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Tuesday, January 6, 2009
The Basics of Understanding Color by Kathy Iven
One of the first things an interior designer or decorator will tell you about color is to establish the color scheme in your home before you choose the paint for your walls. The reason is simple -paint is one of the least expensive decorating elements and can easily be changed. Re-covering your sofa or chairs, however, can cost hundreds of dollars, as can carpeting, rugs, or window treatments.
The best way to achieve a palette for you home is to look for a pattern that appeals to you. Maybe its a fabric swatch you have or even a favorite scarf. Use that as your inspiration piece and analyze its colors and the proportions of each color within it. What is color theory?Color theory is a set of principles used to create harmonious color combinations. Color relationships can be visually represented with a color wheel. Any mix of hues can work together but understanding the color wheel and color theory makes playing with color even more fun. A color wheel is made of 12 hues: three primary colors, three secondary colors, and six tertiary colors. Color relationships built on these color groups form the basis of color theory.Primary Colors
The primary colors are red, blue and yellow. In color theory, these are the 3 pigment colors that can not be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 colors. You can't create these colors. All other colors are created from these three colors.Secondary Colors
The secondary colors are orange, green and purple. They line up between the primary colors on the color wheel because they are formed when equal parts of two primary colors are combined.Tertiary Colors
Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green are the tertiary colors. These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. That's why the hue is a two word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange. Classic Color Schemes
The monochromatic color scheme uses variations in lightness and saturation of a single color. This scheme looks clean and elegant. Monochromatic colors go well together, producing a soothing effect. The monochromatic scheme is very easy on the eyes, especially with blue or green hues.The analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. One color is used as a dominant color while others are used to enrich the scheme. The analogous scheme is similar to the monochromatic, but offers more nuances.The complementary color scheme consists of two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. This scheme looks best when you place a warm color against a cool color, for example, red versus green-blue. This scheme is intrinsically high-contrast.The split complementary scheme is a variation of the standard complementary scheme. It uses a color and the two colors adjacent to its complementary. This provides high contrast without the strong tension of the complementary scheme.The triadic color scheme uses three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. This 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 tetradic (double complementary) scheme is the most varied because it uses two complementary color pairs. This scheme is hard to harmonize; if all four hues are used in equal amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced, so you should choose a color to be dominant or subdue the colors.Color theory analyzes only the relationships of pure colors; it does not take color lightness and saturation into account. While your color scheme can use any tints, shades, and tones, color theory pays attention only to the hue component
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About the AuthorKathy Iven, Columbus, OHKathy Iven is the owner of Fabric Farms Interiors, located in Hilliard, OH and is a Window Fashions Certified Professional â€" Specialist Level. Fabric Farms Interiors specializes in home décor fabrics and trims. To learn more and shop online for home decorating fabrics, visit http://www.fabricfarms.com All rights reserved.
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