As you know, all the colors that we see can be divided into achromatic (white, black, shades of gray - no color waves, only lighting.) and chromatic (the colors of the spectrum, the color waves that our eye perceives). Color waves smoothly transition into each other, creating color continuum- continuous smooth color change.

These two directions do not exist separately, chromatic colors (the entire continuum) are mixed with achromatic colors, which gives the whole range of shades that our eye sees. The whole range is most successfully presented in the three-dimensional "Tree" by Munsell.

Impurities of different achromatic colors form different tone directions.

If you mix pure color with white, you get bright colors, with black - dark.

If we talk about color as about color waves, then gray is a mixture of color with its opposite (ie, for example, orange and blue), the two waves "extinguish" each other and the color saturation is lost. Therefore, soft colors (mixed with gray pigment, with the opposite wave, in fact) look "complex, nuanced". So, a mixture with gray gives " soft colors".

If we talk about artistic color harmony, then not all chromatic colors of the continuum look good with each other, they are combined with a certain rhythm. Colors with a golden undertone are considered warm , colors with blue - cold ... There are also temperature-neutral colors that are in a continuum between two shades.

In total, we have 6 color characteristics, 3 pairs of dichotomies .
Dichotomy is a scale. It is not so much a choice or - or, as being on this scale. For example, both colors can be warm, but one is pronounced warm, and the other is closer to neutral.

The generally accepted color characteristics are:
Lightness: light (with white impurity) or dark (with a black admixture).
Brightness (saturation): bright (almost pure, saturated pigment) or soft (mild pigment, close to gray, gray impurity)
Color tone (place of color in the continuum). This includes the division of colors into warm (with a golden undertone) or cold (with a blue undertone)

Any color is described by all three characteristics, however, they are expressed with different intensities.... This provides a variety of shades. The characteristic that is most pronounced has the greatest influence on the perception of color, the rest of the characteristics make adjustments. If you combine all the color characteristics, you get 48 options - 48 colors blending into each other ... I have already told you how they transform into each other. This is an absolutely unique author's development, so, I think, the questions about which system I work will disappear - I work according to MY "Color Harmony" system, built entirely on color theory, due to which it is more accurate than most other color theories, if not everyone.

All colors of the continuum can be divided into these cells with blurred borders. However, in practical use 48 palettes is a lot, too many colors will be repeated. Therefore, it is best to reduce the number of palettes to 12. Why 12? I'll explain now. As I said, most of all, the leading characteristic, the most pronounced, affects the perception of color and its compatibility with others. This means that we have 6 directions - bright colors, soft, light, dark, warm, cold. In bright colors, first of all, the purity of color is visible, in soft ones - a gray admixture or "complexity" of color, in dark colors - depth, darkness, in light colors - whitening, airiness, in warm ones - gold, warmth, in cold ones - iciness, blueness.

Compare the cool soft flavor and the soft cold flavor. In the first case, blue, cold is striking. in the second - complexity, gray impurity.

The temperature characteristic is also important for us - since it is precisely when the temperature undertones do not match that the skin optically reacts with unpleasant effects (yellowing, pallor, redness, colored shadows) - this is optics. The waves overlap each other and give an unnatural color.

Therefore, those areas where the temperature characteristic is not the first should be divided into two more subgroups.

The result is bright warm, bright cold, soft warm, soft cold, light warm, light cold, dark warm, dark cold.

In the case of colors, where the temperature is the leading characteristic, brightness is important - pure colors or complex ones. Therefore, they are separated in this way: warm bright and warm soft, cold bright and cold soft.

It turns out 12 colors, and a simplified color globe will look like this:

Some color systems use the old "seasonal" color names, which does not affect anything other than terminology.

Each person falls into one color out of 12, but with certain adjustments and individual transitions. All colors of a person's appearance have the same set of characteristics. , it does not happen that the skin is cold, and the eyes, warm, everything is painted from the same palette, otherwise the colors of your appearance would not be harmonious. This is the law of nature =)

All colors within the main color are suitable for a person, and in addition to them, some colors of neighboring colors are suitable, which are simply added to an individual palette. These "supplements" differ from person to person.

And I present myself 12 colors, which, in principle, are already familiar to you.

I will name them according to their characteristics, although let the seasonal names remain for the time being to correlate terminology =)

And a little bonus - the palettes now have Pantone coordinates , but only in the case of a link to us =)), in addition, I slightly added some palettes. Pantone colors are often requested from me. Although in domestic use it is easier for customers to use the classic 12 tone type.

And .. I represent 12 colors. Each of them causes some associations, I will also give them, but coloring is not limited only to these associations - they will only let you feel the "spirit" of flowers, making up the palette. But in any particular case, colors can carry different associations (!) depending on their use. But I hope I will be able to show all the colors at their best =) After the name of each palette there will be links to my pinterest, where I will gradually collect colors and associations, this will help you to present colors "in action".

