The CULTIVATE™ Blog: Color Theory - Why Colors Go Together

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Hello friends and Cultivaters! It’s Beth here again ready to talk color once more (but really, do we ever get sick of talking about color?!)   In my last post, we clarified some things about color and all the variations and what each term means. If you missed it - go back and read Color Theory 101.  So, let’s talk WHY...why do certain colors go together?  

The Color Wheel 

Most of us are familiar with the color wheel from our childhood art class days, but eventually that can fall by the wayside, so let’s review.  So much of color theory is based on this handy and functional visual tool, which was first created by Sir Isaac Newton in 1706. In our last post, we talked about the relationship between light and how we see color.  This is exactly how Sir Isaac Newton discovered the color spectrum, by studying light and the colors that resulted from it. He was the first to arrange these colors on a wheel, but his discoveries came from studying light and the way colors appeared in through prisms.  It may sound complicated (he did father Calculus after all) but if you’ve ever seen a rainbow, you’ve seen the visible spectrum of colors because of light. In fact, the colors observed in a rainbow or through a prism are the result of his discovery between the connection of light and color. 

Ignaz Schiffermüller, 1772 & Goethe, 1810

Ignaz Schiffermüller, 1772 & Goethe, 1810

Color Harmonies

So what is the purpose of the color wheel with respect to art and design? Plainly put, it’s the most essential guide for artists and designers for understanding color relationships and how they look together.  This includes:

Warm & Cool Colors - this hardly needs an explanation, as these colors are just what they sound like - warm like fire and heat (yellow to red-violet) and cool like ice or water (yellow-green to violet)

Complementary Colors - colors that are opposite each of each other on the color wheel and that complement or contrast perfectly with each other.  A purple and yellow flower for example!  

Analogous Color Schemes- groups of three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, made up of one primary, one secondary and one tertiary color. (i.e.yellow, yellow-green, and green) 

Triadic Harmony - three colors equally spaced apart on the color wheel: 

-blue, red, yellow

-blue-violet, red-orange, yellow-green

-violet, orange, green

-red-violet, yellow-orange, blue green

Split Complementary - a color and the two colors next to its complement on the color wheel

  • yellow, red-violet, blue-violet

  • red, yellow-green, violet

  • red-orange, green, red-violet

  • orange, blue-green, red

  • yellow-orange, blue, red-orange

  • yellow, blue-violet, orange

  • yellow-green, violet, yellow-orange

  • green, red violet, yellow

  • blue-green, red, yellow-green

  • blue, red-orange, green

  • blue-violet, orange, blue-green

  • violet, yellow-orange, blue

Make Your Own Color Wheel

The best way for your child (and you!) to learn color all of these essentials of color theory is to be hands on with it and try for yourself.  Play with mixing colors at home. We’ve made a printable color wheel for you to explore with your favorite art supplies at home! If you’re using a wet media like watercolor or acrylic paint, you will need to print this on a piece of cardstock paper (65lb should suffice) so that the paper won’t tear or breakdown when you apply the wet paint. When your child completes their color wheel, cut it out and tape it inside of their art notebook or journal.  They will always have it to refer to when working on their artwork.  Share your child’s finished color wheel with by tagging @cultivate.kids on instagram and facebook!