Using a Color Wheel to Select a Color Scheme

monochromatic color schemeWhen you’re coloring a picture, do you even find yourself stumped as to what colors “go” together the best? If so, you’re not alone.

If you’re having trouble getting started, looking at the positioning of each color on a color wheel will help you choose which colors are best for your adult coloring page.

Monochromatic color schemes are the easiest option for novices to work with. A monochromatic scheme uses various values and intensities of the same color to add interest. For example, the picture accompanying this post uses various shades of green Sharpie markers to make a monochromatic color scheme.

An analogous color scheme uses colors that are adjacent on the color wheel, such as orange and yellow. Various lights and darks can be introduced through embellishment choices to add interest to analogous color schemes.

Complementary color schemes use colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Using red and green on a coloring page with a Christmas theme would be a good example of a complementary color scheme. Color wheel complementary colors often incorporate neutral colors as accents to keep an overall sense of balance.

Triadic color schemes use three colors equally spaced apart on the color wheel. The primary colors of red, blue, and yellow are a popular triadic color scheme that works well for any sort of geometric pattern.

[Photo is a free coloring page from The Togetherness Project.]