A monochromatic color scheme is based on a single color. It can include various tints and shades of that one color. For example, a person dressed in blue from head to toe is using a monochromatic color combination. Monochromatic themes tend to be less vibrant than other combinations, but they can also make a strong impression.
Complementary colors are opposite to each other on the color wheel. They include, specifically, the combinations of blue and orange, red and green, as well as purple and yellow. This type of color combination has the energetic feel created by the high contrast between the colors.
A split-complement color scheme is made up of a color and the two colors that are on each side of its complementary color. An example of split-complement colors includes blue with yellow-orange and red-orange. This type of color combination is a toned-down version of complementary colors, so it is dynamic but not overwhelmingly so.
When three equidistant hues are combined, they form a triadic color combination. The use of all three primary colors (red, blue and yellow) is a simple illustration of this type of color scheme. Other triads can be located by using a color wheel.
An analogous color combination is represented when colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel are used. For example, red, orange and yellow are analogous colors. This type of combination creates a sense of harmony since all the colors are closely related.
When none of the colors includes in the scheme can be found in the color wheel, the result is considered a neutral color combination. A neutral color scheme includes beige, brown, gray, black and white.