Color Harmony Compendium

22 Color Harmony Compendium

Basic Color Schemes

No color stands alone. In fact, the

effect of a color is determined by many

factors: the light reflected from it, the

colors that surround it, or the perspective

of the person looking at the color.

There are ten basic color schemes.

They are called achromatic, analogous,

clash, complement, monochromatic,

neutral, and split complement, as well as

primary, secondary, and tertiary schemes.

105 101 98

5 16 20

ANALOGOUS SCHEME

Uses any three consecutive

hues or any of their tints and

shades on the color wheel.

ACHROMATIC SCHEME

Without color, uses only

black, white, and grays.

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91 93 96

5 68

92 46

COMPLEMENTARY SCHEME

Uses direct opposites on the

color wheel.

MONOCHROMATIC SCHEME

Uses one hue in combination with

any or all of its tints and shades.

CLASH SCHEME

Combines a color with the hue to

the right or left of its complement

on the color wheel.

24 Color Harmony Compendium

NEUTRAL SCHEME

Uses a hue which has been dimin-

ished or neutralized by the addition

of its complement or black.

PRIMARY SCHEME

A combination of the pure

hues of red, yellow, and blue.

18 23 24

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY SCHEME

Consists of a hue and the two hues

on either side of its complement.

12 52 68

4 36 69

25

SECONDARY SCHEME

A combination of the secondary

hues of green, violet, and orange.

The color schemes and com-

binations on the following pages

illustrate hundreds of color pos-

sibilities. Creative color solutions

are presented with practical and

emotional variations providing

a wide range of color uses in all

areas of the fine, graphic, and

applied arts.

COLOR COMBINATIONS FOR CREATIVE EFFECTS

TERTIARY TRIAD SCHEME

A tertiary triad is one of two

combinations: red-orange, yellow-

green, and blue-violet, or blue-

green, yellow-orange, and red-

violet; all of which are equidistant

from each other on the color wheel.

53 83 20

60 28 92