The best color combinations. Color circle. Color palette

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

A designer in the digital age certainly doesn't need to be limited to the colors that can be obtained from paints, inks, or other pigments, although there is much to be learned from the approach to color in fine art as well. The human eye can distinguish millions of different shades, but sometimes even combining two colors can be a challenge.

Amazing properties of color

This is because the choice of shades for design is very subjective and requires certain knowledge. So what should designers do if they want to create a beautiful color palette that can make a client happy? Whether you like it or not, the best color combinations go beyond mere personal preference, as they have the amazing ability to influence mood, emotion, and perception, acquire cultural and personal meaning, and grab attention-both consciously and subconsciously.

The challenge for designers and marketers is to balance complex hue functions forcreating an attractive and effective palette of color combinations. This is where a basic understanding of color theory comes in handy. It can help you understand which tones work well (or not) and what effect different combinations will create within a given design.

Color wheel: color combination

At school, in drawing lessons, children go through this topic, so everyone is probably familiar with its stripped-down form: red, yellow and blue basic tones. The traditional color wheel consists of 12 tones and is often used by artists. This is a simple visual way to understand the relationship of colors.

The main task that the color wheel performs is the combination of colors. Mixing the basic or primary shades (yellow, blue and red) forms secondary ones: green, purple and orange. Combining them with the main tone allows you to get the third level of the circle - tertiary colors. These include red-orange, orange-yellow, yellow-green, green-blue, blue-violet and violet-red. The primary and secondary tones are part of the visible spectrum, or the colors of the rainbow. Their order is easy to remember with the mnemonic phrase "Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant sits": red, orange, yellow, green, blue, blue and purple.

This way of understanding color is known as the subtractive model, which consists of mixing pigments such as paints or inks, and is used in both the traditional color wheel and the CMYK system used in printing equipment. She is different fromadditive model, which consists in mixing light of different frequencies (for example, on a computer or TV screen), consisting of a different set of primary colors: red, green, blue (RGB).

Image editors use a different version of the color wheel. Any shade can be selected using its hex code.

Terminology

Before compiling palettes, you need to master the terminology that will help you understand the different types of shades:

• hue is synonymous with color and traditionally refers to one of 12 colors;
• brightness: how far a color tone is from black;
• lightness: proximity of tone to white;
• saturation - the intensity or purity of a color (the closer the hue approaches gray, the less saturated it is).

Best color combinations

From the color wheel, there are a number of classic palettes used by artists over the centuries. For most design decisions, one dominant color should be highlighted from these schemes - by the amount of its use or by its separation from other tones - one or more accents:

1. Monochrome scheme: uses varying brightness, lightness, or saturation of tones of the same color, ranging from light to dark. An example of a successful monochrome combination is red with black and white. This scheme provides a slim and conservative design. Blue and white - a classic combination of Chinese porcelain of the 9th century. and French textiles18th century

2. A similar scheme: colors located side by side on the color wheel. It is versatile and easy to apply when developing projects. An example is the combination of purple with blue-violet.

3. Complementary scheme: uses tones located at opposite ends of the color wheel. For example, blue and orange, red and green. Complementary colors have high intensity and contrast, but are difficult to apply harmoniously and balanced in their pure form as they can easily clash in designs.

4. Split-complementary scheme: any tone of the color wheel plus two colors bordering its complement. For example, yellow with green and red-violet. This scheme also has strong visual contrast, although weaker than the previous one. Provides the best color combinations for design beginners as it is hard to mess up.

5. Triadic scheme: any three tones evenly distributed on the color wheel. Provides quite bright combinations, even if the tones are pale and desaturated. For successful use, it is necessary to achieve complete balance - one color should become dominant, and the other two should be accents.

6. Tetrad, or double complementary: consists of two complementary pairs. This scheme is extremely attractive, but more difficult to apply than a single pair of complementary colors, since more tones are more difficult to balance. When using this scheme, you should choose one color as the dominant one and adjustthe saturation, lightness, and hue lightness of some or all of the tones so that they provide the best color combinations in different parts of the design.

