Complementary colors: what they are and how to learn how to use them
As we all know since early childhood, there are not only primary and secondary colors, but also complementary colors. This indicates the pairs of colors arranged in diametrically opposite positions on the chromatic circle. orange, yellow-purple, red-green, although the term complementary be fallacious, we must not be fooled by risking to assume that these color pairs seem to match each other. In the following article you will understand better what complementary colors mean, also learning how to combine them!
What are complementary colors?
As the word "complementary" itself says, these colors do complete each other. In fact, these are pairs of colors that are on opposite sides of the chromatic circle and, if used side by side, it is possible to obtain a greater contrast between the two. This is the defined iridescent effect, an artificial artistic technique which consists precisely in combining contrasting colors to obtain a brighter effect. Taking advantage of color and optical studies, complementary colors are used extensively in product design and graphics as well as in marketing. A peculiarity of these colors is noticed if they mix with each other: the pair of colors will lose their hue and will tend to create an intermediate color of the gray scale.This is why they should be used sparingly and carefully: the risk is to obtain a result that is anything but iridescent!
What is the color wheel?
Also known as a color wheel or circle, the color wheel is a tool used to highlight the relationships between colors, primary, secondary, tertiary, and so on. The color wheel will be very useful for quickly finding the complement of each color and understanding it is very simple: as we said, complementary colors are located at opposite ends of the wheel. The color wheel is certainly not unique, there are various types with more or less colors, of greater or lesser size and other minimal differences. What makes one color wheel different from another is mainly the combination technique used. There are two: an additive and subtractive color combination technique; consequently there are additive (red, green and blue) and subtractive (cyan, magenta and yellow) primary colors. Generally, in painting we refer to the subtractive method.
What are the complementary colors?
Given these important premises, we can move on to introduce the theory of colors, thus showing the differences between primary and secondary colors. The rule is easy and we have known it since childhood: the complementary of a primary color is a secondary color, the complementary of a secondary color is a primary color and the complementary of a tertiary color is another tertiary color.
Having understood this basic mechanism, we can move on to listing the list of complementary colors. The complementary of yellow (primary color) is purple (secondary color), which is obtained by mixing red and blue; the complementary of red (primary) is green (secondary), which is obtained by mixing yellow and blue; the complementary of blue (primary) is orange (secondary), which is obtained by mixing red and yellow.
The list is obviously also valid in the opposite direction, thus reading the colors from right to left since, as mentioned, the complementary of a primary is a secondary, therefore the complementary of a secondary is a primary.
An example of complementary tertiary colors is the blue-violet pair, whose complementary is yellow-orange, or the orange-magenta pair, complementary of green-aqua. The tertiary colors, in fact, are complementary to each other.
The importance of complementary colors
Knowing the complementary colors is important not only for the realization of works and paintings, but also in the works of graphics, design without forgetting the furniture. The first to study them was Itten, who started by "arranging the colors in a chromatic circle; from here it was discovered that by combining diametrically opposite colors in the wheel, the perfect chromatic combination is obtained. A complementary pair of colors will always include one cold and one warm, placing them side by side will achieve the greatest possible contrast.
There are certainly not a few artists who even in the past have used this technique to obtain brighter tones: first of all, in fact, considered to be the master of iridescent, Michelangelo. This effect can be achieved with any technique, from oil painting to simple colored pencils.
No less interesting is the possibility of exploiting this technique to control the saturation level of the colors: mixing two colors in equal parts tends to arrive at an intermediate shade, around the gray tones therefore less brilliant.
How to find the complement of a color
Given this information, it can be easily understood that finding the complement of a color is very simple. All you need is the color wheel, which has already been illustrated. Choose the color of which you want to know the complementary and look for it on the chromatic wheel, identify the opposite color on the rim: here is its complementary.
Below you will find some examples of complementary colors not so obvious to spot.
- The complementary of brown: it is a mixture of all three primary colors, so theoretically it does not have a complementary. In reality, however, the brown will tend more towards the orange-red in the case of warm browns, so its complement will be more like a dark olive or dark purple color.
- The complementary of pink: created by a base of red combined with white, so its opposite is found in the yellow-green area, more specifically in the lime color.
- The complementary of blue: it is simply orange. The color is included in this list because it is interesting to note the frequency with which this combination appears in Vincent Van Gogh's paintings.
The complementary colors in history
We have mentioned the famous artist Vincent Van Gogh, who experimented extensively with the contrast of complementary colors, in particular the blue-orange couple, due to the frequency of sky and sunflowers that lives in his works. However, the red-green or yellow-purple couple does not fail. The best known is certainly The starry night, with the intense yellow-orange moon that contrasts with the blue of the night from which it is pervaded and surrounded. But also Coffee at night is an excellent example: the contrast between red and green leaps immediately to the eye, which notes the technical exercise, a way to express, in the words of Van Gogh, "the terrible human passions".
The history of chromatology and the analytical study of colors, although an official color theory had not yet been created, was studied extensively by the greatest philosophers of ancient history. From Aristotle to Tommaso d "Aquino, up to the humanist Leon Battista Alberti and Leonardo da Vinci, who noticed greater harmony in a" work in the combination of some colors than others.
Complementary colors in make-up
Even non-make-up enthusiasts will have to know or will have been told at least once in their life that to bring out the best eye color you need to wear a complementary color. What this means for non-makeup experts is a mystery. As has been explained so far, by combining two complementary colors they enhance each other, and this is also valid in make-up. Start with the color of your eyes: if you have them green, use the shades of brick, burgundy, plum, pink, red, magenta; if blue, those of yellow-gold, ocher, orange and gold; if brown, the best shade is that of blue and petrol.
Eyeshadow and pencil for the eyes are not the only part of the make-up for which the study of colors lends itself well, even and above all for the concealer it is important to choose the complementary colors. Especially in the case of the corrector for dark circles, the right shade of color has its importance: green corrects redness, an orange corrector corrects blue-violet dark circles, the lilac corrector helps to illuminate the dull areas of the face.
The lipstick should certainly not be forgotten, which is fundamental in complete make-up. If the make-up is intense on the eyes, a natural color is recommended on the lips, on the contrary if there is a simple and neutral make-up on the eyes. The dark colors on the lips highlight the pallor of the face, thus accentuating fatigue; lilac and the shades of purple accentuate the yellowish color of the teeth, therefore they are to be avoided if you do not have very white teeth are not ideal; finally, cold tones, such as cold red, tend to whiten them.
Complementary colors in primary school
It is precisely from the chromatic circle that we start to teach children in primary school about complementary colors. It is easy to illustrate, in fact, the exact opposite position of the different colors, precisely defined complementary. Once the theory is explained, the ideal is to provide coloring sheets following the rule taught. They can be completion or matching cards, easily found on the internet.