Bright cold color. ("Bright winter") "Impressive" palette - "impressive" .

The leading characteristic is brightness, the additional characteristic is neutral - cold. It can be either relatively light or relatively dark, often contrasting in lightness. The colors are clear, either without obvious impurities, or with a bluish impurity.

The overall impression of the palette is brightness, catchy, although at the same time there is some restraint due to the blue undertone.

The palette resembles a winter landscape on a bright day with its color contrasts of pure colors, white, black, red and cold green, or tropical islands with bright birds, flowers, turquoise water, blue skies and emerald greens.

Bright warm color. ("Bright Spring"). Creative Palette - "Creative" palette.

www.pinterest.com/shahrazade/ch-bright-a nd-warm /

The leading characteristic is brightness. Additional - neutral - warm. It can be either relatively light or relatively dark in color. The colors are clear, either without obvious impurities, or with a bright golden impurity.

The palette is associated with the world of South Asia, with the bright clothes of the inhabitants of this region, color splashes in their manner of combining colors, with the cheerful colors of tropical nature.

Soft cold coloring ("Soft Summer") - Mysterious Palette - Mysterious palette

The leading characteristic is softness, the additional characteristic is neutral - cold. It can be either relatively light or relatively dark. The colors are softened, with an admixture of gray or grayish blue.

The palette is associated with twilight, fog, forest before rain, it creates the impression of a mystery, understatement, a mystery. The colors are very complex and nuanced.

Soft warm color ("Soft Autumn") - "Sensual Palette" - "Sensual" palette

The leading characteristic is softness, the additional characteristic is neutral - warm. It can be either relatively light or rather dark in color. The colors are softened, with a grayish admixture or with a softened ocher.

The palette is associated with earthly sensual femininity, with time before sunset, when the sun paints everything in soft golden tones, with the gifts of the Mediterranean nature - greenery and gold fields, with grapes, cinnamon, olives, figs.

Dark cold color ("Dark winter") "Luxorious Palette" - "Chic" palette

The leading characteristic is dark, the additional characteristic is neutral - cold. It can be either quite bright or slightly softened. The colors are deep with black or dark blue.

It is associated with the luxury of royal courts, with velvet of deep burgundy, purple, lilac, blue shades, with rubies, emeralds, jade and malachite, as well as with the dark night and the depth of the dark blue sky.

Dark warm color ("Dark Autumn") - "Exotic Palette" - "Exotic" Palette

The leading characteristic is dark, the additional characteristic is neutral - warm. It can be either quite soft or quite bright. The colors are deep, with a black or dark ocher admixture.

Associated with the colors of the Middle East - with the rich setting of Moroccan interiors, the gold of natural fires, the warmth of spices, the sensual complexity of colors, the rich colors of the southern nature.

Light cold color ("Light summer") - "Innocent Palette" ("Innocent" palette)

The leading characteristic is light, the additional characteristic is neutral - cold. It can be either quite bright or rather soft. Colors are light, pastel, with white or light blue admixture.

The palette is associated with tenderness, freshness, childhood, as well as relaxation at the sea, with light turquoise water, light greens, yellowish white sand, delicate flowers and carelessness.

Light warm color ("Light Spring") - "Tender Palette" - "Tender" palette.

The leading characteristic is light, the additional characteristic is neutral - warm. It can be either quite bright or rather soft. The colors are light, cheerful, with a white or light golden admixture.

The palette is associated with youth, joy, flowering fruit trees, all colors are imbued with delicate gold and remind of the rebirth of nature.

Warm bright color ("Warm Spring") - "Lively Palette" - "Cheerful" palette

The leading characteristic is warm, the additional characteristic is bright. It can be quite light or quite dark. Colors with a distinct bright gold undertone.

The palette is associated with a meadow in the midst of spring with a multitude of bright colors - lilac, yellow, red, purple, with the golden color of the sun and the blue of the spring sky.

Warm soft color ("Warm Autumn") - "Spicy palette" - "Spice palette"
http://www.pinterest.com/shahrazade/ch-warm-and-soft/

The leading characteristic is warm, the additional one is soft. It can be either quite light or quite dark. Colors with a distinct ocher undertone.

The palette is associated with spices - pepper, turmeric, govozdik, saffron, mustard and with autumn nature, deep blue water and warm foliage colors.

Cold bright color ("Cold winter") - "Noble Palette", "Noble" palette

The leading characteristic is cold, the additional characteristic is bright. It can be quite dark or quite light. Colors with a bright blue undertone.

The palette is associated with the world of the Snow Queen - with icy luxury, detachment and some drama, this is a palette of precious stones.

Cold soft color - ("cold summer") - "Elegant Palette" - "Elegant" palette.

