Color combination: lilac with yellow, with white and other colors

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

The complex lilac color very often causes difficulties in making combinations. In coloring, lilac belongs to the shades of the third order, so for its combination you need to take into account more nuances than with other color schemes. The combination of colors, in which lilac is the main one, can be bright or delicate, depending on the choice of additional shades.

What is the color lilac?

The very name of the color already gives us an idea of its shade. The difficulty in identifying lilac is that it is often confused with purple, with which they are really close "relatives". Their difference is in intensity. Like purple, lilac is a combination of red and blue, but there is a little more of the first in it than in a more saturated “brother”. To reduce the brightness, a third color is added to lilac - white. This makes it complex and refers to the group of the third order. Recall that all colors, depending ondifficulties are divided into three groups:

• Simple colors are primary colors that cannot be mixed (blue, red, yellow).
• Shades obtained by combining two basic (brown, orange, purple). They are called second-order colors.
• Complex tones obtained by combining 3 or more colors (lilac, salmon, blue-green, yellow-orange). These are the colors of the third order.

The colors of the third group are the most difficult to combine. Therefore, the combination of lilac with other colors is not an easy coloristic task.

Shades of lilac and their names

Distinguishing color nuances is not easy for an untrained person. Shades of lilac may differ in several ways:

• By intensity. The degree of brightness allows you to highlight such shades as pale lilac, light lilac, lilac, bright lilac, dark lilac.
• By warmth. It is traditionally believed that lilac, like purple, is a cold color. However, the volume of the red tone can bring it closer to warm. On this basis, shades such as periwinkle (cold, light shade), wisteria (warm, light), orchid color (medium warm) are distinguished.
• According to the prevailing tone. The dominant color is also a classification feature. In lilac, two main ones (red and blue) can prevail, they can have different degrees of severity. This leads to the appearance of shades such as pink-lilac, blue-lilac, lavender, amethyst. Gray, beige can be mixed into the lilac color, then we can talk about such shades as gray-lilac, beige-lilac.

Perception of lilac color

Any combination of colors, lilac is no exception, evokes different feelings, emotions and associations in a person. Complex shades tend to evoke ambiguous feelings and associations. Traditionally, lilac is associated with tenderness, peace and tranquility. He leaves almost no one indifferent, he is either very much loved or completely rejected. The balance of red and blue in lilac evokes harmonious, balanced emotions when perceived. The presence of a white tone enhances the sense of coherence. Interestingly, the combination of lilac with other colors can give it additional possibilities. The so-called color reflex can make it warmer or colder, which affects its perception.

Making combinations on the color wheel

To simplify the procedure for selecting color combinations, I. Itten, based on many years of research, created a color wheel. In it, the tones are distributed in a spectral sequence. Inside the circle is a triangle of basic colors: yellow, red and blue. The second tier is a hexagon formed by shades obtained by mixing the primary colors: purple, green, orange. The outer tier, the circle, is formed by 12 tones that pass one into another. It is these shades that make up the spectrum. All colors are in a regular relationship with each other. They can be:

• Kindred. These are shades located next to each other. In total, there are four groups of related colors: yellow-green, red-blue, yellow-red, blue-green.
• Contrasting. These are colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, lilac and yellow will contrast with each other.
• Complementary. Such colors are defined using a triangle, the sharp vertex of which will be the main color, the other two vertices indicate adjacent colors that enhance the main hue. For example, in relation to red-violet, yellow and green will be complimentary.

Related and monochrome combinations

Similar and monochrome palettes are some of the most difficult to combine, as the colors in the combination must match in warmth and tonality. A monochrome combination will be colors within the same cell in the color wheel, differing in intensity. For example, light lilac can be combined with dark lilac or bleached pastel lilac. Such combinations look very stylish and harmonious, they are pleasing to the eye. But when combining them, you need to carefully verify the shade, since the combination of warm and cold tones can create a feeling of variegation and slovenliness. A variety of monochrome palette will also be combinations of lilac and white colors. Cool white will perfectly emphasizesophistication and tenderness of lilac. Related colors in relation to lilac will be pink-purple and blue, when choosing them, you need to carefully verify the tone. The selection of similar combinations is based on a combination of two or three nearby tones. For example, pink, salmon, light blue-violet and light blue are suitable for lilac.

Complementary separate combinations

Separate-complimentary combination of colors can be simple and effective. Lilac color will become expressive and spectacular with companions such as lemon yellow and turquoise green. The choice of saturated colors allows you to create a very expressive palette, but if you stop at less intense tones, you can get a delicate and sophisticated composition.

Contrasting combinations

The most striking and expressive are contrasting combinations. Their main charm is that they most fully emphasize and reinforce each other. Contrasts are best distinguished by our eye. They can be built on:

• Sinking. In this case, the combination of yellow and lilac will be opposite, i.e. flowers that are arranged in a circle opposite each other.
• Saturation. In this case, the colors are selected within the stretch of one tone. In this case, dark lavender and pale lilac will become contrasting.
• Warmth. You can create compositions from warm and cold shades, although here you will need a great color sense and a trained eye to avoid lurid combinations. Cold amethystpurple-lilac will become a contrasting companion.

Complex colors

The combination of third-order shades allows you to create intricate combinations that are revealed upon close examination. Usually a nuanced combination of colors - lilac and aquamarine, lilac and salmon - looks unusual and can be difficult to perceive. But that's what makes them so expressive. Complex color solutions can also include:

• combination of yellow lemon and dark orchid;
• combination of bright emerald and rich lilac;
• contrast of turquoise and amethyst.

Here are the main nuances that you should pay attention to when combining colors.