Color theory and color harmony

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Color theory encompasses a multitude of definitions, concepts and design applications. All the information would fill several encyclopedias. As an introduction, here are a few basic concepts.
A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. Since then scientists and artists have studied and designed numerous variations of this concept. Differences of opinion about the validity of one format over another continue to provoke debate. In reality, any color circle or color wheel which presents a logically arranged sequence of pure hues has merit.

PRIMARY COLORS - Red, yellow and blue.
In traditional 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 hues.


SECONDARY COLORS - Green, orange and purple.

These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors.

TERTIARY COLORS - Yellow-orange, red-orange, red - purple, blue - purple, blue - green and yellow - green.
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.

COLOR HARMONY

In visual experiences, harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic. At one extreme is a visual experience that is so bland that the viewer is not engaged. The human brain will reject under-stimulating information. At the other extreme is a visual experience that is so overdone, so chaotic that the viewer can't stand to look at it. The human brain rejects what it can not organize, what it can not understand. The visual task requires that we present a logical structure. Color harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order.

Some Formulas for Color Harmony...

There are many theories for harmony. The following illustrations and descriptions present some basic formulas.

A color scheme based on analogous colors...
Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12 part color wheel, such as yellow - green, yellow, and yellow - orange. Usually one of the three colors predominates.


A color scheme based on complementary colors...
Complementary colors are any two colors which are directly opposite each other, such as red and green and red - purple and yellow - green. In the illustration above, there are several variations of yellow - green in the leaves and several variations of red - purple in the orchid. These opposing colors create maximum contrast and maximum stability.

A color scheme based on nature...

Nature provides a perfect departure point for color harmony. In the illustration above, red yellow and green create a harmonious design, regardless of whether this combination fits into a technical formula for color harmony.