Thursday, November 14, 2013

Color Theory ~ Complementary Colors

Complementary Colors


Alignment C:  Order (Neutral) Alignment
-Black +White ±Gray
&
Alignment D:  Chaos (Neutral) Alignment
-White +Black ±Gray


On the Color Wheel of Order, as well as the Color Wheel of Chaos, each color has its opposite, a color that provides the greatest chromatic contrast to it. An opposite color is located directly across from a color on the color wheel.  The term complementary color1 is used to describe this opposite.  Complementary colors have opposite charges.  Complementary colors, when combined in equal parts, produce a shade of neutral gray.  Thus:

Red + Cyan = Gray
Green + Magenta = Gray
Blue + Yellow = Gray
Or
+  +  -  =  ±
Or
+  +  -  =  ±

positive plus negative equals neutral

Neutrals can be positive, negative, or neutral.  Complimentary color charge is determined by the composite colors.  Thus, there are two ways to make the same color:

 
Example 1. (Alignment C:  Order (Neutral) Alignment )(Order Color Wheel):

+Red + -Cyan = ±Gray
can also be expressed as:
1 +Red + (½ +Blue + ½ +Green) = +Gray
Thus:
+   +   +   +   +   =   +

Note:  The positives are not proportionate!  If they were, it would equal +White.




Example 2. (Alignment C:  Order (Neutral) Alignment )(Order Color Wheel):   

+Red + -Cyan = ±Gray
can also be expressed as:
 (½ -Magenta + ½ -Yellow) + 1 -Cyan-Gray
-   +   -   +   -    =   -

Note:  The negatives are not proportionate!  If they were, it would equal -Black.

Example 3. (Alignment D:  Chaos (Neutral) Alignment)(Chaos Color Wheel):  

-Red + +Cyan = ±Gray
can also be expressed as:
-Red + (½ -Blue + ½ -Green) = -Gray
-   +   -   +   -   =   -

Note:  The positives are not proportionate!  If they were, it would equal -White.

Example 4. (Alignment D:  Chaos (Neutral) Alignment)(Chaos Color Wheel):  

-Red + +Cyan = ±Gray
can also be expressed as:
+Magenta  +  ½ +Yellow) +  +Cyan = +Gray
+   +   +   +   =   +

Note:  The negatives are not proportionate!  If they were, it would equal +Black.



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