The leading characteristic is cold, the additional characteristic is soft, it can be either rather light or rather dark. Colors with a soft blue undertone.

The palette is associated with elegance, with restrained colors of northern summer with blue cool water, bluish-green summer foliage and shades of berries.

All information in this article is the intellectual property of the author, so the repost is only with an indication of the source. =)

Path to Your Charm Project 2014, Color Harmony 2014

Harmony from the Greek harmonia, which means consonance, harmony, the opposite of chaos. In a color composition, you can also use harmonization methods, there are many theories with the help of which they tried to achieve harmonious combinations of colors, many scientists worked on this problem, and not only and not so much scientists studying the physics of color and light worked, but as a rule those minds who tried to comprehend how color affects the human psyche, trying to achieve a certain perception by means of a combination of colors. Rudolph Adams and Albert Munsell are among the first to take significant steps in this direction. After them there were many, I will name some who, in my opinion, are currently the most relevant BM Teplov in his theory was based on a circle with three primary colors yellow, blue, red. Shugaeva V.M. and Kozlova V.N., these authors relied on a circle with four primary colors. Accordingly, we will consider harmonies based on the indicated color circles, and do not forget to mention color combinations where one shade of color is used, that is, a color wheel is not needed.

Harmonious combinations of achromatic colors.

As we have already found out achromatic, we call shades of gray, which range from white to black. How can you achieve a harmonious combination between these colors. Here it is appropriate to divide the process into the harmonization of the actual colors, that is, the construction of a certain series of colors combined according to one principle or another, which will be used in the composition, and the ratio of the areas on which these colors will be located.

To harmonize achromatic colors, a stepped gray scale is used, or if the composition is monochrome, then a scale of shades of a certain tone. There can be a different number of steps in the scale, it is important that the steps divide the segment from black to white into equal parts, that is, the scale should be equally stepped.

Further, the required number of shades is selected from this scale, that is, the composition can consist of two, three or more shades of gray. Compositions of three shades are considered the most harmonious. Moreover, it should be understood that even when the composition consists of a large number of shades, often at the stage of sketching and compositional searches, they try to reduce it to three shades, for example, the landscape is often divided into three spots, the front middle and distant shots, which are trying to harmoniously connect with each other by means of tonal relationships. And then, inside these spots, to develop more subtle gradations while trying not to violate the integrity of the three main spots and the relationship between them.

Shades for a composition from a gray scale are chosen either with the inclusion of black, white and one or more grays, or only black and white, such a harmonic scheme is called complete.

If you choose white and light shades of gray, then this scheme is called light gray.

Black and dark shades of gray dark gray.

When the shades are taken from the middle of the scale, then this medium gray harmonic circuit.

Of course, all these schemes are rather arbitrary, for example, the combination of colors can be medium gray, but at the same time be quite dark. And the statement that the composition, divided into three tones, is the most harmonious is also not indisputable, there are different opinions on this matter.

Sometimes the gray scale is composed in such a way that it can be divided into dark shades and light shades, for example, if there are ten steps for example, then you can clearly draw the line between dark and light.

It is believed that if shades are chosen that are located on a gray scale at regular intervals, then such a scheme is the most harmonious, that is, it is perceived as the most calm. If the intervals between the selected shades are not equal, then a more expressive harmony is obtained.

If in practice you have to use a gray or monochrome scale for harmonization, then it is desirable to have a large enough scale with as many steps as possible in order to have more room for maneuver.

For example, in etching there is a tool such as an etching scale, a type of gray scale that is used to obtain certain shades when etching an etching board. So etchers try to make more shades on the etching scale than they will use in etching, and this is done in order to be able to more flexibly and widely adjust the etching process, that is, light relations.

As for the ratio of the distribution of the selected shades on the composition, then there can also be different approaches.

For example, in a composition of three shades, you can go this way, we divide the area of ​​the composition, so one shade takes 50%, the second 32%, the last 18%. We get a ratio close to the golden ratio, which will be perceived as a very calm composition.

Or another example, when it is proposed to divide a composition of four tones, thus 1/6 white, 1/6 black, 2/6 first gray, 2/6 second gray, such a distribution allows you to get a fairly calm balanced composition.

In principle, in this case, you can use any harmonious combinations of numbers that both mathematics and geometry offer, which we will probably talk about, someday in more detail, in the corresponding article.

I would also like to say that in fact, the harmonization of shades of gray is the first stage in the harmonization of chromatic colors, that is, artists, before proceeding to create a color composition, often create a black and white sketch. Many photographers also cannot do without a sketch, and often there is more than one sketch. There is a whole technology for the step-by-step solution of all possible artistic tasks, from compositional searches, including harmonization, to a detailed study of the entire composition in monochrome or achromatic, and then they move on to creating a color composition as the final stage of work. Moreover, similar in many ways similar approaches exist both in traditional artistic technologies and in digital ones, and photography also does not shun such approaches and uses them effectively, especially in retouching and collage.

