Complementary Color Scheme

Colors that are opposite on the color wheel.

 Complementary colors make each
other visually vibrate and stand out.

Vincent Van Gogh

“The Sower”
Complementary Colors have high
contrast against each other.

Kim Blair
“Three Limes on Red
Plate”
 Analogous Color Scheme

Colors that are

side by side on
the color wheel.

Shanti Marie
“Water Geisha”
Analogous colors
look like they go
together because
they are all part of
the same color
family (red, red-
violet, violet).
Analogous color
are effective at
showing depth.

Claude Monet - Water-Lilies -1914 -

http://www.abcgallery.com/M/monet/monet146.html
 Neutrals

Amount of white or black

Black, white, gray, and

sometimes brown are
considered "neutral".

Georgia O'Keeffe - Black Iris III - 1926

http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/okeeffe/
When neutrals are added to a color only the value
changes, however; if you try to make a color
darker by adding a darker color to it the color (hue)
changes.

Theo Dapore
“Tree with Waterfall”
Consider that
black and
white are
thought of as
neutrals
because they
do not
change color.

Yiannis Kouvelis
 The overall
effect is of
neutral brown
and gray colors
even though
red and yellow
is also used.

George Seurat
“Circus”
Monochromatic
Mono = one
Chromatic = color

• It uses only one color.

• The lightness and
darkness of one color.
• Using tints & shades to
create all the values of
that color.
• Done to create a unifying
and harmonious effect.
Tamara de Lempicka - Marquis Sommi - 1925 -
http://cgfa.sunsite.dk/lempicka/p-lempick2.htm
Monochromatic

• The lightness and

darkness of one color.

Leanne Wildmuth
“Untitled”

• Using tints & shades to

create all the values of
that color.

Unknown Artist
 Maria Bales
“Blue Landscape #1”
 Remember…

• Color is what the eye sees when light

bounces off an object.
• There are Primary, Secondary, and
Tertiary colors.
• You also have complementary, analogous,
warm & cool, and monochromatic.