Colour Relationships (3.3a)

Requirement
6/7 images

Purpose
To identify how to use colour relationships for physical and emotional impact

Technical learning
The key types of colour relationship are:

Complementary 

• What is it? Combining 2 colours opposite each other on the colour wheel. (e.g. G/R, B/O, Y/V). This also combines warm (advancing) and cool (receding) colours
• Impact?  High-contrast but also harmonious, especially if brightness is balanced (Scale: Y = 9, O= 8, R = 6, G = 6, B = 4, Violet = 3)

Monochromatic 

• What is it? Using different shades of the same colour
• Impact?  Clean and elegant. Soothing, easy on the eyes, especially in blue or green.

Analogous 

• What is it? Colours adjacent to each other on the colour wheel. Oten 1 colour is dominant while others enrich the scheme. 
• Impact? Similar to monochromatic, with greater nuances. Consider either staying within warm and cool range, or crossing over.

Split Complementary

• What is it? 1 colour contrasted with the 2 colours adjacent to its complementary (e.g. R/ B & Y, O/ V & G)
• Impact? High contrast, with less tension from using complementary colours

Triadic 

• What is it? Use of colours equally spaced around the colour wheel (e.g B/R, B/Y, Y/R, Y/G, Y/V)
• Impact? Contrast, yet harmonious, balanced and rich in colour

Exercise instructions
Part 1

• Shoot 1 image for each combination of primary and secondary colours
• Follow the ratios that balance their relative brightness 

Part 2 

• Prodcue 3 or 4 images with colour combinations (2 or more) that you like
• Be aware of balance/ imbalance and consider its effect

Images and review

1. Complementary pairs

Green/ Red

Sex Shop Window
Colour complements appear in all
walks of life!

Orange/ Blue

Building worker crosses Blackfriars Bridge, London
Orange fatigues contrast with the blue
of the sky

Yellow/ Violet

Flowers in a supermarket
Violet (reddish) petals, red centres
Combination is rarer than other 2 complementary pairs

2. Appealing pairs

1. Blue, Red and White

London Eye at twilight as seen from Waterloo Bridge
Strong circle of blue, red and white
(the union flag)

2. Warm and Cool colours in shapes

Fencing outside school in London
Mixes warm colours (red and yellow mainly) with 
cool ones (shades of blue, a dash of green), as well
as squares, circles and rectangles

3. Analogous - blues and violets at night

National Theatre at nightime
The camera sees colour more vividly at
night than the eye. Lighting at night projects
colour onto light brown concrete wall
that look so uninspiring during the day 

4. Analogous - red, orange and yellow

Canoes for hire, Lyme Regis
Red, orange and to a lesser extent yellow
Balance comes from more red than orange and 
more orange than yellow.
Blue sky background isolates boats: a cool colour
vs. warm ones