One of the reasons for my reluctance to move to scrapbooking from card making was that I found it daunting wondering what colors to use together on a scrapbook page.
Working on cards or the computer with smaller papers it was easy to use my preferred mode of pulling different shapes and colors together and deciding what I liked with what. I could see what worked and which combinations I liked.
The thought of having to plan all this beforehand without being able to see it did not appeal to me. I was afraid to experiment.
I still find it easier to see the effects of color when I put them together than to know what to expect in advance, but having discovered the color wheel has been a great help. Knowing from the outset that the colors you choose work well together is a big plus.
Finding a color wheel and learning how to use it was a real eye-opener for me. I had become tired of the usual colors I naturally gravitated towards as everything had a sameness about it. Now there’s much more interest in plans and designs.
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A little color basics …
There are three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. These cannot be made by mixing any other colors. Secondary and intermediate colors are achieved by mixing primary colors.
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The three secondary colors are green, orange and violet. A secondary color is made by mixing the two primary colors on either side of it. Hence green is a result of mixing blue and yellow, orange by mixing red and yellow, and violet from red and blue.
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When you mix the secondary and primary colors together you make the six tertiary or intermediate colors. These are: red/orange, red/violet; yellow/green, yellow/orange; blue/green, blue/violet.
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So we’re looking at twelve colors now. A good color wheel will have these twelve colors. It will also have guides to indicate the relationship between colors, for example a triangle that marks the triadic colors, and a line joining complementary colors. Sometimes it will show another triangle marking the split complementary. These guides will help you choose your color combinations for successful scrapbook layouts.
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So how do you use a color wheel?
Select the main color in your photo, or the color you want to emphasize, and find it on the color wheel. You can then decide whether you want to use a monochromatic color scheme, an analogous, complementary or triadic color scheme. These give you a guide to which colors to choose. (Terms are explained in an earlier article.)
For example, Complementary colors are opposite each other on a 12-part color wheel. So you have red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple as the secondary complementaries; and red-orange and blue-green; red-purple and yellow green; and yellow-orange and blue-purple as the tertiary or intermediate complementaries. (I think I’ve got them all. Let me know if I’ve missed any or got confused – it’s easily done!)
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Complementary colors.
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For a split complementary choose the color you want to use from your photograph and the colors on either side of the complementary color.
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The various color schemes – monochromatic color scheme, an analogous, complementary or triadic color scheme (see note earlier) – are extremely good guides for working on your scrapbook color schemes, however, don’t get hung-up on the theory. Instead by looking at nature we are likely to find many combinations that work yet do not fit the ‘theory’. So learn the basics of color theory, but don’t be constrained by them.
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Some notes on color terms …
- Warm colors: red, orange, yellow
- Cool colors: green, blue, violet
- Hue: another name for color
- Tone: darkening a color by adding grey
- Value: the lightness or darkness of a color
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I wish you success in your scrapbooking color schemes.
[tags]color wheel, color schemes, scrapbooking, getting started[/tags]
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I know this is an older article, but there’s a new color scheme tool online called Scrap by Color ( scrapbycolor.com ) that helps you find the perfect color scheme for your scrapbook layouts. Color schemes for your layout are automatically recommended to you using the colors in your photos.
Do you have any idea what color goes with forest green?
Hi Deb,
The color you want will vary depending on whether you want a contrasting, monotone or harmonious effect. Our post about the Color Wheel points to an excellent online color scheme designer you could try out.
Hope this helps.
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