Color Combinations with an Updated CTMH Color Wheel!

combining-colors

As we kick off March, our color and design ideas naturally shift from Valentine pinks and reds to springy greens and yellows. If you purchased our Oh My Heart suite earlier this year, you may find yourself with leftover papers covered in lovey-dovey hues and themes. With the help of our zip strips and our newly updated Close To My Heart color wheel (find it below!), let’s explore a few ideas of how to use up those pink papers outside of Valentine’s day.

Oh My Heart Paper Packet

CC12011-Oh-My-Heart-paper-packet

Have you noticed that each of our pattern papers come with an additional ½” accent paper strip along the top? On one side we provide a bonus design that coordinates effortlessly with the rest of the paper collection and on the other side there’s a bunch of fine print that most people ignore and tend not to read. 😉

Oh-My-Heart-zip-strip

On the informational side of these zip strips you will find the name of the collection along with a list of the featured colors from our exclusive palette that were used in the designs of that collection. As you can see from above, the Oh My Heart pattern papers (and stickers) are designed with Ballerina, Candy Apple, Glacier, Lemonade, Pixie, Raspberry, Smoothie, and White Daisy.

If you struggle with creating color combinations, a zip strip is a great place to start, especially if you’re looking to combine papers from different collections.

For example, the cards below were created using four patterns from the Oh My Heart paper packet. These were paired with the Celebrate Today paper packet + sticker sheet and the new Mix-in paper packet (which is specifically designed to coordinate seamlessly with other paper collections).

color-combination-cards

Comparing the zip strips of all three paper packets, you can see that they have several colors in common.

Oh-My-Heart-featured-colors

Celebrate-Today-featured-colors

Mix-in-featured-colors

Ballerina, Lemonade, and White Daisy can be found in all three paper suites. Oh My Heart and Celebrate Today also share Pixie and Raspberry, and, as designed, Celebrate Today and the Mix-in papers have several other colors in common (Black, Evergreen, Lagoon, and Nectarine).

When you look at the zip strips on your papers, you will find color combinations that have already been created for you! All you have to do is pull a pattern paper from one collection and combine it with the pattern paper from another featuring matching colors, as listed on the zip strip.

When you cross collections, you can easily change themes like love and Valentine’s day to something completely different.

Hello-Sunshine-page

For more color combination ideas, flip through the pages of our Love of Color book. It contains hundreds of artwork examples illustrating how to create perfectly balanced color combinations using the colors in our exclusive palette. This beautiful guide is organized by color, each shown in combinations of three, four, and five colors.

We’ve also talked about color theory before, on this blog. If you’re interested in creating your own color combination, we encourage you to revisit those posts for a quick refresher on techniques for pairing colors. (Find links below.) Once you’ve got those basic rules down, we also encourage you to break them as you see fit!

To help you on this colorful journey we all find ourselves on, we’ve updated our Close To My Heart color wheel by removing the colors that retired from our palette just a few short months ago and adding the new colors that were introduced.

Color-Wheel-2020

Download the updated Close To My Heart color wheel, here.
(Here for Australia/New Zealand.)

***Keep in mind that our exclusive colors are made up of much more complex tones, shades, and hues than how they are categorized on the simplified color wheel offered above. As you reference and use this source, know that it is not 100% confining. Especially as you become more familiar with what makes colors work together visually, you’ll find that this color wheel is very flexible.***

Monochromatic and Analogous Colors

Complementary Colors and How to Use Them

Using Split-complementary Colors

Triadic Color Combinations

Double Complementary Color Schemes


Recipes:

4¼” x 5½” Happy Birthday Card (Vertical)
D1887 My Acrylix® Strokes of an Artist Stamp Set, C1819 My Acrylix® Celebrate Today—Cardmaking Stamp Set, CC12011 Oh My Heart Paper Packet, X7252S Celebrate Today Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X9011 Mix-in Paper Packet, X5968 Lagoon Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2812 Raspberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4235 Gold Loose Sequins, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

