As I work on my first quilt I realize that I need to know a lot about color that I don't know. So I've been searching for information that will help me make the quilts that really have that WOW factor. So far this is what I've found.
It isn't just color that I need to consider. But it's a good place to start. And the first thing I need is a Paint Color Wheel. If you have one for photography that one is different and won't work the same as the one I'm working with.
If you know how to work a color wheel skip this part.
The color wheel has cool colors on the left hand side if yellow is pointed up. It has warm colors on the right hand side.
The primary colors are Yellow, Red and Blue. The secondary colors are Orange, Purple, and Green.
Complementary Colors are opposite one another on the color wheel.
Ok start reading again if you skipped the part about how the color wheel works.
Now about Color Schemes. There are six standard color schemes that will give you good color combinations to help you get started choosing your fabrics.
Monochromatic - This just uses one color.
Complementary - Here only two colors are used and they are opposite one another on the color wheel.
Triad - As you guessed this uses three colors and they are all equal distant from each other on the color wheel. So the primary colors would fall into this color scheme and so would the secondary colors.
Tetrad - Four colors are used in the color scheme. Here you would choose complemetary colors on the color wheel but not use them. Instead you would use the colors on each side of each color. So if you choose Yellow and Purple as you complements you would use Green, Orange, Blue and Red.
Analogic - This is a three color combination. Here the three colors would all be beside one another on the color wheel.
Accented Analogic - Is another color scheme that uses 4 colors. It has the 3 colors all beside one another on the color wheel but an extra color is added. The complement to the center color is included in this scheme.
These six combinations can make some basic fabric choices much easier; but, it doesn't stop there.
We also have neutral colors that aren't on the color wheel. These include: White, Black, Grey, Browns, Tans and Creams. These colors can be included in any color scheme without disrupting the look of the scheme. Or they can be used exclusively to make an eye catching quilt. silver and gold also fall into the neutral colors if they are a metalic.
Once the color scheme is choosen are we done?
Since I'm still talking probably not. In order for a quilt to pop we need to understand how to use not just the hue but the warmth of the color.
Cool colors are blue green and purple. Warm colors are Yellow Orange and Red. Cool colors recede in a pattern. Warm colors pop. This is important to know especially if you choose to use all of one or the other; because, your going to have to use a different technique to get the quilt to pop.
That different technique is color value. Color value is how light or dark a color is. For example a pale yellow is very light. While an antique gold would be a medium color. So if you were doing a monochromatic quilt in yellows and you wanted it to pop putting a pale yellow next to an antique gold would cause the pale yellow to pop and the antique gold to recede.
If you are choosing color on the computer the easiest way to decide it's "value" is to import it into a graphic program and then select a black and white view. This will give you the "grayscale" Where a color falls between white and black on this scale is it's value.
So lets go back to our color schemes. (Wish I had a stash right now)
Monochromatic. Lets say I want to do a blue quilt. In order to make it interesting I want to make sure I have a selection of values of blue. What does that mean?
I want one fabric that is a blue small print with a white background. That fabric is going to pop in my pattern. Then maybe I want the same pattern but with a black background. That one will recede in my pattern. And maybe I want a solid blue as well. That will work as a mid-value color. If you choose a large print fabric be aware that depending on how you cut the fabric some pieces may have one value and another piece a different value depending on where on the fabric you cut. If anyone has an example of a monochromatic quilt and would like to share it please do.
Complementary Color Scheme -
Ok, lets go with christmas colors red and green. Make sure that the basic color are about the same value. For example if you go with a burgandy then choose a forest green to go with it. Both of these are in the darker values for their colors.
Would you believe I'm late for an appointment. I'll be back later to finish this.