40 COLOR

A Triad Color Scheme. This type of scheme combines the
three equidistant colors, which occur at the points of an equilateral
triangle placed anywhere on the color circle opposite. Turning
the paper triangle will point out different combinations. A triad
scheme is a well-balanced one, but the colors must be subdued to
attain harmony. Some of the triads are:

1. Yellow, blue, red.

2. Yellow-green, blue-purple, red-orange.

3. Green, purple, orange.

4. Blue-green, red-purple, yellow-orange.

A Complementary Color Scheme. Colors that are opposite
on the color circle are used in this scheme. It is a stimulating type
of color plan and is well balanced. The colors must be subdued,
and one should dominate. A double complementary scheme in-
volves two or more pairs of complementary colors. On the pig-
ment twelve-color circle the complements are:

1. Yellow, purple. 4. Blue-green, red-orange.

2. Yellow-green, red-purple. 5. Blue, orange.

3. Green, red. 6. Blue-purple, yellow-orange.

A Split Complementary Color Scheme, In a split comple-
mentary color scheme one color is used with the two colors that
adjoin its complement on a color circle. This plan produces some
subtle combinations when the colors employed are properly sub-
dued. Some examples of split complementary schemes are;

1. Yellow, blue-purple, red-purple,

2. Yellow-green, purple, red.

3. Green, red-purple, red-orange.

4. Blue-green, red, orange.

Dominating Color, In any type of color scheme for any pur-
pose one color should dominate in quantity, usually another color
should be secondly in quantity, and if a third color is used it
should be least in quantity. The smaller the area of a color the
brighter it may be. See picture opposite page 46.

Color Dissonances. In modern color study, as in music, atten-
tion must be paid to dissonances as well as to harmonies. Such
color schemes may be too difficult for students to create, but they
are stimulating to see. The paintings of Henri Matisse of France
sometimes contain color combinations that astonish the layman.