Coloring is a fascinating science that studies the colors, their combinations and effects on humans. It would seem, what kind of science is to consider colors? However, the study of color is given great attention in various fields: in interior design, web design, photography, fashion design, hairdressing, floristry, advertising, marketing and even psychology.
What colorization studies
Studying the nature of color is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. Color connoisseurs can spend hours talking about what basic, complementary and composite colors are. Much will be said about the characteristics, about the mixing of colors, about contrasts, color harmony, color, color language, and spectra. This list can be continued indefinitely.
Coloring is a very important science, since a correctly selected combination of colors is not only pleasant for the human eye, but also has a powerful effect on physiological processes and on the psychological state of a person. Skillfully combining colors, you can call the necessary associations, emotions, form a specific image.
Colors. Human exposure
Employees of advertising agencies skillfully use such a colorization function as the formation of a certain image. Not without the help of psychologists, it was revealed that the advantage of certain colors in advertising can cause a person a certain feeling.
- So, for example, red color is identified with strong emotions, determination, danger. This color arouses desire.
- Green is both relaxing and tonic. It symbolizes purity, freshness, nature, as well as a new beginning.
- Orange is the color of optimists.
- Blue is the color of stability, calm, minimalism.
- Black is associated with luxury and elegance. Not without reason, for many luxury goods, for example, for cars, watches or elite alcohol, they use advertising in dark colors.
Types of color combinations
At the moment, colorization has 10 types of color combinations:
- The main ones.
- Complicated.
- Compound.
- Achromatic.
- Monochromatic.
- Neutral
- Additional.
- Related.
- Contrasting.
- Related contrasting colors.
One of the most common ways to combine colors is to play contrasts. Even if you don’t know what contrasting colors are, you definitely came across this phenomenon in life. Have you noticed how harmoniously the red ribbons and toys look on the Christmas tree? All because red and green colors are contrasting. So what are “contrasting colors”?
Itten's color wheel
Professionals use special reference materials to determine the desired combination of colors. Color matching tables number in the hundreds, and each of them has its own advantages. But most often people of a creative orientation use Itten's color wheel .
Johannes Itten is a true expert in the field of coloristics. He devoted his whole life to the study of color. Itten presented this knowledge to the world in the form of a manual entitled “The Art of Color,” which is a “bible” for artists, designers, and everyone whose work is related to colors and design.
In the color wheel are 12 shades of three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. Contrasting colors are those that are sharply opposed to each other and located on opposite sides of the circle.
If we look at the image of Itten’s circle, we can immediately see that yellow is a contrasting pair with purple, blue is with orange, and contrasting color with red is green.
Right combination
Often contrasting color combinations are called complimentary. What are such combinations used for?
Such a combination is often used in painting when it is necessary to highlight or emphasize some object of a painting. If you look around, you can see that nature is full of contrasts: a red glowing fly agaric amid emerald green beckons with its colors; bright yellow sun blazing in the blue sky; blue waves caressing the golden sandy shore.
Interior designers have long recognized that a complementary combination of colors looks extremely impressive . The color combination tables will help you choose a harmonious color pair, but you need to remember a few points that will help you “squeeze the maximum” out of the range of shades:
- Contrasting colors should not be in equal proportions - this will lead to an imbalance. The best option is to use one color as the main and complement it with accents of a pair of shades.
- Another way to combine contrasting pairs is to use different shades of two colors. This will provide a balance of colors.
- In order to dim the brightness of complementary colors, “dilute” them with white or cream. For example, if a set of an orange skirt and a blue blouse looks too defiant, you can soften the look with white accessories.
- Professionals recommend using primary and complementary colors in certain proportions. For example, for a red-green pair, this proportion will be 1: 1, orange-blue - 1: 2, yellow-purple - 1: 3.
These rules will be useful if you take pure spectral colors. You can find them in the picture below.
How to use contrasting colors
If you are afraid to use contrasts incorrectly, then remember that muted colors are easier to use, as they “interrupt” each other less.
The main rule of combining contrasting colors: the more intense the color tone, the smaller should be the surface area on which it is used.
Following these rules, you can create the most harmonious image, whether it be clothes, a bouquet, interior design or a website. Otherwise, disharmony, negative perception will appear.