Harmonious combinations of chromatic colors.

The bottom line is that there are a great many different schemes for combining chromatic colors, they are based on different theories and using all possible color wheels.

Here, first of all, we will consider several of the most commonly used schemes based on twelve particular color wheel, where the main colors are yellow, red, blue, although these schemes can, more or less successfully, be used on any other color wheel.

First of all, it must be said that any harmonious combinations are divided into two categories, contrasting and nuanced combinations... Accordingly, any combination where a clear contrast of colors or shades is used and there are contrasting ones. And close, combinations, as a rule, located next to each other on a circle, do not form an obvious contrast, are nuanced.

And so are the schemes of harmonic combinations.

Single color (monochromatic); monochrome color harmony - the use of several shades of the same color. This combination is analogous to the combinations of achromatic colors described above. Such combinations consist of at least two colors. Only in the place of shades of gray are shades used here, whichever of the spectral colors. And the color wheel is not needed to build this harmony, but a monochrome scale is needed, passing from white to black through the required spectral color. Harmony can be contrasting or nuanced, depending on the selected shades.

Harmony of Similar Colors or Related Triad; This color scheme uses adjacent colors on the color wheel and blends them. This harmony is most often used as a nuance one, but contrast is also possible here. White or black can be used as a complementary color.

Harmony of complementary colors (complementary); the complementary color scheme uses opposite colors. In this case, the contrast is on the face, and the compositions built on the basis of this harmony can be very contrasting, perceived as dynamic, expressive, even flashy. It is very easy to put emphasis here.

Broken extra; This is again a complementary scheme. But at one end, it divides in two, splitting into two related colors complementary to the third. The combination is even more complex than the previous one and is also contrasting.

The colors lie at the vertices of an isosceles triangle at an equal distance from each other. The combination is quite effective, even if you use pastel colors. Moreover, this scheme can be based on both primary colors and secondary, and even tertiary.

The proposed color combinations are used very often in all areas of the visual arts, not only in painting and graphics, but also in photography, design, architecture, and even makeup artists and hairdressers work with harmonious combinations.

But there is an opinion that the primary colors are not three, but four, this point of view is justified by a number of arguments, for example, it is argued, and not without reason, that a mixture of blue and yellow does not give pure green. A color researcher like Michael Wilcox even called his book “Blue and Yellow Don't Give Green”.

So the color wheels based on the four primary colors are also used to harmonize the color composition.

Consider ways to harmonize using this circle.

To begin with, let's describe the color wheel, using the example of the circle proposed by Shugaev.

A color wheel in which the four colors blue, yellow, red, green are considered the main ones.

Between the primary colors, there are four groups of intermediate ones:

• yellow-red;
• blue-red;
• blue-green;
• yellow-green.

On the basis of this circle, a color harmonization system has developed.

Four groups of harmonic combinations have been identified:

• monochromatic harmonies;
• harmony of related colors;
• harmony of related-contrasting colors;
• harmony of contrasting colors.

Monochromatic harmonic color combinations; everything that has been said about the Monochromatic (monochromatic) combinations described in previous models, about the combinations of achromatic colors, fully applies to this group, in fact, this is the same group only the names in different models and different authors differ.

Harmonious combinations of related colors; Related colors are located in one quarter of the color wheel, between two primary colors. Shugaev has four groups of related colors: yellow-red (orange), red-blue (purple), blue-green, yellow-green.

Thus, nuanced color combinations are obtained, calm and restrained, although a certain contrast and emotionality can be introduced into them if you add a light scale.

Harmonious combinations of related-contrasting colors; Relatively contrasting colors are located in adjacent quarters of the color wheel, and not all combinations of these colors are harmonious. There are several schemes, using which you can choose the desired harmony:

• Horizontal or vertical chords are drawn through the circle, the ends of the chords are located on colors equally distant from the general main color, and from contrasting main colors.

• An obtuse triangle is placed on the circle, the long side of which is the chord described above, and the vertex of the opposite obtuse angle is the main color in this combination, the other two located on the other two vertices are respectively subordinate to the main color.

• Colors located at the vertices of a right-angled triangle, the hypotenuse of which is the diameter of the color wheel, and the legs, vertical and horizontal chords.

• The colors at the vertices of an equilateral triangle in which one of the vertices is the main color, and the opposite side is a vertical or horizontal chord.

• Four colors located at the corners of a square or rectangle, all of which are horizontal or vertical chords.

As a rule, if necessary, a light scale is added to these combinations.

Harmonious combinations of contrasting colors; Contrasting colors are those located in opposite quarters of the color wheel.

The two colors farthest from each other and, respectively, located at the ends of the diameter, are contrasting complementary. This type of harmony, the most contrasting, potentially very emotional and expressive, generally has the same properties as the "Harmony of complementary colors (complementary)" described above. As in other schemes, it can be supplemented with a light scale.

