Why complementary colors work

The cool thing about this approach is it sets up the opportunity to create other complementary color pairings in the same drawing. For example, I established my base colors for her face and hair with complementary yellow and purple. I then added blues to her face to help cool and round the form. But when I surrounded the dull yellow of her face with much purer purple in her hair, the E50 looks a little warmer and a little more orange-ish, which is the complement to the blue I used to cool and round her face.

So now in addition to the hierarchy of focal points I developed in part 2 of the skin coloring series , I also have a hierarchy of complementary colors — predominately yellow skin against purple hair as my primary compliment, and slightly orange-ish looking areas of skin against much purer blue areas as my secondary complementary pair. I complete my complementary trifecta by using pinks and reds in her lips and cheeks, and greens in the irises of her eyes.

So now that you know how to use complementary colors, the next time you grab an E00 Orange marker to color your skin colors, look for areas to add a little B Your drawings will thank you. Pingback: Colour. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and site URL in my browser for next time I post a comment. Complementary Color Combinations in Realism When it comes to more realistic styles of drawing or any drawings where you want your colors to look more natural, a different approach is required.

How helpful was this post? Then, mixing secondary colors and primary colors creates tertiary colors. Many different iterations of the color wheel exist, but many involving these three relationship types show a dozen colors. Digital designers may be more familiar with an RGB color model with red, green and blue to mix light. You were probably first introduced to the most basic color theory concept back in elementary school when you were given a palette of primary colors to paint with.

Mix them all together and you get brown. But mix them and you can create all other colors. When gray is added to a primary, secondary or tertiary color, it creates a tone. If a color is toned down, its brightness and intensity is lessened.

Once you add tints, shades, and tones, you get an expanded color wheel. Also, color theory involves how you arrange colors together to create schemes. For example, a monochromatic color scheme is one with one color in various tints and shades.

Or, an analogous color scheme involves neighboring colors on the wheel, like red, orange and yellow. In this case, opposites attract. This particular color scheme draws from two colors on the opposite side of the color wheel. Examples of complementary color combinations are: Red and green; yellow and purple; orange and blue; green and magenta.

Complementary color combos tend to be bold, which is why sports teams often use this formula for their colors. To throw in a third color, and make the color scheme less intense, you can use a split complementary color scheme. Using complementary colors is bold and not for the faint of heart.

However, when you choose colors in a palette that meshes well, you will create a finely tuned visual tension that will make the consumer sit up and take notice. Instead, choose a deeper purple, such as 80 percent saturation, with a lower-saturation yellow, such as 25 percent. Notice how the page uses a deep purple with a bright yellow — the saturation differs between the two colors.

For example, National Fulfillment Services uses a fade from blue to green for the background in their heading. They then put the CTA within a box in the complementary color orange. This makes the CTA stand out and draws your eye. Using a complementary color to your main color can help you highlight information that otherwise might face into the background.

One example of a site that uses complementary colors to highlight important information is United Airlines. Most of their page is in blues or neutrals. Then, they have a pop of a complementary orangey-yellow color to highlight their MileagePlus program.

This drives people to either log in or join. Simultaneous contrast occurs due to a natural illusion when you place two complementary colors next to one another. Both colors will appear brighter and grab a viewer's attention. Artists use this to their advantage all the time. For example, sunsets with gradients from deep blues to bright oranges are more eye-catching because they rely on simultaneous contrast.

Similarly, if your tube of red paint isn't bright enough, paint something green next to it. When you're mixing paint, look to the hue's complementary first, because it can make wonderful things happen. For example, choosing to blend the complementary color into the main color of a subject is one of the best ways to paint dynamic shadows.

You can also use the complementary color to make a hue less vibrant. The more you add, the more neutral it becomes. For instance, adding a green paint to a red one will create a burnt sienna; add a little more and it becomes a darker sienna.

If you mix the two paints in equal parts, you will get a warm-toned dark brown. These neutrals can be manipulated further by mixing in white, grey, or black.