Definition of Complementary Colors

The primary colors are blue, red, and yellow. By mixing the primaries it is possible to obtain secondary colors. Thus, the mixture of red and blue produces a violet, a blue and a yellow creates a green and the yellow with the red forms an orange. All these ranges of colors are embodied in a circle chromatic, which goes from red to violet in a progressive way.

Thus, a complementary color is one that in the chromatic circle is opposite another color. In this way, the complementary color of red is green, the complementary color of blue is orange, and violet is the complementary color of yellow.

The usefulness of complementary colors

In the chromatic circle are the primary and secondary colors and in this circle it is possible to check the complementarity of each of them. This serves to know the harmony and contrast between the different tones.

If two complementary colors appear combined in one painting, this combination produces a impact intense visual, since both colors are opposite. In this way, in a

illustration where red appears and its complement green, the picture resulting has an obvious contrast. The same would happen in an image in which blue and orange were predominant.

An analysis of the color wheel

The order of the colors on a color wheel is not random. Thus, each color has an opposite color in front of it, which we could call "its enemy". The knowledge of the complementarity of colors is essential for any creative activity, since it must be taken into account that two Mixed complementary colors would form a color that does not exist in nature, which would produce in our brain a rejection.

In the jargon of painters, when two complementary colors are mixed, they speak of a dirty color

Suppose we mixed a yellow with an indigo with the same proportion Of paint. You would get a species brown and its appearance would cause a rejection in the brain of the observer. Therefore, knowledge of the color wheel is very useful to avoid improperly combining colors.

However, if complementary colors are mixed moderately, the end result may be satisfactory (for this to be possible, the proportion of both colors). In this way, if a little indigo is added to the yellow, a duller yellow is obtained.

On synthesis, Complementary colors do not get along when mixed in the same proportion, but they are compatible and create harmony when mixed correctly and in the right proportion.

Photos: Fotolia - darsi / carlosgardel

Complementary Color Themes