Andy Harbin Photography
Capturing the beauty of The Cotswolds and surrounding areas

Colour theory has been around for many hundreds of years and there are numerous takes on the subject. Here is my summary of the useful bits.

Colour Wheels

Take a circle, divide it into 3 equal segments and colour each with a different primary colour. A primary colour is one which cannot be made from any other.

Primary Colour Wheel

Next, further divide the circle to give 6 equal segments and fill these with the secondary colours. A secondary colour is produced from mixing the two primary colours either side of it, for example blue & yellow make green, red & blue make purple etc.

Secondary Colour Wheel

Finally, repeat the above process by adding another 6 equal segments and mixing the secondary and primary colours together to produce the 6 tertiary colours.

Tertiary Colour Wheel

Well done, you've made a pretty wheel! Now we are going to use it...

Analagous Colours

These are regarded as any 2 or 3 colours which sit side-by-side on the colour wheel. Because they are next to each other they are very similar but also distinctly different.

Complementary Colours

These are any 2 colours which are directly oposite each other on the colour wheel. Being oposite they are very different and contrast one another.

Colour Moods

It is generally accepted that colours can affect our moods and there is varying degrees of scientific evidence to back this up. Colours also hold specific meanings in different cultures, so what does this all mean?

RED: Red is an extreme colour; emotionally intense, it can stimulate a faster heartbeat. It is the colour of love as well as danger and hate. Red is best used as an accent colour, the term 'less is more' very much applies to red. In China red means good luck, in India it signifies purity.

BLUE: A very popular colour (and my personal favourite); blue is a tranquil colour , has a calming influence and can reduce the pusle rate. Blue images appear cold. There are no naturally occurring blue food products, hence food handlers wear blue plasters and plastic gloves (if dropped they can be easily found). Signifies peace, harmony, confidence.

GREEN: A calming and refreshing colour and the most relaxing on the human eye. Generally used to denote nature but also inexperience, envy, youth and vigor.

YELLOW: Considered an optimistic colour, yet the most difficult for the human eye to resolve and therefore best used in moderation. Increases concentration and speeds up metabolism. Yellow is considered sacred in Asia.

ORANGE: Overwhelmingly used as a warm colour. Orange can improve the appetite and enhance social interaction.

PURPLE: Very rare in nature and as a result can appear false. The colour of wealth and royalty since originally purple pigments were very difficult and expensive to make.

BLACK: Signifies power, authority, sexuality and death. Corporate suits are very often black or charcoal (dark grey). Bad guys in the movies always wear black. Ironically, also considered to be a submissive colour.

WHITE: Purity and innocence. Angels and good guys wear white, as do doctors, nurses and brides.