4¼” x 5½” Cheers Card (Horizontal)
D1903 My Acrylix® Celebrate Today—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, C1819 My Acrylix® Celebrate Today—Cardmaking Stamp Set, C12011 Oh My Heart Paper Packet, X7252S Celebrate Today Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X9011 Mix-in Paper Packet, X6029 Julep Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z6511 Julep Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z3547 Piercing Tool

4¼” x 5½” Hey You Card (Vertical)
D1907 My Acrylix® Shared Happiness Stamp Set, D1887 My Acrylix® Strokes of an Artist Stamp Set, CC12011 Oh My Heart Paper Packet, X7252S Celebrate Today Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X9011 Mix-in Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z6501 Ballerina Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2895 Lagoon Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4191 Silver Glitter Gems, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape

12″ x 12″ Hello Summer Page
CC12011 Oh My Heart Paper Packet, X7252S Celebrate Today Paper Packet + Sticker Sheet, X6047 Black Cardstock, X6040 Clover Cardstock, X6029 Julep Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z3314 Black & White Dots, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z1151 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut® You Are Here Collection, Cricut® Basic Shapes, Sewing Machine

Cricut® Shapes:
You Are Here Collection
#M282C782
#M282CCBC

Basic Shapes
#M369879

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For the Love of Color: A New Color Wheel!

It is officially love day, and we couldn’t be more excited! Valentine’s Day is a time designated to focus on and celebrate the relationships that matter most, and, in case you didn’t know, you are at the top of our significant others list as part of our beloved crafting community! We simply couldn’t let this special relationship go unnoticed, so we made you a one-of-a-kind Valentine that we hope you’ll enjoy!

For the Love of Color #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhloveofcolor #loveofcolor #ctmhexclusivecolorpalette #colorwheel #ctmhcolorwheel #colortheory #colorcombinations #diy #color #colour

Download your new CTMH color wheel, here! <3

We updated the color wheel we shared with you last year to include this year’s new colors from our exclusive color palette!

Since we’re celebrating relationships today, we thought it would be fun (and practical) to talk about relationships between colors and what makes certain pairings work. We’ve summarized color theory principles from previous blog posts and compiled them, below, to have them conveniently available for review all in one place.

Once you’ve chosen basic colors using any one of these combination options, jump on the Close To My Heart color wheel and take your pick from the exclusive colors that fall into each category. If you’d like to learn more about any of the individual principles or would like to see more artwork examples, click on the provided links at the end of each section. Lastly, if you don’t have the time or would simply rather not read through color theory (we get it 😉 ), skip to the end of this post to see how we make using a full spectrum of color even easier!

Monochromatic and Analogous Colors:

Color Theory #ctmh #closetomyheart #monochromatic #analogous #color #colour #wheel #bashful #pixie #blossom #raspberry #combination #coordinating #coordinate #coordination #theory #pink #shades #variant #variation #pretty #prettyinpink #girl #girly #butterfly #heart #gold #accent #embellishment #complement #pearl

Monochromatic color designs make use of a single color that varies in lightness and saturation. Sometimes, a piece of artwork that we may think is monochromatic is actually following an analogous scheme, which is just a fancy way of saying that the featured colors are next to each other on the color wheel. One color is typically dominant while neighboring colors are used to enhance the design. (Monochromatic and Analogous Colors)

Complementary Colors:

Complementary colors are two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, such as Candy Apple and Clover (red and green), and Goldrush and Bluebird (orange and blue). If you notice, one side of the color wheel is made up of warm colors while the other is made up of cool colors. Complementary colors, since they are across from one another, will have one of each. They create a vibrant contrast, making each other pop without being jarring to the eye. (Complementary Colors and How to Use Them)

Split-Complementary Colors:

Split-complementary colors are pretty much what the name implies. When you are using two complementary colors, split one of them into its two adjacent colors on the wheel to end up with three colors that will visually work. Take red-orange and blue-green, for example. They are opposite each other on the color wheel and therefore complementary. Add a third color using the split-complementary scheme by splitting red-orange into two and use red and orange with the blue-green instead. (Using Split-complementary Colors)

Triadic Colors:

