Color Theory Primer Part 5: Color Schemes

The fifth part of the Brandcurve Color Theory Primer will explain the most common color schemes that can be used to create your brand color palette.

Monochromatic Color Scheme

A monochromatic color scheme uses variations of a single color. Monochromatic color schemes are typically considered to be clean and subtle. Neutral colors can also be incorporated into a monochromatic scheme. It’s important to note that it can be difficult to call attention to the most important elements of a design when you use a monochromatic color scheme. However, a monochromatic color scheme is also the easiest to implement because it’s nearly impossible for it to look bad.

Analogous Color Scheme

An analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. For example, choose two colors that are next to each other on the color wheel then use one as your dominant color and the other as your secondary color to draw attention to important elements of your design.

Complementary Color Scheme

A complementary color scheme uses two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. As you’d expect, a complementary color scheme provides a high contrast between elements and makes it very easy to draw attention to specific elements of your design. Choose one color to be the dominant one in your design and use the other as your secondary color to draw attention to important elements.

Split Complementary Color Scheme

A split complementary color scheme uses a color plus the two colors adjacent to its complementary color. This is a great scheme to use to choose a high-contrast three-color palette.

Triadic Color Scheme

A triadic color scheme uses three colors that are equally spaced from each other on the color wheel. This is a very easy color scheme to implement because the colors naturally look good together and provide a comfortable amount of visual contrast. Choose one color to be the dominant one in your palette and the others to draw attention to specific elements.

Tetradic Color Scheme (also called Double Complementary Color Scheme)

A tetradic color scheme uses two complementary color pairs to create a four-color palette. This can be a difficult color scheme to balance well. The risk is having your design look visually unappealing because it’s hard to focus on the most important elements but it does offer the most variety.

Check back within the next day or so for Part 6 of the Brandcurve Color Primer or subscribe to the Brandcurve feed, so you won’t miss any color branding lessons.

Follow the links to read more of the Brandcurve Color Theory Primer:

• Part 1: The Color Wheel
• Part 2: Color Harmony and Context
• Part 3: Basic Color Terms
• Part 4: Color Models

Tags: color theory, color schemes, color branding, color marketing, color palette, logo design, website design, corporate identity, color theory primer, learn about color