A Complete Guide to Color Wheels & Color Schemes

Color Theory

Color theory is a set of rules and standards used by designers to connect with users through visually attractive color schemes in visual interfaces. The most key element of design is color. Designers employ a color wheel and considerable accumulated knowledge about human optical ability, psychology, culture, and more to select the ideal colors every time. Colors can interact with one another because each color has it's meaning: how they affect mood and emotion, and how they affect the appearance and feel of your website are crucial.It explains how humans perceive color and the visual effects of how colors to mix, match or contrast with each other. The color theory offers some formulas that we can start with our color palettes.

Color Wheel

Color theories are organized in a color wheel in three categories i.e. primary, secondary, and tertiary color. 90% of the decision of people is based on color. Let’s talk about the categories of the color wheel.

1. Primary Color

Red, yellow and blue colors are included in the Primary color. These three colors are derived from natural pigment and cannot be replicated by combining other colors. It helps the user to quickly identify the brand. Mixing of primary color gives all the color from the color wheel.

2. Secondary Color

Secondary Colors can be created by combining two or more primary colors. Now we will see how secondary colors are created by combining primary color.

Red + Yellow = Orange
Blue + Red = Purple
Yellow + Blue = Green

Orange, Green, and Purple are secondary colors. Here, to make the secondary color we have to mix the pure primary color which we called Hue. Hue is the purest form of color and the mixing of color. But if color is mixed with white, it is not a hue. Color theory is important because it represents the brand.

3. Tertiary Color

Tertiary Color can be made by mixed colors of primary and secondary color. They are named by the first primary color and then secondary color like yellow-violet. Here, not every mixing color of primary and secondary color is tertiary color because not all colors harmony will match like red cannot be mixed harmoniously with green, and orange color can not be mixed harmoniously with blue. Both combinations would result in a somewhat brown tint. The color that can mix harmoniously are mentioned below:

Red + Purple = Red-Purple (magenta)
Blue + Purple = Blue-Purple (violet)
Red + Orange = Red-Orange (vermillion)
Blue + Green = Blue-Green (teal)
Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange (amber)
Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green (chartreuse)

Color has different variants, They are: Hue, shade, tint, and tone which is described below:

Hue

Hue is the purest color of primary color. We have to mix two hue colors to get a secondary color. You won't acquire the hue of the secondary color if you don't use the hues of the two primary colors you're mixing. By mixing two primary colors that carry other tints, tones, and shades inside them, you're technically adding more than two colors to the mixture and it won't create secondary anymore.

Tint

Tint is the mix color of hue and white. It have range of both shades and tints. And, it is also the opposite of shades.

Shade

Shade is the same as hue but it has two version i.e. dark and light. Shade is created by mixing the color hue with black.

Tone

Tone and saturation generally indicate the same thing, although when discussing colors made for digital photos, most people will use saturation. Tone will be utilized more frequently in painting.

Color and its meaning

Various colors have various emotional symbolism as well as different aesthetic effect.

· Red - Red represents the heat of energy, passion, and love. It is also the color of blood, strength, and danger, making it an effective branding hue. If you have a loud brand and want to stand out, red is the color for you. It's a great choice for restaurants looking to attract hungry customers.

· Orange - Orange is a secondary color. It radiates energy and passion, making it an excellent option for positive messaging. It is an energetic color that can bring to mind health and vitality.

· Blue - Blue is a peaceful and relaxing color that symbolizes wisdom and responsibility. Blue is calming and soothing. Light baby blue is calming, but dark blue may represent depth and power. It is the most popular color in the world, both for personal preferences and for use in business logos.

· Yellow - The color yellow is associated with the sun, smiley faces, and sunflowers. It's a bright, young color that radiates hope and positivity. A bright yellow will immediately catch people's attention and is an effective means of highlighting or accenting a design, whereas a pastel or warm yellow can appear natural and healthy, whereas a neon yellow can appear quite artificial.

· Green - Green, which is frequently associated with development or ambition. It can help give the impression that your business is on the rise. It is universally linked to nature like grass, plants, trees.

· Purple - Purple is an interesting color because it mixes the passion and energy of red with the peace and calm of blue. Purple is naturally prestigious and luxurious due to its associations with royalty. Purple has also been linked to religion and spirituality.

· Black - This color evokes strength and mystery, and its use can help in the creation of required negative space. It is also the most commonly used color in graphic design. This color is associated with strength and mystery, and its use can help in the production of necessary negative space. And if we combined black color with a gold, silver, and royal purple, it will give your brand an air of exclusivity and prestige.

· White - It is both safe and innocent, making it an excellent choice for helping to optimize your site. It's also the most neutral color, and as a basis for other, more dynamic colors, it may be quite unremarkable.

A Complete Guide To Color Wheels & Color Schemes