A triadic color scheme is a lot easier to understand than it may sound. Just like some of the other theories, triadic color combinations make use of three colors. This time, instead of being next to or opposite each other, triadic colors are three colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel, and when connected by lines create an equal sided triangle.Triadic Color Combinations #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhstargazer #stargazer #star #gazer #colortheory #color #theory #redyelloblue #red #yellow #blue #canary #cranberry #sapphire #scheme #combination #vivacious #bright #harmony #harmonious #balance #balanced

There are only four triadic color combinations on your basic color wheel:

  1. Red, Yellow, Blue
  2. Red-orange, Yellow-green, Blue-violet
  3. Orange, Green, Violet
  4. Yellow-orange, Blue-green, Red-violet.

(Triadic Color Combinations)

Double Complementary Colors:

In a double complementary scheme, we use a combination of four colors that, as the name implies, is made up of two complementary color pairs. (Remember, two colors are complementary if they are opposite each other on the color wheel.) To make it even easier, this kind of color combination is also known as rectangular colors because, when the four colors are connected on the color wheel, they form a rectangle. (Triadic Color Combinations)

After reading, reviewing, and applying these color principles it’s easy to see that making harmonious color combinations isn’t so hard. Keep that trusty color wheel close by and pick your colors with confidence!

We also know that color theory isn’t for everyone. If you fall into this category or would like to see pages and pages of artwork examples that we’ve come up with using these principles, then Love of Color is for you.

Love of Color

For the Love of Color #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhloveofcolor #loveofcolor #ctmhexclusivecolorpalette #colorwheel #ctmhcolorwheel #colortheory #colorcombinations #diy #color #colour

Love of Color is our latest how-to book, and through its pages the exclusive Close To My Heart color palette comes to life! In it, breathtaking artwork illustrates how to create beautiful and perfectly balanced color combinations without any guesswork. Each spread in this book starts out with one exclusive color that is then combined with two, three, and four other exclusive colors, shown in beautifully crafted inspirational artwork.

For the Love of Color #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhloveofcolor #loveofcolor #ctmhexclusivecolorpalette #colorwheel #ctmhcolorwheel #colortheory #colorcombinations #diy #color #colour #papercrafting #scrapbooking #cardmaking

This layout was created using one of the three Smoothie color combination options offered in Love of Color. In this example, Smoothie was paired with Ballerina, Eggplant, New England Ivy, and Heather. Smoothie is the dominant color and the others were used to create accents throughout.

Thank you for being our Valentine today and joining us through this celebration of color! We hope that you are always living your life in full color and that you are moved to do something creative today!


Recipe:

12″ x 12″ Sunshine Layout
D1817 My Acrylix® So Much Happy—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7240B Something Fierce Paper Packet, X6036 Ballerina Cardstock, X6000 Eggplant Cardstock, X6006 Heather Cardstock, X5959 New England Ivy Cardstock, X5985 Smoothie Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z4244 Stencil Sheets, Z6501 Ballerina Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2847 Eggplant Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2826 Heather Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2896 Smoothie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4270 I Heart Us Sequins, Z4245 Opaque Matte Texture Paste, Z4520 Palette Knives, Z4575 Black LePen™, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Cricut® Artbooking Collection, Cricut® Flower Market Collection

Cricut Shapes:
Artbooking
#M3F0A2

Flower Market
#MD38CC3
#MFAD3B7
#MFAD3B7
#MFAD8CB

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Color Theory: Double Complementary Color Schemes

Tetradic Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #colortheory #colourtheory #color #colour #theory #tetradic #double #complementary #doublecomplementary #rectanglecolors #rectangularcolors #colorwheel #colourwheel #wheel #orange #violet #blue #yellow #goldrush #eggplant #canary #sapphireThis is it, the last of our color theory posts! In our final installment of this series, we’re going to highlight tetradic (or double complementary) color schemes and show you how to create them on your own.

In a double complementary scheme, we use a combination of four colors that, as the name implies, is made up of two complementary color pairs. (Remember, two colors are complementary if they are opposite each other on the color wheel.) To make it even easier, this kind of color combination is also known as rectangular colors because when the four colors are connected on the color wheel they form a rectangle.

