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How to Use a Color Wheel to Find Which Colors Go Together

A color wheel is a chart of colors comprised of primary colors, secondary colors and tertiary colors. Colors in the range of reddish purple to yellow are considered active colors, which draw more attention from the eye. Colors in the range of bluish purple to pale green are considered passive colors, and are often less noticeable. Less saturated colors are lighter than more saturated colors. Each color can be lightened or darkened to create millions of colors. The color wheel is used as a template to determine which of all these colors go together to create a desired effect.

Things You'll Need

  • Color wheel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose colors of a same tint to create a monochromatic color scheme. On a color wheel, each division, or section of colors are set in blocks like the spokes on a wheel. Monochromatic colors are colors that are all chosen from one of the 'spokes' of colors. For example, a green monochromatic color scheme would include colors in a range of green from the outer edge to the inner circle all in the same color block.

    • 2

      Choose complementary colors by selecting colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel.

    • 3

      Choose a split complementary set of three or more colors by choosing one color and then the colors an equal distance from either side of the complementary color on the color wheel.

    • 4

      Choose a double complementary set of four or more colors by selecting the colors an equal distance from complementary colors on each side.

    • 5

      Create an analogous color scheme by selecting colors that are located next to each other on the color wheel.

    • 6

      Create a triad color scheme by selecting three colors that are an equal distance from each other at any point on the color wheel.

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