This tutorial gives you a basic background in color theory and how to effectively use color in designs.

If you found this tutorial useful or if you used it at all, please . Thanks!

C&C

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PLAIN-TEXT VERSION

NOTE: As you will notice, none of the images are included in this plain text version of the tutorial. At each point where "*IMAGE*" is placed, refer to the original version of the tutorial for the images.

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MANY DESIGNERS I'VE COME ACROSS, ESPECIALLY THOSE JUST BEGINNING, EITHER HAVE NO IDEA WHAT COLORS SHOULD FIT TOGETHER OR THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO KNOW THAT BECAUSE THEY WORK WITH A COMPUTER. HOWEVER, COLOR THEORY IS VITAL TO ANY DESIGNER WHETHER THEY USE PIXELS OR PAINT. SO, IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE SLIGHTEST THING ABOUT COLOR THEORY OR YOU KNOW A BIT BUT WANT TO LEARN SOME MORE, TAKE SOME TIME AND READ THIS TUTORIAL.

WE'LL BEGIN WITH THE COLOR WHEEL, BECAUSE EVERYTHING IN THIS TUTORIAL, AND EVERYTHING IN COLOR THEORY IS BASED OFF OF THE COLOR WHEEL. TAKE A SECOND AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE COLOR WHEEL BELOW:

*IMAGE*

IN THE COLOR WHEEL, IT IS CREATED BY 12 COLORS ARRANGED BY THEIR RELATION TO THE COLORS AROUND THEM. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE CREATED BY THE THREE SUB-GROUPS OF COLORS WITHIN THE COLOR WHEEL: PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND TERTIARY COLORS. IT IS THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE COLORS IN THESE GROUPS THAT CREATE COLORS.

FIRST OF ALL, THE PRIMARY COLORS. THESE ARE RED, YELLOW AND BLUE:

*IMAGE*

THESE ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THE REST OF THE COLOR WHEEL, AND AS YOU WILL NOTICE, EQUALLY SPACED OUT ON THE COLOR WHEEL. THESE COLORS WORK WELL AS A TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME (WHICH YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT LATER) WHEN ALL THREE COLORS ARE USED BUT ARE NOT COMPLIMENTARY TO EACH OTHER (WHICH YOU'LL ALSO LEARN ABOUT LATER) SO WOULD NOT WORK WELL IF ONLY TWO OF THEM ARE CHOSEN.

THE NEXT SUB-GROUP IS CREATED WHEN TWO PRIMARY COLORS ARE COMBINED EQUALLY. THIS GROUP MAKES UP THE SECONDARY COLORS OF THE COLOR WHEEL; ORANGE, GREEN AND VIOLET.

*IMAGE*

AGAIN, EXACTLY LIKE THE PRIMARY COLORS, THESE COLORS WORK WELL AS A TRIADIC COLOR SCHEME WHEN ALL THREE COLORS ARE USED BUT ARE NOT COMPLIMENTARY TO EACH OTHER SO WOULD NOT WORK WELL IF ONLY TWO OF THEM ARE CHOSEN.

THE LAST GROUP, THE TERTIARY COLORS, ARE CREATED WHEN ONE PRIMARY AND ONE SECONDARY COLOR ARE COMBINED AND THEY ARE NAMED AS SUCH; RED-VIOLET, RED-ORANGE, YELLOW-ORANGE, YELLOW-GREEN, BLUE-GREEN AND BLUE-VIOLET.

*IMAGE*

SOME OF THESE COLORS ARE COMPLIMENTARY WHEN PAIRED TOGETHER AND THEY CAN BE TRIADIC WHEN GROUPED IN THREE'S.

AS WELL, THESE COLORS CAN BE MODIFIED WITH THE ADDITION OF BLACK OR WHITE. WHEN WHITE IS ADDED, THE NEWLY CREATED COLOR IS A TINT AND WHEN BLACK IS ADDED, THE NEW COLOR IS A SHADE. JUST CHECK OUT BELOW TO SEE WHAT I MEAN:

*IMAGE*

NOW THAT WE'RE EQUIPPED WITH SOME TERMINOLOGY, NOW WE CAN GET TO COLOR SCHEMES; WHICH ONES LOOK GOOD TOGETHER AND WHICH ONES JUST DON'T. NOW, MANY DIFFERENT PLACES YOU READ FROM WILL HAVE VARYING AMOUNTS OF COLOR SCHEMES. I'VE BOILED IT DOWN TO FOUR DIFFERENT SCHEMES; COMPLIMENTARY, MONOCHROMATIC, ANALAGOUS AND TRIADIC.

