A complementary colour scheme is made up of two hues that are opposite one another on the colour wheel. This is the most contrasting colour scheme, attracting the most attention, and achieving a harmonic balance is one of the critical problems when working with it.
Complementary colours combine one primary colour and its counterpart. Colours on opposing sides of the colour wheel are complementary to one another. The primary hue is prominent, while the complement acts as an accent. However, complementary colours can be observed in other artistic spheres apart from the film.
Other variations include a double complementary colour scheme (combining a pair of base colours with the resulting complementary colours) and a split complementary colour scheme (using adjacent colours to the complementary one).
Importance of contemporary colour schemes
Colour schemes describe beauty and tell about feelings, emotions, and the concept of a brand. Colour scheme is also essential as it creates an emotion that alters customer attitude towards a product, eventually influencing their behavior and thinking process. Bright colours portray energy and adventure, while muted ones reflect classiness or calmness.
Complementary colour scheme: Colour Psychology
Colour psychology examines how colour affects our ideas, feelings, and actions. The basis is that each colour evokes different emotions and meanings. For instance, people often associate red with excitement, passion, and danger, while they relate blue with reliability, trustworthiness, and tranquility. Colour was used in breaking badly for the construction of atmospheres and association with meaning and emotion.
- Red represents excitement, danger, energy, daring, strength and fury.
- Orange represents creativity, excitement, health, happiness, encouragement and balance.
- Yellow represents sunlight, hope, optimism, brightness, positivism and newness.
- Green symbolises health, nature, rejuvenation, generosity, freshness and the environment.
- Blue represents freedom, trust, expansibility, reliability, faith and inspiration.
- Purple represents royalty, luxury, power, pride, inventiveness and mystery.
Complementary colour scheme: Colour theory
Colour theory is the foundation for the basic principles and criteria governing colour and its application in visually attractive pictures. Understanding the fundamentals of colour theory allows you to begin parsing the logical structure of colour to develop and use colour palettes more strategically. The end effect is conveying a specific mood, attitude or style.
Primary colours
All colours are derived from a mix of primary colours. Red, blue, and yellow are the three primary hues. These three hues are the biological parents of all other colours.
Secondary colours
Secondary colours are created by combining equal portions of any two primary colours.
- Blue + Red = Purple
- Blue + Yellow = Green
- Red + Yellow = Orange
Tertiary colours
Tertiary colours are created by combining one of the primary colours with one of the secondary colours closest to it. Tertiary colours may be found between all primary and secondary hues.
- Red + Purple = Red-Purple (magenta)
- Red + Orange = Red-Orange (vermillion)
- Blue + Purple = Blue-Purple (violet)
- Blue + Green = Blue-Green (teal)
- Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange (amber)
- Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green (chartreuse)
Benefits of using the complementary colour scheme
- Compared to the other pairings on the wheel, these have the most significant conceivable contrast—think of it as an opposites attract situation.
- Complementary colours are visually appealing due to some incredible science taking place in your eyes.
- Your viewers’ eyes will instinctively seek complementary hues to those you employ.
- It is an effective tool for developing brand identification and connecting with customers.
- Complimentary colours are utilized in painting for their vivid contrasts and mutual augmentation when juxtaposed, for ‘shot’ or cangiante draperies, and for shadows tinted with the complimentary of a nearby highlight.
Complementary colour scheme: Examples
- Red and green: One of the most classic examples of a complementary colour scheme is the pairing of red and green. This combination is often associated with festive themes, such as Christmas, and creates a vibrant and visually striking contrast.
- Blue and orange: The dynamic interplay between blue and orange creates a visually appealing contrast. This combination is frequently used in sports team logos and advertisements to capture attention and convey a sense of energy.
- Purple and yellow: The regal richness of purple paired with the brightness of yellow creates a complementary colour scheme that is both bold and visually engaging. This combination is often used in branding to convey a sense of creativity and luxury.
- Cyan and red-orange: The cool tones of cyan complement the warm hues of red-orange. This combination is popular in modern design and technology-related themes, offering a sleek and futuristic look.