And here it should be noted that the circles are different, and the schemes that are applied to them are in many respects similar, not in details, but in the main points there is undoubtedly a similarity, what am I for. In fact, there are much more harmonization schemes, and many may well work on any color wheel. It will still not be possible to formalize the comb to the end, you still have to turn on the flair and compare the colors obtained using the schemes with your own taste, and correct the result and the result can be very different from the one that was obtained using all possible schemes.

Get creative with your combing.

By the way, the schemes proposed in this article are simply the most popular.

For example, V.M.Shugaev, mentioned here, on the 16th private circle revealed 120 harmonious color combinations.

But in some areas of fine art, for example, in design, masters have to work with color literally by the numbers in the catalog, that is, in a very narrow framework in which a free search for color combinations, as in painting, is simply not allowed. For example, when creating a corporate identity, you need to very clearly link the corporate colors to the colors available in the catalog. And here sometimes there are simply no options but to strictly follow the harmonic patterns.

When using these schemes, you need to understand that by themselves, apart from the other principles and laws that are used in the composition, these schemes will not work properly, that is, the basic laws of composition, integrity, subordination, expediency, must be observed. No matter how many colors there are in the composition, one is always the main one in one way or another, all the others are subordinate to him, the entire color system is built from him. Yes, there are compositions in which several different colors can act as the main one, for example, in an ornament, but then this composition is divided into several others where in each separate one is always the main color.

And so we looked at several ways to harmonize with different color wheels, and different harmonization schemes. The bottom line is that nature does not formally formulate laws as man does, but they undoubtedly exist, and nature exists in accordance with these laws, and in order to comply with them sometimes it is not necessary to use such rigid schemes.

The fact is that in practice and very often artists or photographers do not use the color wheel, and not because it is a bad tool, but because with experience comes the habit of keeping the circle in your head and building color combinations almost unconsciously. Moreover, many generations of artists had no idea about the color wheel, they were simply not taught this, but they still managed to make their works harmonious, how did they manage it.

Even before the invention of the color wheel, there were harmonization methods that did not require the use of the color wheel, and they are still used today. The very nature with which they wrote or drew prompted the necessary combinations of colors, for example, on a sunny day, all objects, the entire environment is saturated with sunlight, with its inherent color, which creates a certain environment in which everything around is immersed even deep shadows are still in this environment ... Although shadows are usually colder than sunlit places, the environment in which they are immersed still makes them warmer. Or indoors, when everything is illuminated by an incandescent lamp and the environment is even warmer, but the window as part of the composition in which we see a night scene will still not be so cold as to fall out of the overall composition, it will still be immersed in the environment that it creates lamp.

This means the environment, that is, any particular shade can work as a harmonizer.

So in Painting and Graphics, as well as in photography, there are a number of techniques that allow you to simulate this effect. Let's start with painting, although in graphics such methods also work, firstly, often, when artists write a scene and select a palette for which they will write, they know in advance what color system they will keep. Will this composition be cold or warm and, accordingly, if, for example, the composition is warm, then even the coldest shades will be warm to a certain extent, this is called to take away to a warm range or to a cold one.

Still often, according to an already painted picture, if it seems to be falling apart in color, that is, there is no color harmony, then they can walk over it with a transparent layer of paint (glaze), thus subordinating the rest of the colors to the color that the given glaze paint had.

Or, for example, a colored soil is made, and some composition is painted on it with a separate brushstroke, thus the soil shines through from under the paint between the strokes and acts as a medium, subordinating the entire color structure of the picture to itself.

And by the way, there are many such methods, for example, watercolors write on tinted paper, it shines through the paint and also plays the role of a harmonizer.

And what methods the graphics offer, here you can use a contour as a harmonizer. For example, in easel graphics there is the concept of a drawing layer, often it is implemented in the form of a stroke, (contour) around the main compositional elements, it can combine elements the thicker it is, the more it subjugates all other elements and under certain conditions it can work as a harmonizer , that is, permeating the entire composition, it can play the role of a unifying element that aligns the color scale in the desired direction.

In photography, similar techniques also take place, for example, color filters, which already at the shooting stage already build a color range and work as a harmonizer,

When processing a digital photo or drawing in digital, there are also opportunities for similar techniques.

And one more way of harmonization is a frame and a mat, which can also work as a harmonizer, it is no secret the thicker the frame and the mat or just a color outline around the picture, I mean the ratio of areas, that is, the thicker relative to the image that the outline is framed, the more it is collects the picture more or vice versa makes it more free, as a rule, if around the image there is a darker and wider outline (frame, mat), the more the composition seems to be collected. If the stroke is lighter, then the composition feels more free, in the flesh to the point that the composition may fall apart altogether.

