Chromatic circle | Using the "color wheel" to find the perfect color combination
By now you already know that your logo needs to have a striking color palette that goes with your brand if you want it to connect with your ideal audience. In other articles we've published we've talked about what different colors communicate when used in logos and we've shown you different ways to combine the colors in your logo to create attractive visuals.
But there is more to choosing a color palette that works than simply combining your brand's traits with the colors and giving it up. If you do that, you could end up with a ... questionable color palette. So how can you create a color palette for your logo that communicates who you are as a brand and is attractive to your audience?
Understand the science behind what makes certain color combinations look good. Like chords, groups of notes with specific intervals between them, which sound pleasant to our ears, groupings of colors based on specific positions on the color wheel look pleasant to our eyes. And just as those pleasing chords are called harmonies, the visually pleasing color groups are known as color harmonies.
Understand the color wheel
The chromatic circle or color wheel is a graph that shows the relationships
between colors. The concept dates back to 1666, when Sir Issac Newton
identified the spectrum of six colors that he saw when white light passed
through a prism. Later, the relationships between these colors and the
psychological effects of each color were further studied and understood,
creating the field of color theory.
Color theory is the set of guidelines that artists and designers use to make
color choices that achieve specific goals, while at the same time being
aesthetically pleasing to viewers. Within color theory, the color wheel is
the most prominent guideline, it is the graphical representation of all color
relationships.
On the color wheel, colors - also known as
hues - fall into three main categories:
Primary colors
Red, blue, and yellow are the three primary colors. These are the colors that cannot be created by mixing other colors. Instead, all other colors are created by mixing some combination of them.
Secondary colours
Orange, green, and purple are the three secondary colors. These are the colors that are created by mixing combinations of the primary colors, such as blue + yellow = green.
Tertiary colors
Tertiary colors are the colors that exist between the primary and secondary colors. For example, orange-red is the shade that exists between orange and red. These colors are created by mixing two adjacent colors, such as mixing yellow and green to create yellow-green. The only way to create a tertiary color is to mix a primary color and a secondary color that are next to each other on the color wheel; it is not possible to create a yellow-blue or an orange-purple
But that's not all you need to know about the color wheel. There are also shades, hues and tones.
A hue is created by adding black to a color. Create a darker, richer version of that color.
A shade is a washed-out, neutralized version of a color created by mixing it
with gray. Shades are often used to create a pastel look.
Using different hues, hues, and tones in
your logo's color palette can add levels of complexity that you couldn't get by
just using basic shades. For example, you can choose a color palette that
has a dark blue hue contrasted with a bright, almost neon orange hue that
appears especially bright alongside your deep blue.
So now that you have all the notes, are you ready to start making
music? Let's take a look at the different ways you can arrange color
harmonies to make your logo sing beautifully.
Complementary combinations
The most basic type of color harmony is
complementary. Pick a color, and then see which color is directly in front
of it on the color wheel. Those two are complementary
colors. Complementary colors are colors that contrast strongly with each
other, so when used together in a logo, both colors are bold and
eye-catching.
Choosing complementary colors for your logo keeps your palette simple, but with simplicity comes limits. You only have two colors to work with: two bold and contrasting colors. For some brands, that's all they need. Others need to use three, four or even more colors in their logos to tell their audience the whole story.
Triadic trios
A triadic harmony is one created with three colors. Specifically, three colors that are located at equal intervals on the color wheel.
As a complementary color palette, a triadic has high contrast and can be a great way to create a colorful and varied logo. And since there are three colors to play with, instead of just two, you can do more with a triadic palette, like illustrating a more complex image or communicating more points about your brand.
Tetradic Equipment
Based on the name, can you guess what kind of harmonies these will be?
Yes, they are groups of four colors. Specifically, they are groups of four
colors that sit in a rectangle shape on the color wheel - two sets of
complementary colors with a "buffer" color between them. This is
why they are also known as double complementary color combinations.
You could choose red and green and purple and yellow. Together these four colors are powerful. They're bold, they have initial contrasts, and when you've got all four in one palette, the palette can seem quite busy. It's perfect for a high-energy, "on your face" logo(Creative Modern Logo Design Experts in Hertfordshire, UK).
Analog paddles
Analogous color harmony is one created by grouping three colors that are located next to each other on the color wheel.
This type of palette creates a drastically
different effect from the other types we've discussed so far. Since you
get from colors that are closely related, you don't get the level of contrast
you get with colors on opposite sides of the color wheel. However, there
is still some contrast, and you can play around with it by trying different
shades and tints of the colors you have chosen. The end result is a less
extreme palette that is perfect for brands looking for a more subtle look.
One color, one palette
An analogous palette may seem limited, but in reality, you have an even more
limited option: a monochrome palette. As the name implies, a monochrome
palette is a palette that only has one color.
Which, by definition, isn't really a color palette ... is it?
Actually, it can be. With the help of white, black, and gray, you can
create a whole palette using just one base shade.
[Image of a monochrome color palette
showing the base color and at least one hue, one tone, and one hue]
Using a single color and building a palette
by lightening, darkening or washing it, you can create a complex logo with a
deep, cohesive look. This type of palette is often a great choice for
brands that have a clear and singular mission and brands that want to keep
their logos simple without settling for the simplistic.
But what about the other colors?
As you may have noticed, we have not yet mentioned some important colors:
• Black
• White
• Brown
Light Gray ,
we did mention hues, hues and tones, but we did not mention black, white or
gray by themselves. And the word "brown" has not been mentioned
at all.
Here's the scoop on these shades - they're not like other colors. Black
and white do not have specific wavelengths like the colors on the color wheel,
making it impossible for them to fit on the color wheel. But, although
some sources say that they are not technically colors, this does not tell the
whole story.
For designers, black, white and gray are colors. They do
not fit specific color harmonies, but can be used effectively in logos as the
primary color or an accent color.
Similarly, brown is not on the color
wheel. But that doesn't mean it's not a color. Brown is the color you
get when you mix two complementary colors. Red + green = brown, just like
yellow + purple and blue + orange.
And, like black, white and gray, brown does not fit into any
of the specified color harmonies we discussed above but can be an effective
color choice for your logo, either as its main color or one of your choices of
hue or hue.
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