Liven it Up with Complements
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The October 2007 issue of Bead & Button magazine published my article about contrasting colors in thei “Expert Advice” column. The Muse will also tell you all about how you can inject spirit and vitality into a flagging color scheme. Its easier than you might think.
An exciting story of “opposites attract” underlies the complementary color scheme. Lured by their differences, complementary colors enhance one another because they each contribute qualities the other lacks.
A complementary harmony provides the most contrast in hue possible; its colors sit furthest apart from each other on the wheel. Red is less like green than any other color. As you move away from red toward green, the colors are more similar to green, and therefore provide less contrast.
Complementary relationships offer the balance and equilibrium our eyes and mind crave. The phenomenon of after-image, illustrates that the eye will spontaneously generate the complementary color if it is not present. This is why staring at a single color for a few minutes produces the after-image of its complementary color. When the complementary relationship is established equilibrium is restored and balance is achieved.
If your work is lackluster in the color department, grab your color wheel and let it talk to you about complementary colors. Nothing will breathe life into a color scheme like a dash–or splash–of complementary harmonies.
Nature loves complementary relationships. Red and pink flowers against a backdrop of green foliage rivet our attention. Most purple and violet flowers have yellow centers. The orange rock against the blue sky of the American Southwest is a sparkling sight to behold.
Complementary colors require each other. When placed together, they incite each other to maximum brilliance. The color of cyan, a swimming pool blue, will appear all the more vivid when accented by spicy orange.
The most dynamic of all hue contrasts, successful combinations depend on getting the proportions right. The smallest, tingling accent of a complementary color can suscitate the weakest color scheme. Too much of one or both complementary colors can collide and pulsate uncomfortably. Balance the contrast by quantity, value and intensity.
Quantity: don’t use equal amounts. If your color scheme involves several colors, choose a dominate color family and add tiny amounts of its complement.
Value: use light and dark versions of the complements. Try deep maroon shades with dark greens or light mints. Pale lilacs and lavenders pair exquisitely with pastel yellow.
Intensity: experiment with different saturations. Burnished terra cotta shades work beautifully with slate blues. Partner vivids with low intensity tones of their complements, like neon hot pink and hunter green. Carefully calculated proportions of that complementary pair will guarantee one lively color scheme.
There's lots more information about complementary colors in The Beader's Guide to Color, and in the January 2007, and December 2005 Margie's Muse columns.
Note: There will be no podcast this month.
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