Arch 2 WFWXY-1 (Prof.: R.
Yazon) UP College of Architecture
Basic Color Schemes
Introuction to Color !heor"
With colors you can set a mood, attract attention, or make a statement. You can use
color to energize, or to cool down. By selecting the right color scheme, you can create
an ambiance of elegance, warmth or tranquility, or you can convey an image of playful
youthfulness. Color can be your most powerful design element if you learn to use it
effectively.
Contents
!he Color Wheel
Pri#ar"$ %econar" an !ertiar" Color&
War# an Cool Color&
!int&$ %hae&$ an !one&
Color 'ar#onie& ( )a&ic !echni*ue& for Creating Color %che#e&
Co#+le#entar"
Analogou&
!riaic
%+lit-Co#+le#entar"
!etraic (Rectangular)
%*uare
Color& affect u& in nu#erou& ,a"&$ -oth #entall" an +h"&icall". A &trong re color ha&
-een &ho,n to rai&e the -loo +re&&ure$ ,hile a -lue color ha& a cal#ing effect. )eing
a-le to u&e color& con&ciou&l" an har#oniou&l" can hel+ "ou create &+ectacular
re&ult&.
The Color Wheel
!he color ,heel or color circle i& the -a&ic tool for co#-ining color&. !he fir&t circular
color iagra# ,a& e&igne -" %ir I&aac .e,ton in 1///.
!he color ,heel i& e&igne &o that 0irtuall" an" color& "ou +ic1 fro# it ,ill loo1 goo
together. 20er the "ear&$ #an" 0ariation& of the -a&ic e&ign ha0e -een #ae$ -ut the
#o&t co##on 0er&ion i& a ,heel of 13 color& -a&e on the RY) (or arti&tic) color
#oel.
!raitionall"$ there are a nu#-er of color co#-ination& that are con&iere e&+eciall"
+lea&ing. !he&e are calle color har#onie& or color chor& an the" con&i&t of t,o or
#ore color& ,ith a fi4e relation in the color ,heel.
Color I#+act i& e&igne to "na#icall" create a color ,heel to #atch "our -a&e color.
Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Colors
In the RY) (or &u-tracti0e) color #oel$ the +ri#ar" color& are re$ "ello, an -lue. !he
three &econar" color&$ green$ orange an +ur+le$ are create -" #i4ing t,o +ri#ar"
color&. Another &i4 tertiar" color& are create -" #i4ing +ri#ar" an &econar" color&.
Warm and Cool Colors
!he color circle can -e i0ie into ,ar# an cool color&. War# color& are 0i0i an
energetic$ an ten to a0ance in &+ace. Cool color& gi0e an i#+re&&ion of cal#$ an
create a &oothing i#+re&&ion. White$ -lac1 an gra" are con&iere to -e neutral.
Tints, Shades and Tones
!he&e ter#& are often u&e incorrectl"$ although the" e&cri-e fairl" &i#+le color
conce+t&. If a color i& #ae lighter -" aing ,hite$ the re&ult i& calle a tint. If -lac1 i&
ae$ the ar1er 0er&ion i& calle a &hae. An if gra" i& ae$ the re&ult i& a ifferent
tone.
!int& ( aing ,hite to a +ure hue:
%hae& ( aing -lac1 to a +ure hue:
!one ( aing gra" to a +ure hue:
Color Harmonies
)a&ic techni*ue& for creating color &che#e&
)elo, are &ho,n the -a&ic color chor& -a&e on the color wheel.
Complementary color scheme. Color& that are o++o&ite each other on the color ,heel
are con&iere to -e co#+le#entar" color& (e4a#+le: re an green). !he high contra&t
of co#+le#entar" color& create& a 0i-rant loo1 e&+eciall" ,hen u&e at full &aturation.
!hi& color &che#e #u&t -e #anage ,ell &o it i& not 5arring.
Co#+le#entar" color &che#e& are tric1" to u&e in large o&e&$ -ut ,or1 ,ell ,hen "ou
,ant &o#ething to &tan out.
Co#+le#entar" color& are reall" -a for te4t.
Analogous color scheme. Analogou& color &che#e& u&e color& that are ne4t to each
other on the color ,heel. !he" u&uall" #atch ,ell an create &erene an co#forta-le
e&ign&. Analogou& color &che#e& are often foun in nature an are har#oniou& an
+lea&ing to the e"e.
6a1e &ure "ou ha0e enough contra&t ,hen choo&ing an analogou& color &che#e.
Choo&e one color to o#inate$ a &econ to &u++ort. !he thir color i& u&e (along ,ith
-lac1$ ,hite or gra") a& an accent.
Triadic color scheme. A triaic color &che#e u&e& color& that are e0enl" &+ace
aroun the color ,heel.
!riaic color &che#e& ten to -e *uite 0i-rant$ e0en if "ou u&e +ale or un&aturate
0er&ion& of "our hue&.
!o u&e a triaic har#on" &ucce&&full"$ the color& &houl -e carefull" -alance - let one
color o#inate an u&e the t,o other& for accent.
Split-Complementary color scheme. !he &+lit-co#+le#entar" color &che#e i& a
0ariation of the co#+le#entar" color &che#e. In aition to the -a&e color$ it u&e& the
t,o color& a5acent to it& co#+le#ent.
!hi& color &che#e ha& the &a#e &trong 0i&ual contra&t a& the co#+le#entar" color
&che#e$ -ut ha& le&& ten&ion.
!he &+lit-co#+li#entar" color &che#e i& often a goo choice for -eginner&$ -ecau&e it
i& ifficult to #e&& u+.
Tetradic rectangle! color scheme. !he rectangle or tetraic color &che#e u&e& four
color& arrange into t,o co#+le#entar" +air&.
!hi& rich color &che#e offer& +lent" of +o&&i-ilitie& for 0ariation.
!etraic color &che#e& ,or1& -e&t if "ou let one color -e o#inant. You &houl al&o +a"
attention to the -alance -et,een ,ar# an cool color& in "our e&ign.
S"uare color scheme. !he &*uare color &che#e i& &i#ilar to the rectangle$ -ut ,ith all
four color& &+ace e0enl" aroun the color circle.
%*uare color &che#e& ,or1& -e&t if "ou let one color -e o#inant. You &houl al&o +a"
attention to the -alance -et,een ,ar# an cool color& in "our e&ign.
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