So the frame can work as a harmonizer if you skillfully choose the combination of color and lightness of the frame. Moreover, the frame can fit the composition into the interior, work as a unifying, harmonizing element between the image and the interior, the room in which the image is located.

And more about the color wheel, we have not touched on the topic of practical work with a circle in this article, the fact is that there are color circles not only as schemes, but there are, for example, mechanical dried apricots, or programs based on the color wheel that are specially created for so that they can be used to select harmonious color combinations. I plan to write a separate article on this topic, and in it I promise to talk about similar devices and programs.

Of course, the topic of color harmony does not end there, you can still say a lot on this topic, but the tasks of this article do not include telling everything, but rather identify some aspects and awaken interest in this topic.

Once again, be creative, and it will be interesting!

What is color? This concept has dozens of complex definitions, but in simple terms, color is the feeling that a person has when light rays hit his eyes. It is easy to guess that the sensations of all people are different, therefore we perceive colors individually. Someone will say that yellow reminds him of the July heat, while another, on the contrary, associates this color with sadness and longing, recalling the well-known song about “yellow tulips”.

Each interior is unique in its own way, but each must have harmony: not just one room, but the whole dwelling as a whole. To create it in rooms located on the south side, you need to use cold shades:

• purple is the color of idealism that helps to increase self-esteem;
• blue - a calming, stress-relieving and emitting tenderness color of carelessness, which is ideal for relaxation, but not for mental and physical labor;
• blue - a symbol of constancy, perseverance, dedication and severity, helping to achieve harmony with oneself and with the world around;
• green - symbolizing prosperity and a new, unencumbered life.

It is customary to decorate rooms from the northern (cold) side with the shades remaining in the rainbow palette:

• red - a strong dominant, symbolizing power, stubbornness, determination and strength;
• yellow - the personification of mind, willpower and self-confidence;
• orange is the color of warmth, kindness, bliss and fun, it keeps you in good shape every day.

Cold to warm, warm to cold - this is an essential rule for combining colors in the interior!

Each of the above colors in the interior has a wide palette of shades, which also need to be used correctly, for which there is a special science - color science.

A little about color theory

Before you is a 12-part color wheel, which formed the basis of this science and directly the harmony of color.

You can see that all the spectral colors available in the circle are distinguished by excessive brightness, and to reduce it, achromatic shades are added to them: white and black. As a result, hundreds of new shades are obtained, in a narrow range which can be represented in the following figure:

This is already called "Itten's color wheel". As you can see, each color has several shades, i.e. own spectrum. And now we come close to the question of how these shades can be combined with each other.

Monochrome (monochrome) combination

From the name it is clear that monochrome color harmony is achieved by using shades (in unlimited quantities) from only one spectrum. A monochrome interior will always be in demand - this is a classic room design option that is especially attractive to people who prefer one color.

Contrast combination

It consists in the arrangement of two shades located strictly opposite each other in the color wheel. Using the principle of contrasting, you will make the room truly bright and memorable, highlighting the most important functional areas in it with the brightest color (in the kitchen - a set or bar counter, in the bathroom - sanitary ware, in the bedroom - bed and furniture, etc.) ... Add unusual things for your home, and then the interior of the room will become not only creative, but also unique.

Classic triadic combination

It is based on the use of three shades equally spaced from each other in distance within the color wheel. To achieve harmony in a triad, it is necessary to take one color as the main one, and use it in most of the elements of the home interior (mainly the main ones that play a dominant role), and with the help of the rest, make several bright accents.

Analog Triad Combination

Three colors are already used here, which are "neighbors" on Itten's color wheel. This combination is found everywhere in nature, so it looks extremely harmonious. By the way, as one of the shades, you can use green, unpretentious care.

Notebook combination (tetrad)

The use of 4 colors, equidistant from each other, or two pairs of colors located opposite each other. One shade is made dominant, two others complement it, and the fourth is accentuated.

Accent analogy

This is a triadic combination, complemented by another shade located opposite the selected group of colors. It turns out to be a rather aggressive palette, which needs to be worked with very carefully.

There has always been, is and will be a fashion for color solutions, as well as for everything in our world. Your choice: to follow it or not, but it is imperative to observe harmony in creating an interior.

When creating a composition, color combinations are of decisive importance. Harmonious color combinations are those that give the impression of coloristic integrity, the relationship between colors, color balance, color unity.

When people talk about color harmony, they are evaluating the impression of the interaction of two or more colors. Moreover, each person has their own subjective preferences about harmony and disharmony. For the majority, color combinations, colloquially called "harmonious", usually consist of tones close to each other or of different colors with the same aperture ratio. In general, these combinations do not have strong contrast. The concept of color harmony should be removed from the area of ​​subjective feelings and transferred to the area of ​​objective laws. The eye gains a sense of balance only on the basis of the complementary color law. The state of equilibrium corresponds to a medium - gray color. The same gray color can be obtained from black and white or from two complementary colors, if they include 3 primary colors - yellow, red and blue in the desired proportion, all color combinations that do not give us a gray color, by nature become expressive or disharmonious.

