Good taste in color combinations may contribute to your talent for art or graphic design, but it’s important to learn color theory to expand your design potential. Color harmony is an aspect of color theory that’s especially relevant to graphic design because it addresses how to create visually appealing color schemes. Following is a basic overview of color harmony and how you can use it to your advantage:

The color wheel

If you took anything away from your art class in elementary school, hopefully it’s a vague recollection of the acronym ROY G BV, which stands for Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet. The colors are found in this order on the color wheel, which is a circle used in graphic design careers for artistic color mixing but also serves as a valuable tool for determining color relationships. You can tell a lot about the color harmony of two or more colors based on their relative locations on the color wheel:

* Next to each other. Colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel are called analogous colors, which have a lot of harmony but little contrast.

* Across from each other. Colors facing each other directly are called complementary and have strong contrast.

* Across and to the sides. Split complementary colors include one primary color and the two colors that fall on either side of its complement. Split complements contrast with the primary less than its direct complement.

* Every third. Three colors on the color wheel that lie an equal distance from each other are triadic colors, and they have more balanced contrast.

* Rectangle. Also called double split complementary or tetradic colors, rectangle colors are two pairs of complements spaced two colors away from each other on the color wheel. These four colors offer variation since half are cool colors and half are warm.

* Square. Four colors spaced at an equal distance from each other on the color wheel are square colors. These colors contrast slightly more than rectangle colors because they are spaced farther apart.

Note: When looking at these combinations on a color wheel, keep in mind that contrast isn’t necessarily the opposite of color harmony. You may learn in graphic design classes that color harmony refers to balanced and attractive color combinations, and both contrasting and harmonizing colors must work together to produce overall color harmony.

The formulas

The six ways that colors interact with each other are the basis of the following formulas for creating successfully balanced color schemes:

* Monochrome. A monochrome scheme is the most basic because it uses only one hue, or base color, with varying degrees of lightness or darkness. Since there is no contrast, a monochrome scheme is calm but must be used creatively so that the design doesn’t appear dull.

* Analogous. Three adjacent colors are combined to create an analogous color scheme. These form a calm design, but the trick is to make sure that the three hues have enough contrast. It also helps to pick primary and secondary colors and to balance the third by adding an equal amount of white or black.

* Complementary. A bold and vibrant color scheme can be created using two complementary colors. Because this scheme stands out, it won’t work for everything and must be used carefully to get a pleasant effect.

* Triadic. A triadic scheme is also bold due to the wide spacing of the colors, but it’s recommended to let one color dominate and to be careful when balancing the colors to avoid an overpowering scheme.

* Split-Complementary. A split complementary scheme is easy to use because it has vibrancy without the more difficult contrast of a complementary combination.

* Rectangle and Square. A strong point of the rectangle and square schemes is versatility, but like the triadic scheme, only one color should dominate. Since the colors are half warm and half cool, this balance should be maintained.

* Natural. This scheme allows for more imagination because it requires the colors to be found together in nature. Rely on your taste and knowledge of color harmony to balance a natural scheme.

Keep in mind that using one of these color schemes won’t automatically result in color harmony. Whether a color scheme creates color harmony depends on context as well as balance, so try to combine colors in a way that suits the content or purpose of a work. Don’t forget to use your sense of taste to gauge and adjust a work’s color harmony.

If you want to learn more about the use of color harmony in graphic design, you may want to enroll in a graphic design program.

This article is presented by IADT – Detroit. Contact this school today if you’re interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with its Graphic Design degree program. IADT – Detroit does not guarantee employment or salary.