Inspiration

In addition to the combinations of the color wheel, nature offers many ready-made solutions for harmonious color schemes.

Color combination options include considering their temperature (hot or cold), saturation (bright tones often look young, while pale tones often look vintage), moods (bright and cheerful, dark and serious), themes (location, season, holiday) and other qualities.

Another great color-finding technique is to look to different historical periods and artistic movements for inspiration: the warm, light colors of the Impressionists; bright, unexpected combinations of post-impressionists; soft, earthy Art Nouveau colors; bright, bold shades of pop art.

Color psychology

Color surrounds us. Whether we realize it or not, it plays a big role in our daily lives. Have you seen an orange or yellow traffic sign on the road today? He got attention for a reason. Color has an amazing connection to our moods and emotions.

But not everyone experiences color in the same way. The meaning and symbolism that we associate with different tones is very dependent on the influence of the cultural and social groups to which we belong. Here are some common meanings associated with primary colors in Western culture.

Red

This color conveys a lotdifferent ideas depending on the context. Associated with fire, it can symbolize warmth or danger. Because red is the color of blood, it is considered an energetic, lively tone and is therefore associated with matters of the heart and sometimes with violence.

Alternative Meanings: In some Eastern cultures, red symbolizes good luck and prosperity and is the color worn by brides on their wedding day. Around the world, red is associated with various political movements and symbolizes revolution.

In branding: Often denotes strength, confidence and authority and is highly visible.

Orange

Also the color of fire, orange combines the warmth of red with the cheerfulness of yellow and symbolizes activity, energy and optimism. Also associated with harvest or autumn.

Alternative Meanings: In India, saffron, which has a yellowish tinge of orange, is considered sacred. In Japan, the color symbolizes love.

In branding: often represents youth and creativity. Gold, which is also a shade of orange or yellow, symbolizes luxury and high quality.

Yellow

As the color of the sun, it often symbolizes happiness, cheerfulness, friendliness and the freshness of spring. In addition, in certain contexts, it can convey a warning signal or warn of caution. Some variations (especially desaturated and greenish ones) look sickly or unpleasant, which is not surprising since historically yellow is sometimes associated with illness and quarantine.

Alternative Meanings: In some Eastern and Asian cultures, yellow is associated with high birth or status. In parts of Africa and Latin America, this tone is the traditional color of mourning.

In branding: a clear or bright yellow tone is eye-catching but can be unsettling or even hard to see (such as white text on a bright yellow background or vice versa) if used carelessly.

Green

This is the color of nature, vegetation and growth. It often symbolizes he alth, freshness, or natural qualities. Dark green can represent we alth and stability.

Alternate meanings: among Islamic cultures, green is a sacred color. It is also associated with Ireland, St. Patrick's Day and the lucky quatrefoil.

In branding: Brands or products presented as "green" (natural, he althy, eco-friendly, organic, etc.) often use natural colors such as green and brown.

Blue

The color of the sea and sky, it often symbolizes peace and purity. Unlike more energetic and warm tones, blue is perceived as calming. In some cases, it can represent sadness or depression.

Alternative Meanings: In Middle Eastern cultures, blue traditionally protects against evil. Due to its association with the sky, in many cultures the color symbolizes immortality and spirituality.

In branding: blue is widely used and is one of the most versatile colors. It usually symbolizesreliability, safety and stability. The tone is particularly popular in corporate contexts, as it is perceived as having a serious, conservative, and professional quality.

Purple

Traditionally associated with nobility, grandeur or honor. As such, it has spiritual, mystical, or religious connotations.

Alternate Meanings: In many cultures around the world, the combination of purple symbolizes nobility or we alth, but in Thailand and parts of South America it is associated with mourning.

