COLOUR SCHEMES

Have you ever seen colours next to each other and thought they looked collectively appealing but were unable to explain why? You’ve probably just observed a nicely implemented colour scheme. The way colours are arranged or combined in the same space is what is known as a ‘colour scheme’, and putting together a compelling scheme can be integral to an image’s impact.

There are infinite ways you can arrange colours but not all will have a pleasing effect to the eye. There are three popular approaches to colour schemes that can be used to ensure you’ll most likely end up with colours that work well together: complementary colours, analogous colours, and monochrome colours.

Complementary colours are colours that, as you may have guessed, complement one another. If we return to our colour wheel, colours that sit directly opposite each other on the wheel are complementary. For example, blue sits nicely next to orange, as they are highly contrasting and attract the eye.