Tetradic Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #colortheory #colourtheory #color #colour #theory #tetradic #double #complementary #doublecomplementary #rectanglecolors #rectangularcolors #colorwheel #colourwheel #wheel #orange #violet #blue #yellow #goldrush #eggplant #canary #sapphire

Because the four colors have to form a rectangle to fit this scheme, there are really only so many combinations that you can form. Six, to be exact:

  1. orange, yellow, blue, violet
  2. yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-violet, red-violet
  3. yellow, green, violet, red
  4. yellow-green, blue-green, red-violet, red-orange
  5. green, blue, red, orange
  6. blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange

Once you’ve chosen one of these combinations, jump on the Close To My Heart color wheel and pick from the exclusive colors that fall into each category.

Color Theory: Split Complementary #ctmh #closetomyheart #color #theory #split #complementary #scheme #design #colorwheel #exclusive #palette #diy #easy #doityourself #combination #coordination #coordinate

Download here.

Another way to approach color choice, like in previous color schemes we’ve discussed, is by starting out with a color you want to use, like Eggplant, and then drawing the rectangle from it to determine what the other three colors could be.

Tetradic Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #colortheory #colourtheory #color #colour #theory #tetradic #double #complementary #doublecomplementary #rectanglecolors #rectangularcolors #colorwheel #colourwheel #wheel #orange #violet #blue #yellow #goldrush #eggplant #canary #sapphire

This card uses Close To My Heart exclusive colors that fall within the orange, yellow, blue, and violet combination—Goldrush, Canary, Sapphire, and Eggplant.

Tetradic Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #colortheory #colourtheory #color #colour #theory #tetradic #double #complementary #doublecomplementary #rectanglecolors #rectangularcolors #colorwheel #colourwheel #wheel #redorange #redviolet #bluegreen #yellowgreen #sweetleaf #thistle #pansy #crystalblue

The page above makes use of the yellow-green, blue-green, red-violet, and red-orange combination—Sweet Leaf, Crystal Blue, Thistle, and Poppy.

Tetradic Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #colortheory #colourtheory #color #colour #theory #tetradic #double #complementary #doublecomplementary #rectanglecolors #rectangularcolors #colorwheel #colourwheel #wheel #redorange #redviolet #bluegreen #yellowgreen #sweetleaf #thistle #pansy #crystalblue

Tetradic colors tend to be quite vibrant and can even be jarring if used in equal amounts. To avoid creating artwork that is hard to look at when using this type of color scheme, choose one dominant color and use the other three to accent. Including neutrals in your designs, like we did with white in both of our examples, is an easy way to subdue the effects of this bold combination.

After reading, reviewing, and applying the color principles that we’ve been discussing these past few months, it’s easy to see that making harmonious color combinations isn’t so hard. Keep that trusty color wheel close by and pick your colors with confidence!


Recipes

12″ x 12″ Summer Page
X7233B Beautiful Friendship Paper Packet, X5977 Crystal Blue Cardstock, X5963 Poppy Cardstock, X5980 Sweet Leaf Cardstock, X5976 Thistle Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X7231C Central Park Complements, Z4177 Documented Dots, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles

4¼” x 5½” Life with Friends Card (Horizontal)
D1779 My Acrylix® Beautiful Friendship—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7233B Beautiful Friendship Paper Packet, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2847 Eggplant Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2823 Goldrush Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z4177 Documented Dots, Z4196 White Ribbon

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Color Theory: Triadic Color Combinations

A triadic color scheme is a lot easier to understand than it may sound. Just like some of the other theories we’ve previously discussed on the blog, triadic color combinations make use of three colors. This time, instead of being next to or opposite each other, triadic colors are three colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel.

Color Theory: Split Complementary #ctmh #closetomyheart #color #theory #split #complementary #scheme #design #colorwheel #exclusive #palette #diy #easy #doityourself #combination #coordination #coordinate

If you aren’t sure if the colors you are choosing to work with are equally spaced, connect the three of them with a line—simply tracing them with your finger will do. If the shape you outline is a triangle with sides of equal length, then your colors are triadic.

