The basic, twelve-spoke color wheel is an important tool in creating color schemes. Below are the traditional schemes, with a few examples for each. There are a number of predefined color scheme standards that make creating new schemes easier, especially for beginners. These are important terms to know as we move forward and create our own color schemes. In part 2, we covered color terminology: hue (what color something is, like blue or red) chroma (how pure a color is, the lack of white, black or gray added to it) saturation (the strength or weakness of a color) value (how light or dark a color is) tone (created by adding gray to a pure hue) shade (created by adding black to a pure hue) and tint (created by adding white to a hue). The colors you choose can work for or against the brand identity you’re trying to create. These meanings have a direct impact on the way your visitors perceive your site, sometimes consciously and sometimes subconsciously.

In part 1, we talked about how all colors have inherent meanings, which can vary depending on the country or culture. Let’s start with a quick review of what was covered in parts 1 and 2.

Everything About Color Contrast And Why You Should Rethink It.

A Simple Web Developer’s Guide To Color.

The best way to improve your skills is to practice, so why not set yourself a goal of creating a new color scheme every day? Further Reading on SmashingMag: By the end of this article, you’ll have the tools and skills to start creating beautiful color palettes for your own design projects. I’ll cover the traditional color scheme patterns (monochrome, analogous, complementary, etc.) as well as how to create custom schemes that aren’t based strictly on any one pattern. Here I’ll be talking about methods for creating your own color schemes, from scratch. While this information is important, I’m sure a lot of people were wondering when we were going to get into the nitty-gritty of actually creating some color schemes. In the previous two parts of this series on color theory, we talked mostly about the meanings behind colors and color terminology.

Color schemes emotional color wheel