The harmony of color in the composition is one of the elements of unity, completeness of the composition. To achieve this effect, use the color wheel. Colors are divided into warm and cold colors. Warm colors enliven the composition. Pure colors in this part of the spectrum are very effective and distract attention from cold colors - shades do not look so sharp. An important property of warm colors is to visually bring closer. Cold tones are soothing. The pure colors of the cooler end of the spectrum are soothing on hot sunny days, but bright warm colors overwhelm them. An important property of cold flowers is to visually distance the flowers painted in them.

The following colors and shades are harmoniously combined: colors that are equidistant from each other in one half of the color wheel. For example, green, yellow, orange; opposite colors in the color wheel. In a combination of three tones, one of them should dominate. The other two colors must be in equal amounts. This means that if, for example, green, yellow and red tones are used in the composition, then one of them should be, for example, 50% of the composition color, the other two - 25% each. In addition, the background for the composition is kept in neutral colors (white, black, gray). Or the background includes a shade of the main color of the composition (for example, if the composition is dominated by pink, and the background for it is white, then the background will be white with a pink tint). The background is dark for bright colors, light for dark colors. Color combinations create monochrome, contrasting (additional), similar (adjacent) or polychrome (multicolor) compositions. Monochrome composition uses different shades of the same color. In contrasting compositions, colors that are opposite in the color wheel are used. Contrasting combinations should not be too bright.

Most of the color harmonies known in practice can be divided into two main types: the harmony of contrasting colors and the harmony of related colors. This selection is based on the distribution of colors in the color wheel. Practice confirms that either a combination of opposite or close colors turns out to be more expressive. Accordingly, the harmony of contrasting colors and the harmony of related colors are distinguished. We talk about contrasts when, comparing two colors with each other, we find clear differences between them. Studying the methods of influence of color, 7 types of contrasting manifestations can be distinguished:

• - Contrast color comparisons. The most pronounced color contrasts are yellow, red and blue. He creates the impression of diversity, strength, determination. As the selected colors move away from the main three, the intensity of the color contrast decreases. The folk art of various countries is based on it.
• - Contrast of light and dark. White and black are the most expressive means of indicating light and shadow.
• - Contrast of cold and warm. The two poles of contrast between warmth and cold are orange-red (warmest) and blue-green (coldest). The use of this contrast achieves perfect beauty only when there is no difference in lightness and darkness of the colors used.
• - Contrast of complementary colors. Two colors are complementary if, when mixed, produce a neutral gray-black color. They are opposite to each other, but at the same time they need each other. Complementary colors, in their proportionally correct ratio, give the piece a statically strong basis for interaction. Moreover, each pair of complementary colors has other features (a pair of yellow-violet is a contrast of light and dark, red-orange - blue-green is a contrast of cold and warm).
• - Simultaneous (simultaneous) contrast is a phenomenon in which our eye, when perceiving a color, requires its additional color, and if there is none, it simultaneously generates it itself. Simultaneously generated colors are just a sensation and do not really exist, they evoke a feeling of living vibration from the continuously changing intensity of color sensations.
• - Color saturation contrast. The opposite between saturated, bright and faded, darkened colors. Colors can be lightened or darkened in different ways that give them different possibilities. The effect of this contrast is relative: a color may appear bright next to a faded tone, and faded next to a brighter one.
• - Contrast color spread. Characterizes the dimensional relationships between color planes. Its essence is the opposition "a lot - a little", "big - small". In this case, it is necessary to take into account the brightness or lightness of a particular color, since the brightness and size of the color plane determine the strength of the effect of the color. The exceptional feature of this contrast is its ability to change and enhance the manifestation of all other contrasts. So, if in a composition based on the contrast of light and dark, a large dark part contrasts with a smaller light one, then thanks to this opposition the work can acquire a particularly in-depth meaning.

Features of the harmony of contrasting colors are largely due to the fact that visually opposite colors reinforce each other due to the phenomenon of contrast. This combination of colors creates a feeling of clarity, clarity, confidence, strength, firmness, and at the same time - a certain dynamics, tension. Details and elements of the form are figuratively accented and clearly highlighted. Often, contrasting bright color combinations are used as a causative agent of fading emotions and a tired nervous system.

The use of harmony of contrasting colors in compositions has a number of peculiarities and difficulties. Contrasting colors enliven the form, give it brightness, ensure the selection of individual parts due to their clearly delineated contours, bring inner energy, expressiveness, individual originality into the object. However, excessive color contrast can rupture the elements of the form, disrupt its unity and integrity. A strong manifestation of a contrasting combination of colors in some cases can make a flashy impression.