Triadic Color Combinations #ctmh #closetomyheart #ctmhstargazer #stargazer #star #gazer #colortheory #color #theory #redyelloblue #red #yellow #blue #canary #cranberry #sapphire #scheme #combination #vivacious #bright #harmony #harmonious #balance #balanced

To make it even easier, there are only four triadic color combinations on your basic color wheel:

  1. Red, Yellow, Blue
  2. Red-orange, Yellow-green, Blue-violet
  3. Orange, Green, Violet
  4. Yellow-orange, Blue-green, Red-violet.

Once you’ve chosen one of these combinations, jump on the Close To My Heart color wheel and pick from the exclusive colors that fall into each category.

Color Theory: Split Complementary #ctmh #closetomyheart #color #theory #split #complementary #scheme #design #colorwheel #exclusive #palette #diy #easy #doityourself #combination #coordination #coordinate

(Download here.)

Another way to use this would be to start with a color you know you want to use, like Sapphire, and then draw a triangle to determine which other two colors to combine with it. Sapphire is in the blue zone, and we know from drawing a triangle (and from the list above) that yellow and red complete the color triad.

Triadic Color Combinations #ctmh #closetomyheart #triadic #color #combination #scheme #harmony #balance #redblueyellow #canary #cranberry #sapphire #layout #page #scrapbooking #scrapbook #boy #space #ctmhstargazer #star #gazer #stargazer #astronaut #space #colortheory

This layout makes use of the red, yellow, blue combination using Cranberry, Canary, and Sapphire. We used Sapphire heavily, as the main color, with Cranberry and Canary acting as accents.

While triadic color combinations do not achieve the same level of contrast as complementary colors, they do provide color variety that tends to look more balanced—making it a favorite among artists who love playing with color. Try out a triadic combination on your next project and let us know how it goes!


Recipe

12″ x 12″ Alphabet Page
Z4157 Stargazer Cardmaking Stamp + Thin Cuts, D1757 My Acrylix® Stargazer—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5982 Canary Cardstock, X5975 Cranberry Cardstock, X5955 Pebble Cardstock, X5957 Sapphire Cardstock, Z2816 Cranberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2832 Pewter Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2833 Pebble Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4143 Stargazer Dots, Z4145 Light Grey Ribbon, Z3630 Watercolor Pencils, Z4575 Black LePen™, Z1297 Edge Distresser, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Z5038 Die-cutting & Embossing Machine, Cricut® Artistry Collection, Sewing Machine

Cricut® Shapes:
Artistry
font

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Color Theory: Using Split-Complementary Colors

The first time we talked color on the blog, back in January, we reviewed complementary color schemes and how to use them. We defined complementary colors as two colors opposite the color wheel, such as Cranberry and Willow (red and green), and Goldrush and Pacifica (orange and blue).

Complementary Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #complementary #color #colour #theory #scheme #diy #card #scrapbooking #colorfamily #colourfamily #family

Today we want to expand on this scheme. Split complementary colors are pretty much what the name implies. You take two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, like red and green, and split one of them into its two adjacent colors on the wheel.

Color Theory: Split Complementary #ctmh #closetomyheart #color #theory #split #complementary #scheme #design #colorwheel #exclusive #palette #diy #easy #doityourself #combination #coordination #coordinate

Take for example red-orange and blue-green. They are opposite each other on the color wheel and therefore complementary. To add a third color using the split complementary scheme, split red-orange into two and use red and orange with the blue-green instead.

How does that translate into our exclusive colors? Take a look:

Color Theory: Split Complementary #ctmh #closetomyheart #color #theory #split #complementary #scheme #design #colorwheel #exclusive #palette #diy #easy #doityourself #combination #coordination #coordinate

This card was made using Pomegranate (red), Goldrush (orange), and Lagoon (blue-green) patterned papers and cardstock.