- Teal and coral: The pairing of teal and coral provides a balanced and visually appealing contrast. This combination is often used in interior design, fashion, and branding to create a sense of sophistication with a touch of vibrancy.
- Yellow-green and red-purple: This combination showcases the versatility of complementary colours by combining different shades. The muted tones of yellow-green and red-purple offer a harmonious yet contrasting effect, commonly seen in nature-inspired colour palettes.
- Blue-green and red-orange: Combining the calming tones of blue-green with the warmth of red-orange creates a lively and balanced complementary colour scheme. This combination is often used in branding for its eye-catching and harmonious appeal.
- Magenta and green-yellow: The intense contrast between magenta and green-yellow results in a bold and attention-grabbing combination. This pairing is frequently utilised in high-impact design elements to convey a sense of drama and excitement.
Application of complementary colour schemes in industries
Complementary colours schemes are critical in all sectors. The 60/30/10 rule derived from interior design, striking contrasts in fashion and balancing primary, sub-dominant, and accent colours lead to compelling visuals. These colours provide increased attractiveness to brand identification and drive user engagement in digital marketing and web design.
Interior design
In interior design, the 60/30/10 guideline is used.’The primary colour is 60%, the sub-dominant colour is 30%, and the accent colour is 10%. As an example of a complimentary colour scheme, you might use a light blue on your ceilings, walls, and woodwork, a deeper blue on your most significant piece of furniture (a sofa or a headboard), and a bright orange on your accessories. This is the best way to get the most harmonious colour scheme with a complimentary palette.
Fashion
Complementary colours, such as blue and orange, are opposite on the colour wheel. Combined, they provide a startling contrast that may add intrigue and depth to your ensemble. For example, a red top with green jeans gives a powerful and colourful look.
Digital marketing
Digital marketers want to develop websites and applications that are both practical and visually appealing. Complementary hues enhance a design, making it more memorable and effective. A marketer, for example, may use these colours to create a call-to-action stand out.
Web design
Contemporary colour schemes allow people to process and retain images more quickly than colourless (black and white) ideas, improving brand identification and driving website visitors to action. Contemporary colour schemes can influence subconscious judgment. Thus, your palette should be consistent with your brand’s concept.
Trends driving contemporary colour schemes
As contemporary colour schemes are utilized by several industries, staying abreast of evolving trends, designers can create visually striking and impactful designs that endure.
Sustainability
The natural colour palette focusing on earthly colours and calm shades as reflected in the global direction toward ecological consciousness is becoming popular.
Retro comeback
Contemporary designers are borrowing and updating retro colour schemes to reimagine them. Using colour schemes from the 80s and 90s as a branding and graphic design trend is also an excellent idea.
Technology and futurism
In technology, the futuristic use of vivid colour combinations incorporating metallics, neons, and gradients often denotes novelty and development.
Finally, a conspicuous combination of complementary colours that balance opposite hues of the colour wheel is called the complementary colour scheme. Finding balance in such disparity might be difficult but essential in art. Its influence is seen in various fields, from fashion statements that bring about impressive digital marketing designs to its appeal in interiors and Web design.
FAQs
What colour schemes complement one another?
Orange and blue, green and magenta, red and green, yellow and purple
Which seven primary colour schemes are there?
Square, rectangular, triadic, complementary, divided complementary, monochromatic, and similar (or tetradic).
What does the term complementary colours mean?
Pairs of complementary colours cancel each other out (lose hue) when blended or combined, creating a grayscale colour similar to white or black.
For what reason are colour schemes used?
Colour palettes are employed to provide appeal and style.
How can an interior designer employ a complementary colour scheme?
You may add more interest and variation to your home design using several shades of complementing colours.
How are complementary colours used in art?
The first is dominance by proportion, which is achieved, for instance, by utilizing complementary colours and allocating a more significant percentage of the picture to one colour while keeping the other colour for a much smaller piece.
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Dhwani is a content management expert with over five years of professional experience. She has authored articles spanning diverse domains, including real estate, finance, business, health, taxation, education and more. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, Dhwani’s interests encompass reading and travelling. She is dedicated to staying updated on the latest real estate advancements in India.
Email: dhwani.meharchandani@housing.com