In branding, dark shades of purple are often a symbol of luxury, while lighter and brighter shades are popular with women and children.

Black

Like red, this color has many (sometimes conflicting) meanings. It can represent power, luxury, sophistication and exclusivity. On the other hand, black symbolizes death, evil or mystery. In clothing, it is a symbol of formality or mourning and mourning (since mourning is traditionally worn at funerals).

Alternative Meanings: In some countries in Asia and Latin America, black is considered a masculine color. In Egypt, it means rebirth. In many cultures, the color is associated with magic, superstition or bad luck, as well as the inexplicable or unknown.

In branding: black is so widely used that it has almost become neutral, although it can symbolize the above depending on the context. Many designs are simply black and white (deliberately or simply to save on color printing).

White

As the color of light and snow, white often symbolizes purity, innocence, goodness or perfection (traditionally worn by brides), but also signifies austerity or sterility.

Alternate meanings: In China, white is the color of mourning. In many cultures, it stands for peace - the white flag is a universal symbol of truce or surrender.

In branding: white often communicates simplicity, cleanliness or modernity. Designers looking for a minimalist aesthetic often use a lot of white.

Color in design

Picking up color combinations is more than choosing two or three shades and distributing them in equal proportions throughout the design. Using them effectively has a lot to do with balance, and the more tones you use, the more difficult it is to achieve.

The easiest way to implement this concept is by dividing the selected colors into prevailing and accents. The dominant tone will be the most visible and most used in the design, while one or more accents will complement and balance it. Paying attention to the interplay of colors-the presence or absence of contrast, how adjacent tones look, what mood a combination of colors and shades creates, and so on-will help you pinpoint the perfect palette for design purposes.

The generally accepted rule for using the basic three-color palette is the 60-30-10 rule. This approach is often used in interior design, but can also be applied effectively to web or print design. It is enough to give the dominant color 60%, and give the remaining 30% and 10% to the two accents. A good example of this rule is a men's suit: the jacket and trousers account for 60% of the color of the clothes, the shirt takes 30%, and the tie the remaining 10%. All together provides a balanced, elegant appearance.

Another way to keep the palette simple and balanced is to use lightness and lightness (or lighter and darker versions of the chosen tone). This way you can expand your color choices without overwhelming design inconsistency.

Color in marketing and branding

Brand recognition is highly dependent on color. Just think of Coca-Cola, Facebook or Starbucks and it's easy to remember the tones these brands are associated with.

A study by the University of Winnipeg found that people's initial judgments of products are largely based on color (60-90% of the estimate). This means that tone in design is not only an artistic choice, but also a critical business decision that affects everything from consumer perception of a brand to product realization.

However, when choosing a color scheme for a logo, it is not necessary to adhere to traditions, symbols or stereotypes. There are no foolproof or quick rules here. More importantly, how the tone is used in the design and harmonizes with the market context of the brand and its character.

RGB vs CMYK

When working on a printed project, the computer monitor may not display colors as expected.they will look on paper. What you see is not what you get because digital monitors and printers use two different systems: RGB and CMYK. The first refers to small dots of red, green, and blue light that combine to form visible colors on a screen; the second means cyan, magenta, yellow and black tones for creating color prints. Because RGB uses a wider gamut than CMYK, some designers initially create a print project in RGB to preserve more color options and convert the finished design to CMYK before printing.

For this reason, they need a tool that provides consistent color when working with both systems - for example, when designing a logo for a website and printing it on a business card. One such system is the Pantone Matching System (PMS). In it, tones can be matched across websites and print (as well as different types of printed surfaces) to ensure the same look.

Color: understand, explore and love it

Designers specialize in the study of color theory, psychology or neuroscience - complex subjects that are at the intersection of art and science. But this is part of what makes this profession so interesting and such an effective tool in the market. While this guide only outlines the basic guidelines, it is hoped that it will help produce more informed and more effective color choices for personal or professional projects.