Color Rules

Monochromatic - One color. A monochromatic color scheme uses only one hue (color) and all values (shades or tints) of it for a unifying and harmonious effect.

Remember that value is the relationship of light to dark.

Consider that black and white are thought of as neutrals because they do not change color.
Analogous - colors that contain a common hue and are found next to each other on the color wheel, e.g., violet, red-violet, and red create a sense of harmony. Remember adjoining colors on the wheel are similar and tend to blend together. They are effective at showing depth.

 

Warm colors - suggest warmth and seem to move toward the viewer and appear closer, e.g., red and orange are the colors of fire.

Know that the color wheel is simply a guide on how colors relate to one another, it is by no means a formula for making successful art.

Complementary - two colors opposite one another on the color wheel, e.g., blue and orange, yellow and purple, red and green. When a pair of high intensity complements are placed side by side, they seem to vibrate and draw attention to the element Not all color schemes, based on complementary colors are loud and demanding -- if the hues are of low-intensity the contrast is not too harsh. Intensity can only be altered by mixing a color with its complement, which has the effect of visually neutralizing the color. Changing the values of the hues, adding black or white, will soften the effect.

Primary - red, yellow, and blue

Secondary - by mixing two primary colors, you create a secondary color: Red + yellow =orange; yellow + blue = green; and blue + red = purple (violet)
Intermediate - colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary: Red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple.

Split complements - the combination of one hue plus the hues on each side of its complement. This is easier to work with than a straight complementary scheme. It offers more variety, e.g., red-orange, blue, and green.

Double complementary - two adjacent hues and their opposites. it uses four colors arranged into two complementary color pairs. This scheme is hard to harmonize; if all four colors are used in equal amounts, the scheme may look unbalanced, so you should choose a color to be dominant or subdue the colors.