Hawaii Website Design – All About Color Theory
Last time, I discussed about more essential writing tips for blogging. Today, we will talk about one of the things we primarily learn about in school – which are colors. In grade school, we learned about the basic primary colors and how they blend. However, that is just a small part of an even bigger field known as the color theory.
What is Color Theory?
When it comes to visual arts, color theory is basically the art and science of using colors. It can help explain how colors match and contrast each other. and how humans perceive colors. In this theory, colors are classified into three groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary.
According to a study, people decide in 90 seconds or less if they like a product or not. About 90% of that decision is solely based on color. This is why it’s very important that a part of your branding must focus on color.
What are Primary Colors?
As I’ve mentioned, colors are classified into three groups. When mixed, primary colors can produce a wide spectrum of colors. We are more familiar with red, yellow, and blue (RYB) model. When we were in grade school, these are the colors that helped us acquire basic art skills. Another primary set of colors is cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMY). Just like RYB, the CMY primaries are also considered as a subtractive color model. When these colors absorb parts of the visible spectrum, they can form new colors. The third group is the red, green, and blue (RGB) system. Unlike the previous two, the RGB system is an additive model. This model is most commonly seen on computer and television screens.
What are Secondary and Tertiary Colors?
When you use equal amounts of primary colors, you get green, orange, and purple as secondary colors. On the other hand, tertiary colors are formed when you mix both primary and secondary colors. Mixing primary and secondary colors leads to many different shades of a particular color. Some examples are: yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple.
Color Harmony
When mixing colors, it should be pleasing to the eyes. This is why color harmony is important in visual arts as it gives off a sense of order. It also creates a balance in the visual experience that captivates the viewers. When something is not harmonious, it can become dull or disorganized. When it comes to color harmony, you can choose a lot of schemes.
A prime example is based on analogous colors. This scheme uses colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. When it comes to business, using analogous color schemes can definitely attract consumers.
The second scheme is based on complementary colors which are colors that can be found opposite to each other on the color wheel. When you use complementary colors, there will be a sharp contrast between colors so be careful not to overuse them as it can get annoying.
The third color scheme is based on triadic colors. This color scheme uses colors that are fairly spaced around the color wheel. When you use the triadic color scheme, you can simultaneously create visual contrast and harmony.
If you need a tool that will help you understand color harmony better, you can use Adobe Color. It is a really helpful tool so you won’t end up mixing the wrong colors. Now that we’ve discussed all about color theory, I will talk about Color Psychology next.