Module description

That’s where the colour wheel will be helpful. Let’s talk about complementary, analogous, and triadic colour harmonies.

Complementary colours are opposites on the colour wheel, for example, yellow and violet, blue and orange or green and red. Used together, they emphasize the brightness of each other and make the composition pop. They are a perfect choice to accentuate the composition centre, as we discussed in the basics of the composition module.

Analogous colours are the neighbours sitting side-by-side on the colour wheel. These might be red, orange and yellow or blue, purple and violet. Using analogous colour schemes will help you create more nuanced compositions.

Triadic colours are the ones sitting on the tops of the triangle placed in the middle of the colour wheel. Triadic colours are evenly spaced around the colour wheel and tend to be very bright and dynamic. They are less contrast than complementary, but still vibrant and not boring.

Monochrome colour combinations are one using different shades of the same base colour. It may be considered too safe and even boring, but if you are looking for harmony and calmness, that might be exactly what you need. Always remember, that form follows the function, and if you are aiming to create a subtle nuanced harmony, be brave enough to use a safe monochrome colour scheme.

How could we forget about lovely beiges and earthy greens and browns? And we shouldn’t as they may become a perfect background for bright complementary or triad colour harmonies. They could be used on their own for super calm combinations or be combined with brighter colours to create a nice accent on their perfect brightness. They are rarely soloists in the compositions or interfaces but could form a perfect ensemble complimenting the bright ones.

Yes, they are the colours too. It’s your perfect and the most powerful neutral colour which may become your go-to to calm down the brightness of all other colours. Black and white used next to each other create the most powerful contrast possible. Both black and white will work perfectly with any other colour on the spectrum.