Lesson 4: The Color Wheel and Color Relationships

The color wheel is a graphic tool for understanding the relationship colors have to each other. Essentially, a color wheel takes the colors of the spectrum and presents them in a circle to express color harmonies. A 12-hue color wheel is standard in the floral industry. Artists use 24-hue wheels for greater color understanding.

 
Related Harmonies

Monochromatic Color Harmonies use only one hue in varying tints, tones and shades. 

Analogous Color Harmonies use colors that are alongside each other on the color wheel forming a 90 angle. They literally flow into each other.

Contrasted Harmonies

Complementary Color Harmonies are two colors that lie directly opposite one another on the color wheel. When complementary colors are placed next to one another, each appears more intense.

Split Complementary Color Harmonies use a hue from one side of the color wheel and the two colors that lie on either side of its direct opposite.

  
     
Triadic Color Harmonies are three equidistant colors on the color wheel. 

Tetradic Color Harmonies use two sets of complementary colors.

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