As you know, our exclusive color palette is made up of more hues than the 12 basic colors you see in a color wheel. You can easily add a fourth (maybe dare a fifth and sixth!) color and still be in a split complementary scheme. If you look back at the card, we also incorporated Glacier cardstock, which works well since it also fits into the blue-green family.

Color Theory: Split Complementary #ctmh #closetomyheart #color #theory #split #complementary #scheme #design #colorwheel #exclusive #palette #diy #easy #doityourself #combination #coordination #coordinate

In the page above, we used Canary (yellow). Since Canary fits into the yellow category, its complementary color would be violet. Instead of going with the complementary color, we split the complementary and went with hues that fell to either side: Pansy (blue-violet), and Bashful and Pixie (both in the red-violet). Adding different hues in the same color is an easy way to enhance an already winning color combination. Our two-toned cardstock, makes it especially easy to get more variety of the same color when you use both sides.

In case you’re wondering how to classify our exclusive colors in the range of blue-green or red-violet, use this color wheel to simplify your color selection process:

Color Theory: Split Complementary #ctmh #closetomyheart #color #theory #split #complementary #scheme #design #colorwheel #exclusive #palette #diy #easy #doityourself #combination #coordination #coordinate

Download color wheel here.

Are you enjoying learning about color? Let us know what you think and what you want to know in the comments below!


Recipes

4¼” x 5½” You Make My Heart Happy Card (Horizontal)
Make It from Your Heart Vol. 1: Pattern 22
A1192 My Acrylix® Happy Heart Stamp Set, Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet, Z3352 Enchantment Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5978 Glacier Cardstock, Z2826 Heather Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2854 Pomegranate Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z3189 White & Gold Ribbon, Z2060 Thin 3-D Foam Tape, Sewing Machine

12″ x 12″ Shine Page
Make It from Your Heart Vol. 1: Pattern 18
D1757 My Acrylix® Stargazer—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet, X7227B Make Waves Paper Packet, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, Z2844 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2843 Canary Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7227C Make Waves Complements, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4142 Make Waves Sequins & Gems, Z1297 Edge Distresser, Z4575 Black LePen™, Sewing Machine

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Color Theory: Monochromatic and Analogous Colors

Color Theory #ctmh #closetomyheart #monochromatic #analogous #color #colour #wheel #bashful #pixie #blossom #raspberry #combination #coordinating #coordinate #coordination #theory #pink #shades #variant #variation #pretty #prettyinpink #girl #girly #family #beautiful #family #home #love #butterfly #butterflies #hello #circle #gold #accent #embellishment #complement

A lot of us know, or at least think we know, what a monochromatic color scheme is. Monochromatic color designs make use of a single color that varies in lightness and saturation. This type of color “combination,” if you will, is easy to achieve with some of our favorite Close To My Heart products. Take our two-toned Bashful cardstock, for example. We have Bashful on one side and light Bashful on the other. Because they are two tones of the same color, when used together they are considered monochromatic. Second generation stamping, where you stamp an image a second time without applying more ink to get a lighter image, is another way to play with monochromatic colors in your art.

Sometimes, a piece of artwork that we may think is monochromatic is actually following an analogous scheme, which is just a fancy way of saying that the featured colors are next to each other on the color wheel. One color is typically dominant while neighboring colors are used to enhance the design. In our example layout above, we make use of both monochromatic and analogous colors.

Color Theory #ctmh #closetomyheart #monochromatic #analogous #color #colour #wheel #bashful #pixie #blossom #raspberry #combination #coordinating #coordinate #coordination #theory #pink #shades #variant #variation #pretty #prettyinpink #girl #girly #family

If we visit our CTMH color wheel, you can see that the four colors we used throughout our layout, Bashful, Pixie, Blossom, and Raspberry, are all adjacent to each other. This layout would’ve worked in much the same way with Sapphire, Pacifica, Crystal Blue, and Peacock.

The ideas that we discuss in this series of posts are what really matter—not the technical names or scientific reasons why they all work. The end goal is to know how to, time and time again, choose colors that will work well together as you create beautiful art worthy of preserving your memories.

