Analogous Color Scheme

Colors can evoke emotions. They have the power to impart personality to a design. Be it the house interior painting, web design, product design or any other design imaginable. Personally, I think color is visual music. There are books, websites, journals, etc. dedicated solely to colors and the right way to use them. Before starting on analogous color scheme, let me brief you about some basics of color.

Color Wheel

The color wheel shows groups of colors and the way they are related. It shows primary as well as secondary colors. Primary colors are the most basic type of colors and they cannot be derived from any other colors whereas secondary colors are specific combinations of the primary colors. On the color wheel the secondary colors are shown between the primary colors. The color wheel is used for scientific as well as artistic purposes. It was first drawn by Sir Isaac Newton in the year 1666. Aside from primary and secondary colors there are also tertiary, complementary and analogous colors.

Color Scheme

A color scheme is basically a combination of colors that go well together. It depends upon where the color scheme is going to be used, because a combination of colors that looks good for a website may not look good if used for a chocolate wrapper. Moreover, every color has a meaning and so does its combination with a particular color. There are standard color schemes that can be employed based on the design purpose. They are Monochromatic, complementary, triadic, tetradic, analogous, etc. The focus here, is on the analogous color scheme.

Analogous Color Scheme: An Overview

Colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel are used for making this color scheme. Number of colors used is mostly three to five. Their tints and shades may also be utilized. They prominently have a common hue. The look of this scheme is similar to that of the monochromatic color scheme that uses a single color and its light and dark shades. The only difference is that this scheme provides a wider range of hues that can be combined. The analogous color scheme is used where a serene effect is required. This scheme is the easiest to create and deal with. One of the three or five colors is chosen as the dominant color and is used as the background and in extensive amounts. The remaining colors are used only to emphasize certain features of the design. Many variations can be introduced in this scheme by tuning the intensity of the colors. The only problem with this color scheme is that it does not give you any contrast, and the complementary color scheme has to be used for that purpose. But you have the option of using the analogous complementary color scheme that makes use of related hues placed adjacent to each other on the color wheel with a hue directly opposite to them. The analogous color scheme examples are everywhere in nature. This color scheme is the most harmonious and gives a rich feel. Let's have a look at some examples-

• Red, orange, and yellow green
• Blue and purple yellow
• Yellow-green and green

Every color has its own specific meaning, like red depicts fire and blood, and is associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire and love. Similarly, all other colors have their meaning and they evoke a distinct emotion when looked at. So, while using the analogous color scheme or any other color scheme for that matter, consider the meaning of colors and give a thought to what exactly you want to convey.