Choosing the right colour palette is never an easy task, whether you're creating graphics, painting, designing or decorating. Understand the power of complementary colours and why they're essential across visual arts – from Impressionism to modern design today.
Complementary colours are two colours positioned directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. For example, yellow is complementary to violet, red balances well with green, and blue complements orange.
When placed side by side, complementary colours create strong contrast and enhance each other's vibrancy. When two complementary hues are used together in a design or artwork, the result is typically harmonious and balanced – creating visual interest and impact.
This principle is fundamental to colour theory and is widely used by designers, artists, and creative professionals worldwide.
Designers and visual communication professionals rely heavily on the colour wheel and its principles to build palettes and ensure different shades work well together. You'll find complementary colours used extensively in:
Logos. Using complementary colours helps create logos that are recognisable, memorable and impactful.
The concept of complementary colours is also widely used in interior design, fashion, sportswear, and many other creative fields – always with the goal of creating visually striking and pleasing results.
To find the complementary colour of any given colour, consult the colour wheel (also called the chromatic circle). Simply draw a line across the wheel – the two colours at each end are complementary colours.
However, there's more to it. When choosing and combining colour shades, it's helpful to understand some fundamental colour theory principles.
Here are essential tips to help you master the basics and pair colours effectively, whether you're designing graphics, decorating interiors, creating outfits or tackling any other creative project.
Colour theory covers the essentials that help you create, choose, and combine colours that work harmoniously together.
However, there's also a psychological dimension to colour theory. Colours are perceived differently depending on cultural backgrounds and individual colour symbolism. It's also been proven that colours influence our behaviour and mood – which is why colour choices are so important in advertising and packaging design.
The three primary colours have the unique property of creating all other colours when combined. However, they cannot be created by mixing other colours together. These are:
We refer to this as "RGB" (Red, Green, Blue).
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is the colour mode used for digital work – on screens and light-based sources. This is called additive colour mixing (combining light and colour).
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black) is the colour mode used for print. This is called subtractive colour mixing (working with physical materials like pigments and paint).
The three secondary colours are created by mixing two primary colours. These are:
The six tertiary colours are created by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour. These are the colours most commonly found in nature:
Primary, secondary and tertiary colours are all represented on the colour wheel. This is a visual representation showing the relationships between these colours.
The colour wheel is what allows you to find any colour's complementary colour by drawing a line across it – the two colours where the line intersects are complementary to each other.
If you divide the colour wheel in half, you'll get:
Warm colours on one side. Including yellow, orange and red tones.
Cool colours on the other side. Including green, blue and violet tones.
Generally, colours with blue undertones fall into the cool category, while colours with red undertones are considered warm.
The first ideas of complementary colours appeared in the 19th century, particularly in Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's seminal work Zur Farbenlehre (The Theory of Colours).
Following Goethe's work, many artists began exploring colour theory. This theory played a crucial role in the rise of Impressionism and other artistic movements.
Impressionist artists were among the first to recognise that shadows are not neutral – they're actually coloured. This phenomenon is called simultaneous contrast.
You can see this effect clearly in Claude Monet's paintings, particularly in:
Using primary and complementary colours beyond shadow work also creates striking results, particularly in abstract paintings and artworks. This creates particularly interesting and dynamic contrasts.
In graphic design and marketing, colour theory and the use of complementary colours are essential pillars. Logos, advertisements, posters, product packaging and more are carefully crafted around these principles to maximise impact and brand recognition.
Using the principle of colour complementarity and the colour wheel, you can easily build a harmonious colour palette for your graphic designs and creative projects:
Planning a logo design? Creating a product photoshoot? Redecorating a room? You're in luck – there are several options to help you identify the best colour combinations and palettes for your projects.
The Pantone system is a universal standard that has named and numbered over 3,000 colours in a colour reference guide. There are many suggested Pantone colour pairings available. Stay aware of current colour trends, draw inspiration from existing colour palettes, and see how these enhance your graphic designs.
Adobe Color is a free, user-friendly online colour palette generator. It helps you create colour palettes based on complementary colours and much more.
You can also explore other combinations, such as monochromatic palettes, triadic colours or analogous colours (explained below). The tool allows you to draw inspiration from current colour trends and style guides relevant to your industry.
Create your colour palettes with Adobe Color and access them directly from Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or Adobe InDesign.
Each serves different design purposes – complementary for impact, analogous for harmony, and triadic for dynamic energy.
The 60-30-10 rule is a classic interior design and branding principle. It suggests using 60% of your dominant colour, 30% of a secondary colour, and 10% of an accent colour. This creates visual balance and ensures no single colour overwhelms the others.
You can apply this rule alongside complementary colours – for example, using 60% of a warm neutral, 30% of a complementary colour and 10% of an accent.
Based on your location, we think you may prefer the United States website, where you'll get regional content, offerings, and pricing.
