CHOOSING A SCRAPBOOK COLOR SCHEME

"What colors or color scheme should I use for my scrapbook page?" Is a question most all of us have asked ourselves at one time or another.

Understanding what color is and can do for you is essential. (See the article on Color Can Enhance Scrapbook Pages) to gain some understanding of the value of color.

The difference between an attactively designed page, and a so-so page, color wheel.jpg could rest on your proper use of color. The use of harmonious colors, those that work well together will help in selecting the color scheme you want to use on your page. A color wheel can make this design step much easier to accomplish. You can purchase color wheels to have easily at your disposal as you work on your page projects.

Sir Isaac Newton created the first color wheel which allows us to visualize color harmony--what you think look good.

Your first step is to pick a primary color as your base. This color should be one that supports your page's theme or focus.

Your next step, with the help of your color wheel you can choose those colors that support your base color. Consider the colors that compliment, those that are analagous and the tiradic colors to your base color.

◊ What are complimentary colors?

Looking at your color wheel, they are the colors opposite each other:

red - green
blue - orange
purple - yellow

They look good together--which is why we say they compliment one another.

◊ What are analogous colors?

Looking at your color wheel, they are the colors next to each other:

red - orange
red - purple
blue - purple
green - yellow
orange - yellow

These are colors on the palette that blend well together. They tend to be less vivid and bright. Nature tends to combine these colors in combinations in beauty and harmony.

◊ What are triadic colors?

These are colors that are separated on the color wheel by 120°...the primary colors (red, blue and yellow) or secondary colors (purple, orange and green) are examples.