Color Combinations
Colors chosen from different spokes on the Color Wheel will provide a variety of color combinations. Deciding upon and selecting a color combination that works for you will very much depend upon the job at hand.
Color combinations tend to evoke certain reactions either by cultural, or personal experience.
* Subordinate, or Base Color: This is a visually weak, or subordinate, color. It should contrast or compliment the dominant color.
* Dominant : The main color. It is this color which defines the communicative values of the combination.
* Accent, or Highlight Color: The Accent color can be two things: either sympathetic to the Subordinate or Dominant color, or it can be visually strong and striking, therefore appear to be competing with the dominant color.
Examples of Colour Combinations
Active / Vibrant
Active combinations are intense. They feature bright, often complimentary, colors on the color wheel and are combinations of primary, secondary and tertiary colors. To many people, color combinations such as this evoke feelings of noise, flamboyance and energy. It's a young combination, although there will be cultural differences, aimed at young adults. Many of the hues are not really ‘natural' colors, but they are more intense tones of the same colors, therefore they could be used for ‘natural' applications such as the travel industry.
Muted / Calm
Muted palettes have a lot of white in the hues. This example uses blues and introduces lavender as the dominant color. The resultant color way is balanced and calming. Hues in the blue, green and violet areas of the Color Wheel convey a visual quietness. The Accent is almost always used as sympathetic to the Dominant. Often used in the cosmetics industry, the visual softness of the colors often portrays a feminine quality
Pastel
A pastel combination is similar to the Muted combination in that is often based on colors containing a lot of white (or lack of white depending on your color model right?). Where they differ is that Pastel combinations combine warm and cool tones readily. This combination can portray youth and innocence (babies!) and has a warmth that the Muted combination fails to deliver.
Natural
Natural combinations are those color which are borrowed from the great outdoors. Rusty reds, browns, sky blues and warm pinks are the order of the day. I find the easiest way to create these combinations is to go outside, take a photograph and then choose some colors from that, you really can create some stunning combinations. When you need to communicate rustic charm or the feeling of walking through autumn leaves, then this is the type of combination you're after.
Rich
This is a good one. Hues of royalty, tradition, often religious and above all; wealth. Rich colour combinations are perhaps the combinations which are so engrained in culture. True, the actual colors used may differ, but the overall effect is seen throughout the world. Maroon is often mixed with gold and full shades of green. They can be combined with Natural combinations for a fuller palette.
Other Color combinations
Monotone Chromatic
A monotone color scheme is just one single hue and its variations in terms of tints, shades and saturation. Using saturation and tint/shade variations of a color is always good. However, in most cases I would advise against using a fully monochromatic scheme, as there is a risk of monotony. Using it with pure white or black can be efficient, though.
Monotone Achromatic
A monotone achromatic color scheme is a special instance of the monotone scheme which consists of only neutral colors ranging from black to white. A scheme like this can be efficient, but it can very easily look boring. Using an achromatic scheme with just one bright color for highlight can be very effect full.