Color Basics & Theory
Remember when you got your first box of Crayons? I do. It was a box of 24 and I thought it was the best thing ever!
I created colorful clothes for my paper dolls. I drew pictures and colored them to match whatever my mood was at that particular time. Color was freedom to express myself through my art.
It still is.
The Basics
We learned these color basics in elementary school and found them in our boxes of crayons. They’re what we still use to add color in our homes.
- Primary Colors are yellow, red and blue.
- Secondary Colors are created by mixing the Primary Colors and they are purple, green, and orange.
- Tertiary Colors are six colors made by mixing Primary Colors and Secondary Colors to create red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet.
This video from Better Homes and Gardens illustrates how to choose colors from the color wheel. It’s short but sweet.
Color Theory
Color theory is a set of principles used to create harmonious color combinations pleasing to the eye and senses. It provides us with a common ground for understanding how colors can be used, arranged, coordinated, blended, and related to one another.
Color theory is about why some colors work together aesthetically, while others do not. Thus, it’s about color mixing and the visual effects of color. (Source: Study.com)
There are warm colors (reds, oranges, and yellows) and cool colors (blues, greens, and purples). They set the mood for whatever room or space you’re decorating.
What are the rules for using color in small spaces?
There really are no rules, but there are a few guidelines that will help when deciding what colors to paint the walls or to use in your furniture or accessories.
We’re taught that dark or warm colors will make a space appear smaller and light or cool colors will visually expand the space. But that’s not necessarily so!
Use Color to Create a Focal Point
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