So, here’s what you need from this post for your color scheme toolbox: when you’re choosing colors for your artwork, start at the color wheel. Pick a dominant color and then look at the colors around it. Make use of these colors with your papers, inks, Complements, and accessories and you can’t go wrong! 🙂

For more color combination ideas revisit last month’s color theory post:
Complementary Colors and How to Use Them


Recipe:

12″ x 12″ What I Love About My Home Layout
C1709 My Acrylix® Chelsea Gardens—Cardmaking Stamp Set, D1728 My Acrylix® What Matters Most Stamp Set, B1572 My Acrylix® Banner Love Stamp Set, A1182 My Acrylix® Etched Alphabet Stamp Set, D1733 My Acrylix® Splash of Color Stamp Set, Z3350 Whimsy Fundamental Paper Packet, Z3351 Adventure Fundamental Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5941 Bashful Cardstock, X5984 Pixie Cardstock, X5973 Blossom Cardstock, X5974 Raspberry Cardstock, Z3360 Bashful Glitter Paper, Z3238 Gold Glitter Paper, Z2819 Bashful Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2844 Pixie Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2810 Blossom Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z2812 Raspberry Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, Z891 VersaMark™ Ink Pad, Z3388 Picture My Life™ Cards—The Story Begins (Baby Girl), X7227C Make Waves Complements, Z3369 Bashful Pearls, Z3381 Heart Clips, Z2066 Princess Gold Embossing Powder, Z4252 Heat Tool (US/CA only)

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Color Theory: Complementary Colors and How to Use Them

Colors are important in making our artwork look good. But, how can you know if your color choices will work well together? When in doubt, you can rely on the basics of color theory to always make good color decisions.

Complementary Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #complementary #color #colour #theory #scheme #diy #card #scrapbooking #colorfamily #colourfamily #family
This is the Close To My Heart color wheel, made up of all our exclusive colors.

(Download your printable CTMH color wheel here.)

Complementary colors are two colors opposite each other on the color wheel, such as Cranberry and Willow (red and green), and Goldrush and Pacifica (orange and blue). If you notice, one side of the color wheel is made up of warm colors while the other is made up of cool colors. Complementary colors, since they are across from one another, will have one of each. They create a vibrant contrast, making each other pop without being jarring to the eye.

Complementary Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #complementary #color #colour #theory #scheme #diy #card #scrapbooking #colorfamily #colourfamily #family

When you’re creating your art, in this case a scrapbook page, avoid using the two colors equally. To keep your artwork interesting, try using one of the colors primarily as a background and the other for accents.

Complementary Colors #ctmh #closetomyheart #complementary #color #theory #diy #card #scrapbooking
You can create something beautiful using one set of complementary colors. Like in this card and the page above, simply incorporating different hues of the same color (or color family) will give your art the visual interest we all seek.

Knowing how to properly use color will only enhance your artwork. Look for a new Color Theory post every month where we will share basic color concepts and artwork inspiration to help you make flawless color decisions that will elevate your artwork.


Recipes

12″ x 12″ Wonderful Page
D1757 My Acrylix® Stargazer—Scrapbooking Stamp Set, X7229B Stargazer Paper Packet, X7228B Gimme Some Sugar Paper Packet, X7230B Chelsea Gardens Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5962 Goldrush Cardstock, Z3367 Vellum Paper, Z2833 Pebble Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z4143 Stargazer Dots, Cricut® Artbooking Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Artbooking
#M46848

4¼” x 5½” The World Is Yours to Explore Card (Horizontal)
B1565 My Acrylix® A New Adventure Stamp Set, X7227B Make Waves Paper Packet, X7228B Gimme Some Sugar Paper Packet, 1385 White Daisy Cardstock, X5982 Canary Cardstock, Z2831 Charcoal Exclusive Inks™ Stamp Pad, X7229C Stargazer Complements, X7229C Stargazer Complements, Z1263 Bitty Sparkles, Z3274 Clear Sparkles, Cricut® Artbooking Collection

Cricut® Shape:
Artbooking
#M46F65

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