Scheme № 1: A complementary combination
Complementary colors are colors that sit opposite of each other
Scheme № 2: The triad — a combination of three colors
A Triad is a combination of 3 colors that are equidistant from each other on the color circle.
Scheme № 3: An analogous combination
This is a combination of 2 to 5 (ideally 2 to 3) colors that are adjacent to each other
Scheme № 4: The split complementary combination
A variation on the complementary color combination. In this case, you take one primary color
and two complementary ones (the colors that lie on both sides of the primary color’s antipode
on the color circle). The effect created by such a scheme is just as contrasting as the one before
but slightly less intense. If you feel unconfident about using the complementary scheme, use the
split complementary instead.
Scheme № 5: The tetrad — a combination of four colors
This is a scheme that includes one primary and two complementary colors, plus an additional
color that highlights the accents. An example: blue-green, blue-violet, orange-red, orange-
yellow.
Scheme № 6: The square
A combination of 4 colors that are equidistant from each other on the color circle. In this case,
the colors differ from each other in tone, but are also complementary. This creates a dynamic,
vivid, and playful effect. An example: violet, orange-red, yellow, blue-green.
Combinations of individual colours
White: combines with everything, especially blue, red and black.
Beige: combines with blue, brown, emerald, black, red, white.
Gray: combines with fuchsia, red, violet, pink, blue.
Pink: combines with brown, white, mint green, olive, gray, turquoise, light blue.
Fuchsia (dark pink): combines with gray, yellow-brown, lime, mint green, brown.
Red: combines with yellow, white, fulvous, green, blue, black.
Tomato-red: combines with cyan, mint green, sand, creamy-white, gray.
Cherry-red: combines with azure, gray, light-orange, sandy, pale-yellow, beige.
Raspberry-red: combines with white, black, damask rose.
Brown: combines with bright-cyan, cream, pink, fawn, green, beige.
Light-brown: combines with pale-yellow, cream-white, blue, green, purple, red.
Dark-brown: combines with lime-yellow, cyan, mint green, purple-pink, lime.
Reddish-brown: combines with pink, dark-brown, blue, green, purple.
Orange: combines with cyan, blue, lilac, violet, white, black.
Light-orange: combines with gray, brown, olive.
Dark-orange: combines with pale-yellow, olive, brown, cherry.
Yellow: combines with blue, lilac, light-cyan, violet, gray, black.
Lemon-yellow: combines with cherry-red, brown, blue, gray.
Pale-yellow: combines with fuchsia, gray, brown, shades of red, yellowish brown, blue,
purple.
Golden yellow: combines with gray, brown, azure, red, black.
Olive: combines with orange, light-brown, brown.
Green: combines with golden-brown, orange, salad green, yellow, brown, gray, cream,
black, creamy-white.
Salad green: combines with brown, yellowish-brown, fawn, gray, dark-blue, red, gray.
Turquoise: combines with fuchsia, cherry-red, yellow, brown, cream, dark-violet.
Electric colors: combines with golden-yellow, brown, light brown, gray, or silver.
Cyan: combines with red, gray, brown, orange, pink, white, yellow.
Dark-blue: combines with light-lilac, cyan, yellowish-green, brown, gray, pale-yellow,
orange, green, red, white.
Lilac: combines with orange, pink, dark-violet, olive, gray, yellow, white.
Dark-violet: combines with golden-brown, pale-yellow, gray, turquoise, mint green,
light-orange.
Black is a universal color — it looks elegant in any combination, especially with orange,
pink, salad green, white, red, mauves, or yellow.
