A PowerPoint presentation explaining the different Colourschemes used in Art and examples of paintings done using the colour schemes.

1. By Bernard E. Richardson
Master Teacher & Visual Arts Educator
2023
© Bernard E. Richardson | 2023
SCHEMES

2. COLOUR SCHEMES
A colour scheme is a harmonious combination or set of colours
which work well together.
1. Contrasting schemes
2. Related schemes
complementary
Split complementary
Triadic
Analogous
Monochromatic
Two categories
of
Colourschemes
Tetradic

3. A CONTRASTING Colour scheme is one with two or more
colours on the opposite side of the colour wheel.
A RELATED Colour scheme is one made up of one or
several colours closely related and lie next to each other on
the colour wheel.

4. COMPLEMENTARY Colour scheme involves the use of two
colours that are located directly opposite to each other on the
colour wheel such as red and green, yellow and purple, or
orange and blue.
On the colour wheel a primary colour is opposite to a
secondary colour.
Red Green
Yellow Purple
Orange
Blue
CONTRASTING COLOUR SCHEMES
1

5. Vincent Van Gogh
“Field of Poppies”, 1890
24cm X 35cm (9.4˝ X 13.7˝)
Oil on canvas
The dominant colours are red and green used to portray the field of red poppy flowers

6. Claude Monet.
“San Giorgio by Twilight”, 1908
65.2cm X 92.4cm (25.7˝ X 36.4˝)
Oil on canvas
The primary colours red, yellow and blue are the main colours used in this
painting.

7. A SPLIT-COMPLEMENTARY Colour scheme involves
three colours. One colour with the two colours adjacent
to its complement.
2

8. Stacey Byer
“Woman of Culture”, 2010
Acrylic on canvas
The artist uses blue, yellow-orange and red-orange as the dominant colours
in this painting.

9. Red, blue-green and yellow-green are the colours used to execute this painting
Artist unknown

10. A TRIADIC Colour scheme involves the use of any three
colours that are equi-distant (of equal distance) from each
other on the colour wheel.
3

11. Marsha Kisling,
“Low Country Colours”, 2014,
27.9cm x 38.1cm (11˝x15˝)
Watercolour
The three dominant colours used in this painting are purple, green and
orange.

12. A TETRADIC Colour scheme involves the use of four
colours (two pairs of complimentary colours) on the colour
wheel.
For example blue and orange are paired with red and green.
4

13. Isaiah James Boodhoo
“Liming”. 1998,
50.8cm X 50.8cm (20˝x20˝)
Oil on Canvas
The dominant colours used in this painting are blue, blue-green,
red-orange and yellow-orange.

14. MONOCHROMATIC Colour scheme involves the use of only one
colour with its shades and tints.
Red
Pure
colour Black is added to the colour.
It becomes darker
SHADE
TINT
White is added to the colour.
It becomes lighter
RELATED COLOUR SCHEMES
5

15. Pablo Picasso
“The Old Guitarist”, 1903-04
122.9cm X 82.6cm (48.4˝ X 32.5˝ )
Oil on panel
The dominant colour used is blue. A variety of
shades and tints of blue was used to create
the painting.

16. Denyse Ménard-Greenidge
“Multifacets”, circa 1982
60.9cm X 76.2cm (24˝ X 30˝ )
Acrylic on canvas
Shades and tints of red was used to create this painting.

17. An ANALOGOUS Colour scheme involves the use of a set
of 3 to 5 colours lying adjacent to each other on the colour
wheel.
They are closely related, look pleasant together as they are
closely related and are regarded as Harmonious colours.
Yellow-green
Green
Blue-
green
Violet
Blue-
violet
Red-
violet
Yellow-orange
Orange
Red-orange
6

18. Vincent van Gogh
“Irises in a Vase”, 1890
73.7cm X 92.1cm (29˝ X 36.25˝)
Oil on canvas
The artist used blue, blue-green and green to paint the bouquet of iris flowers

19. Alison Chapman-Andrews “Red Coconut”, 2012. 91.4cm X 122cm (36 ˝ X 48˝), Acrylic on canvas
The artist’s colour palette includes yellow, yellow-orange, orange, red-orange and red as the main colours
to create the painting.

20. Image Courtesy
• https://live.staticflickr.com/2928/14296908721_2b9856c939_c.jpg
• http://all-about-light.weebly.com/uploads/2/0/3/2/20328131/6516821.jpeg?341
• http://chaospin.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/RainbowCloud.jpg
• https://www.color-meanings.com/wp-content/uploads/rectangular-tetradic-color-wheel.png
• https://www.artmajeur.com/vincent-van-gogh-1/en/artworks/2698501/vincent-van-gogh-field-with-
poppies-oil
• https://wallpapersafari.com/w/JiMX9p
• https://suzannelovellinc.com/blog/understanding-picassos-blue-period/
• https://www.bimlitfest.org/articles/art-alison-chapman-andrews
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/29132728824175549/
• http://marthakisling.blogspot.com/2014/04/a-triadic-color-scheme-and-beauty-of.html
• https://caribbean-painters.com/#jp-carousel-916
• National Cultural Foundation (Barbados), 2008. Unveiled – Denyse ménard-greenidge a
retrospective. National Cultural Foundation

21. The End