Color wheel theory

 

The Basics

When a ray of light is passed through a prism, you see the seven basic colors. Each and every color in existence, falls somewhere within this spectrum of light. In the 20th century, Johannes Itten created the color wheel that showed the primary, secondary and tertiary colors and also introduced color matching.

Different Kinds of Colors

In the color wheel, the three basic colors, red, blue and yellow are known as the primary colors. They cannot be created from any other colors. Every other color is derived from one or more of these primary colors.
The primary color blue is the strongest color and is associated with coolness. Red is warmth and adds fullness, Yellow has the least strength and it is both warm and cool.
The strengths of various primary colors are an important aspect to remember. To equal the strength of blue, you need three times as much yellow and twice as much red and so on.
Secondary colors are derived from a mix of two primary colors in equal proportions. For example, yellow mixed with red gives orange, red mixed with blue gives violet (purple) and yellow mixed with blue gives green. These are the three secondary colors.
Tertiary/Intermediate colors are created when a primary color is mixed with a secondary color falling next to it on the color wheel. A tertiary color may be named with two color names such as yellowed brown. This means that yellow has been added to brown.

Complementary colors are those that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Mix them together and you get browns or grays. When complementary colors are put next to each other, they brighten the look and intensify each other. In facial makeup, complementary colors have the best effect when used on different areas rather than when placed right next to each other. The color brown is achieved when the primary colors are mixed in equal amounts. Grey is achieved when black and white is mixed together.


Analogous colors are right next to each other on the color wheel. These colors generally fall in the same family and harmonize well. They serve to highlight each other perfectly without setting a jarring note. That is why you will find so many analogous colors in your eye shadow palette. The darker colors are used to define the eye shape and add depth while the lighter ones highlight the eye perfectly.
Yellow, red and orange are the warm colors while blue, violet and green are the cool ones. Colors that have yellow/red/orange undertones are also warm. They are brighter and tend to draw attention to the area of the face they are applied on. Cool colors or colors with blue/violet/green undertones are soothing and tend to give you an understated look.
When applying blue, violet or green concealer on specific areas of the face they impart a receding appearance. In other words, it covers imperfections. Blue concealer can be used on excessive tanned skin, violet/purple concealer on yellow areas such as pigmentation marks and green concealer on red areas such as pimples. We will discuss the use of concealer in a later chapter.
Learning about transparent and opaque colors is also critical for a makeup artist. Transparent colors are the ones that darken with more volume while opaque ones do not change no matter how little or great the volume applied.

Using the Color Wheel

The properties of color describe the color’s basic characteristic. They are the following:

Hue: The true color of the primary, secondary or tertiary colors you have mixed together is called their hue. A hue is therefore just one of the twelve colors on the mixing wheel.
These are the most intense and basic colors you can get. By adding black, white or grey to these, you can vary the brightness and density of the palette. If you need pastel shades or muted colors for your makeup then this is how you get them.
Tone: Adding gray to a pure hue gives you a toned color. While you may not use this extensively while applying makeup, it may be required for corrections. Almost every color we see and wear everyday has been toned in some way. A tone is created by adding both white and black (grey). Any color that has a bit of grey added to it is considered a tone.
Shade: A pure hue plus black gives you shades of the original true color. For example: Adding black to red gives you a deeper, richer red.
Tint: When you add white to a pure hue, you tint it. For example, adding white to purple will give you lavender.

The Shade and Tint Color Wheel shows you the various tints and shades that you can derive from various colors. The tints are achieved by adding white to the basic color. The shades derived by adding black to the basic color.
Now you understand how having a good grasp of the color theory can help you in these areas:
• Knowing what colors to use together
• Understanding which colors accentuate or neutralize which
• Knowing how to correct flaws in the skin by using correct color combos
• Understanding how different colors, when used in combination, result in different ‘looks’
Before you pick out a color to use in your makeup take into consideration your eye color and skin tone. Of course your wardrobe choices also have to be factored in. By saying this, I do not mean that your eye shadow should match your clothing. Rather keep your eye shadow and clothing in the same color family or complimentary family.

Choosing the Right Colors for your Skin Tone

What looks great on one woman may look just ordinary on another. One of the reasons for this could be that they have different skin tones. It is very important for you to choose your makeup colors in line with your skin tone for the most stunning effects. The undertones of your skin impact how your makeup colors look when applied to your face. Here is a quick look at the undertones different skin tones may have:
Fair Skin- yellow, gold, reddish or rosy, pale peach, pale pink
Olive Skin- Yellow, Yellow- orange, yellow- red
Dark skin- red, red- brown, blue, blue- black, ebony, orange- brown
It is very important that your foundation to blend well with your skin tone. Choose three colors that are in a similar shade, ranging from light to dark, and apply it directly underneath each other on your cheekbone. The one that blends in with your face is the correct color for your skin tone. For those of you who have a very active lifestyle, you may want to skip the foundation and go with a tinted moisturizer for a more natural look.

Women with fair skin can use a foundation that is a shade warmer than their skin tone. This gives your skin a glow. Blue- reds and pinks are best for the lips while softer shades like pale pinks or peach looks great. Fair skinned women should avoid extreme colors over the cheeks as this can be too excessively vivid. If you do want a dramatic look, you may use dark colors but make sure you take all of your eye makeup, lipstick shades etc. into consideration for you to get the perfect look.

Olive skinned women can carry off the bronze shades and brighter colors best. You can even add an extra shimmer to your look by using a bronzer over your cheekbone/brow bone areas. Gold, coral, orange- reds look great on the lips. A rule of thumb is that medium colors give you an understated look that is close to ‘natural’. Lighter and darker shades give you a bold look.

With dark skin tones, the challenge is to look attractive without getting an unnatural paleness. Avoid pale shades and opt for burgundy or red-browns. For your lips choose purple, mahogany or shades of brown. Dark colors make for the understated look. With medium colors the makeup is more evident but still looks elegantly attractive in a subtle way. Brighter colors need to be chosen with great care otherwise they appear too vivid to present a cohesively made up look.