WE'LL START WITH COMPLIMENTARY. COMPLIMENTARY SCHEMES ARE BASED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF OPPOSITES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE COLOR WHEEL AND CHOOSE ANY COLOR. NOW, DRAW AN IMAGINARY LINE STRAIGHT ACROSS THE WHEEL; YOU'VE NOW FOUND THE COLOR THAT IS COMPLIMENTARY TO THE COLOR YOU CHOSE. FOR BLUE, IT'S COMPLIMENTARY COLOR IS ORANGE. RED-VIOLET'S COMPLIMENTARY COLOR IS YELLOW-GREEN. EVERY COLOR HAS A COMPLIMENT. JUST SEE BELOW:

*IMAGE*

COMLIMENTARY COLORS ARE USED EVERYWHERE. TAKE CHRISTMAS (RED AND GREEN) OR A LOS ANGELES LAKERS JERSEY (YELLOW AND VIOLET).

THE NEXT TYPE OF COLOR SCHEME IS A MONOCHROMATIC COLOR SCHEME. A MONOCHROMATIC COLOR SCHEME IS CREATED BY USING TINTS AND SHADES OF ONE COLOR. FOR EXAMPLE, YOU COULD USE BLUE-GREEN AND USE THE TINTS AND SHADES SHOWN BELOW.

*IMAGE*

THIS IS A VERY USEFUL TYPE OF COLOR SCHEME BUT IS QUITE NICE WHEN IT IS USED ALONGSIDE THE COLOR SCHEME'S TO CREATE A MORE COMPLEX DESIGN. ALSO, JUST A SIDE NOTE, WHEN ONLY BLACK, WHITE AND GREY'S ARE USED IN A MONOCHROMATIC COLOR SCHEME IS IS CALLED ACHROMATIC. AND MONOCHROMATIC DESIGNS ARE USED EXTENSIVELY IN NATURE; IN A FLOWER OR IN OTHER PLANETS, TINTS AND SHADES OF COLORS ARE SEEN.

COMING NEXT IN OUR COLOR SCHEMES IS AN ANALAGOUS COLOR SCHEME. THIS IS WHEN TWO OR THREE COLORS IN A DESIGN ARE NEXT TO EACHOTHER ON THE COLOR WHEEL. FOR EXAMPLE RED, RED-ORANGE AND ORANGE. SEE BELOW FOR THE POSSIBLE THREE COLOR COMBINATIONS:

*IMAGE*

AN ANALAGOUS COLOR SCHEME IS VERY POPULAR AND THEY ARE QUITE EASY FOR THE EYES TO LOOK AT. IN AUTUMN, LEAVES ON A TREE ARE THE RED, ORANGE AND YELLOW COLORS AND IN A FOREST ALONG A RIVER THE BLUES AND GREENS ARE SEEN.

FINALLY, THE LAST TYPE OF COLOR SCHEME IS A TRIATIC COLOR SCHEME. THIS TYPE OF COLOR SCHEME WORKS MUCH LIKE THE COMPLIMENTARY COLOR SCHEME BUT THERE ARE THREE COLORS INCLUDED INSTEAD OF TWO. A TRIATIC COLOR SCHEME IS FOUND BY DRAWING AN EQUILATERAL TRIANGLE IN THE CENTER OF THE COLOR WHEEL. AT THE THREE POINTS OF THE TRIANGLE ARE YOUR TRIATIC COLOR SCHEME COLORS. THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY COLORS ARE TRIATIC COLOR SCHEMES WHEN USED TOGETHER. THE ENTIRE SET CAN BE SEEN BELOW:

*IMAGE*

THIS COLOR SCHEME IS USED LESS FREQUENTLY THAN THE ANALAGOUS OR MONOCHROMATIC BUT WHEN IT IS UTILIZED THE PRIMARY AND SECONDARY COLORS ARE USUALLY THE ONES CHOSEN.

THIS SHOULD GIVE YOU A BASIC AND GENERAL KNOWLEDGE OF COLOR THEORY. SO NO SIGS WITH RED AND BLUE OR LARGE PIECES COLORED WITH ORANGE AND GREEN-YELLOW. I HOPE YOU FOUND THIS TUTORIAL USEFUL AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR PROBLEMS WITH IT OR IF YOU JUST FOUND IT HELPFUL, SEND ME AN E-MAIL AT MASKEDMARVEL@GMAIL.COM AND CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY GALLERY, FOR SOME MORE TUTORIALS OR JUST CHECK IT OUT FOR THE SAKE OF CHECKING IT OUT. (P.S. THE COLOR SCHEME OF MY OLD PORTFOLIO WAS AN ANALAGOUS SCHEME WITH MONOCHROMATIC MIXED IN.)