There is also a concept of nuance. This is a shade, an insignificant, barely noticeable change of one color tone to another), one gradation of chiaroscuro to another. Nuance is a combination of shades, used to achieve a more sophisticated modeling of an image object. Related colors are located in one quarter of the color wheel and share at least one common color, such as yellow, orange, and yellow-red. There are four groups of related colors - yellow-red, red-blue, blue-green, green-yellow. In this case, the combination should not contain two contrasting colors at the same time. Color combinations play an important role in creating harmonious compositions. Color technique is the ultimate mathematics for an artist; each master has his own methods of solving problems, but without “arithmetic”, that is, without knowledge of the strict laws of color theory, perfection cannot be achieved.

Each of us has “comfortable” colors in clothes and personal items, each of us noticed that it is pleasant for him to be in one room, and in another it is uncomfortable and depressing. Scientists have long proven the effect of color on heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and muscle tension.

According to emotional associations, the impact of color is divided into positive, negative and neutral. Exciting colors include red, orange and yellow. The oppressive ones are purple, dark gray and black. The calming ones are green and blue. Physical associations of colors are equally important: weight (light, heavy), spatial (protruding, deep), acoustic (quiet, loud) and textured (soft, hard, smooth).

EFFECTS OF COLOR: No companion for taste and color
This proverb as nothing reflects the reality of the impact of color. It was found that different psychotypes prefer certain color gamuts, as shown in the figure below.

For example, we can recall the colors of the youth movement "emo", based on experiences, emotions and suffering in creativity, music and style. Their main colors are oppressive black combined with pink, giving a melancholic state.

It was also found that the same colors can be associated in different ways by people. The purer and brighter the color, the more intense and stable the reaction. Complex, low-saturated, medium-light colors cause different (unstable) and relatively weak reactions. The most unambiguous are temperature, weight and acoustic associations.


Yellow and green colors cause the greatest variety of associations, and therefore different effects of color. This is because in a given spectrum the eyes distinguish the greatest number of shades. In nature, these colors are the richest of all. Each of the shades of yellow or green is associated in the mind with a certain object, phenomenon, taste, hence the wealth of associations. Also, the purple color causes ambiguity, due to its duality.

EFFECTS OF COLOR: Harmony of color
It's no secret that some color combinations seem harmonious to us, while others, on the contrary, are absurd. To create a harmony of colors in the interior is the key to the success of a harmonious life in the house.

The illustration on the left shows simple color combinations in four harmonious colors. To build harmonies for other colors, you need to turn these shapes with the vertex to the desired color.

The principle of color harmony is based on diametrically distant pairs and triads, so you can find not only four harmonious colors, but also less and more by applying halftones. For example, if you do not take into account the purple color, then a classic triad is formed in the upper picture, and a contrasting one in the middle.

Do not use equal amounts of colors. The harmony of colors is achieved through the main color (background, as a rule, less saturated) and accents. Contrast, brightness and saturation do not affect the color harmony rule in any way, the principle remains the same.

COLOR HARMONIES.

In nature, there are a large number of colors and their shades.
The human eye is able to distinguish up to 360 shades. The average person distinguishes fewer shades. It depends on visual acuity, age of a person, illumination of space, on a person's mood and state of health.

Colors are divided into two large groups: chromatic and achromatic. Chromatic - "colored". Achromatic - white, gray, black.
The chromatic colors that are part of white daylight are distributed in a specific order, depending on the wavelength.

Primary colors: yellow, red, blue. Composite colors: orange, purple, green.
Composite colors are obtained by mixing two primary colors:
■ Orange = red + yellow.
■ Purple = red + blue.
■ Green = yellow + blue.
All other colors consist of mixing these colors in different proportions. Plus the difference in saturation and lightness.

Colors are conventionally divided into warm and cold.
Warm colors are colors that contain yellow and red. Cool colors are colors ranging from the purple to green zone of the color wheel.
Warm colors are more dynamic, prominent and voluminous than cold colors. Cool colors appear to recede as the tone intensifies.

Color has three characteristics: hue, lightness, and saturation.

Hue - the presence of a base color in a complex color that determines its place in the color wheel.
The color tone is determined by the name of the color: scarlet, crimson.

Saturation is the difference between a chromatic color and a gray color equal to it in lightness.

Contrast in clothing matters a lot. Ornamental and rhythmic compositions are built on the contrast.
A great contrast is made by colors located on opposite diameters of the color wheel: red-green, orange-blue.
Low contrast - colors at 90 degrees to each other.

Harmony is the basis of beauty. Color harmony = color balance.

10. Harmony of combinations of chromatic colors different in color tone, saturation and lightness (pure, whitened or blackened), with different achromatic ones.

11. Harmony of mixtures and combinations of rich chromatic colors with achromatic colors of different lightness.