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.
