Paintings can leap at us, out of canvass and full of life, or can surround us with a grim blanket of mourning because of the color scheme wielded by the artist. This is why one of things that art students analyze in the masterpieces of great artists is the color scheme used to achieve color harmony.

One is called the monochrome, in which only one hue is used.  For the entire painting or composition , one color, in different shades, is used. One example is found in the detail of Diana and Callisto, in which Titian used orange throughout and modified its purity and tone by using glazes.

Another color scheme is called complementary, in which two colors, a hue and its complementary, are used. To understand this, think of the color wheel made of the six colors – yellow, orange, red, violet, blue, and green (in this order). 

If plotted in one circle, you will find that one color is opposite another. These colors are complementary. The complementary of the blue color is orange, the complementary of red is green, and yellow’s complementary is violet. 

These colors can be used in various shades. When creating shades or tones, a painter can add white or black or earth pigments. One example of a composition using the complementary color scheme is the detail of Beach at Trouville, in which Monet painted an orange beach against a blue background.

Another color scheme is called analogous, in which three colors are used.  Let’s recreate again the color wheel, but this time, there will be 12 colors: blue, blue-violet, violet, red-violet, red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, and blue-green (in this order). When three colors beside each other are used together, such as yellow, yellow-green, and green, the scheme is called analogous. Again, various tones can be used.  The detail in Death of Sardanapolis is a painting using this scheme, in which Delacroix used red, red-orange, and orange.

Another scheme using three colors is called triadic.  All three colors are equidistant from each other in the 12-hue color wheel.  For example, a painter may use red-violet together with yellow-orange, and blue-green.

A scheme using four colors is called split complementary.  The artist will use three analogous colors and the fourth color would be the complementary of the middle color. For example, a painter may use green, yellow-green, and yellow, with red-violet.

The ultimate aim is color harmony. And so the artist must remember to skillfully use tones and purity. Of course, one cannot just pick out any color.  It would be easier and more natural for the artist to use the colors of his subject. 

And since art is synonymous to free expression, the artist is not limited to color schemes described here. He or she may combine strategies, as long as the final effect in the artist’s mind is clear.