Understanding Color

Designing a scrapbook page can be a fun and exciting experience. But have you ever laid out your paper, cardstock, pictures & embellishments and thought “this just isn’t right.” Well, perhaps the colors that you have chosen are not projecting the same mood that you had in mind. This article will help you understand how colors and the combination of colors set the basic mood of your page.

Let’s start with a basic color diagram. Did you know that Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular color diagram in 1666? Just goes to show you that this is not a new concept.

Color Wheel

The basic color wheel consists of 12 colors, Primary Colors of Red, Yellow and Blue, Secondary Colors of Orange, Green, and Purple (which are created by mixing the Primary Colors in equal amounts), and six Tertiary Colors which are created by mixing a Primary and a Secondary Color.

PRIMARY COLORS

The colors Red, Yellow and Blue are the Primary colors of the color wheel.

SECONDARY COLORS

Orange, Green and Purple are the Secondary colors. A Secondary Color is created by mixing two Primary Colors.

Orange from Red and Yellow

Green from Yellow and Blue

Purple from Blue and Red

TERTIARY COLORS

The combination of a Primary Color with a Secondary Color creates a Tertiary Color. Tertiary colors are also known as Intermediate Colors. They are Yellow-orange, Red-orange, Red-purple, Blue-purple, Blue-green and Yellow-green.

OK, got all that? If you’re ready read on for more color combinations.

ANALOGOUS COLORS

Analogous Colors (Analogous means "related") are right next to each other on the color wheel. They blend well and look pleasant together because they are closely related. Although they might not provide enough contrast by themselves they can be enhanced by including a Complementary Color.

Example: Yellow, Yellow-Green, and Green.

Use analogous colors when you want just enough variation in color to separate your elements without straying too far from your main color theme.

COMPLEMENTARY COLORS

Complementary colors are directly across from each other on the color wheel. They contrast because they share no common colors. They are Colors that will produce a strong contrast. Some examples are:

Red and Green

Blue and Orange

Yellow and Purple

Complimentary colors offer high contrast and should be used with care and in moderation. Since they are opposite each other on the color wheel, this creates a marked difference in tone and hue which can be eye catching. But, if overused or used improperly, they can give an "eyesore" effect to your design.

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLORS

Split Complementary colors are those on either side of a Complementary Color. These colors contrast, but not as strongly as complementary colors.

COOL COLORS

Cool colors have a Blue undertone, and include Purple (Violet), Blue, Aqua, and Green. Cool colors give the impression of moving away from you. They express coolness, detachment, stability, and calmness. They give a soothing impression of calm and seldom overpower the main content of a page.

WARM COLORS

Warm colors have a Yellow undertone and include Red, Orange and Yellow. They remind you of warm things and express comfort and energy. These colors tend to make things stand out and give the impression of advancing towards you from the page.

Warm colors are best suited for pages that have an energetic or bold theme. The vivid nature of these colors combined with the right background can create an excellent contrast. Be cautious when using this color group so you do not overwhelm your content with their eye catching hues.

MONOCHROMATIC COLORS

These are Shades and Tints of the same color.

Tints and Shades
The color wheel is based on "pure" colors. For each color there are also darker and lighter versions. Darker versions are produced by adding black, and are called Shades. They can also be referred to as "Deep" or "Dark" colors. Dark shades of Yellow, Orange, and some Reds are called Browns.

Lighter versions are produced by adding white, and are called Tints. They can also be referred to as "Pale" or "Light" colors. Very light tints are often called "Pastels". Light tints of some Reds, Oranges, and Yellow are called Tans.

NEUTRAL COLORS

Black, Whites, and Grays are Neutral Colors. Also, Browns, Beiges and Tans are usually considered to be neutrals. Neutral colors are intended to send no message but integrate well with other colors.

TRIADIC COLORS

Triadic Colors are any 3 colors on the wheel that are 120 degrees apart.

The Triadic Color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. This color scheme is popular among artists because it offers strong visual contrast while retaining harmony and color richness. The Triadic scheme is not as contrasting as the Complementary scheme, but it looks more balanced and harmonious.

The Primary Colors are Triadic and so are the Secondary Colors.

Triadic colors give your page a sense of balance and could be considered a "middle of the road" approach to color coordination.

COLOR HARMONY

Harmonious colors are colors that work well together and produce a color scheme that looks attractive. There is no "Single Solution" for color Harmony, but there are endless combinations that can give harmonious results.

Harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It is visually interesting and creates a sense of order and balance. When something is not harmonious, it is either boring and does not engage the viewer or is chaotic and the viewer does not enjoy looking at it.

Whew….that’s a lot to take in! So how do we use this information when we are standing in the hobby store staring at racks of different colored paper? To help me make informed decisions when I pick out the colors for a page, I have a couple of items with me. First, I have a few of the pictures that I will be using and second I always carry a pocket sized color wheel. By holding the pictures next to the color wheel I can easily see what the main color is. I can decide to use this as the predominate color of the page, to help “pop” that color or I can go with complementary colors, to give a “blended” look.

Pocket sized color wheels are available at most hobby and craft stores. They are inexpensive, and worth the small cost.

For a little fun, try my interactive color wheel. Click here.

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