{"id":677,"date":"2011-08-08T20:04:41","date_gmt":"2011-08-09T00:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/?p=677"},"modified":"2023-12-01T16:45:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-01T20:45:15","slug":"fun-with-complementary-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/fun-with-complementary-colors","title":{"rendered":"Fun with Complementary Colors"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n
\"Fun<\/div>\n
\nComplementary colors are colors that are located directly across from each other on the color wheel<\/a>.\u00a0 An example of this would be the color relationship of orange and blue or red and green.\u00a0 Complementary color relationships tend to be my favorite type of color scheme.\u00a0\u00a0 They provide the highest level of contrast among colors.<\/p>\n

Learning about the effects of complementary colors on a viewer’s experience in a drawing\u00a0 or painting is one thing.\u00a0 But to actually have proof that these relationships exist and witness “the power” inherent in them is quite another thing.<\/p>\n

Take a look at the animation below.\u00a0 Stare at the black “+” in the middle.\u00a0 After a few seconds, a yellow-green circle will appear to be moving around the center.\u00a0 After a few more second, the red-purple circles will disappear completely leaving only a yellow-green circle moving around the center.
\n

\"fun-with-complementary-colors\"<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n

Now what makes this really cool is the fact that there is no yellow-green circle at all.\u00a0 The red-purple circles are just disappearing in a sequence.\u00a0 Your mind creates the yellow-green circle.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Why yellow-green?\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Well, yellow-green is the complement of red-purple.\u00a0 If you take a look at a color wheel chart<\/a>, you will see that yellow-green and red-purple are directly across from each other on the color wheel.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

What’s even more interesting is that this works for any complementary color scheme.\u00a0 For example, if you changed the red-purple circles to blue, an orange circle would appear.\u00a0 If you changed the red-purple circles to yellow, a purple circle would appear.<\/p>\n

More Fun…<\/h2>\n

I came across another example of how complementary colors can create a cool effect and thought I’d share it with you below.<\/p>\n

Take a look at the circles. \u00a0If you move your eye from one set of circles to another, you might notice that the circles look like they are moving. \u00a0The circles, of course, are not moving. \u00a0Instead, they appear to be moving because the colors are of a high level of contrast. \u00a0Yellow and purple are complements and this effect is achieved because of this.
\n

\"Fun<\/a><\/center>
\n<\/a>Color is such a strong tool. \u00a0Use it wisely!<\/div>\n
\n
\n
<\/div>\n
Like This Lesson?<\/span>
If so, join over 36,000 others that receive our newsletter with new drawing and painting lessons. Plus, check out three of our course videos and ebooks for free.