Colour Pairings For Your Pieces
Color Wheel
To understand how color pairing works, it is easier to know the base of it all first, which is the color wheel. The color wheel consists of the primary colors: yellow, red, and blue. Which will create secondary colors when mixed: yellow+red = orange, yellow+blue = green, and red+blue = purple. When these secondary colors meet primary colors, they will create tertiary colors such as yellow-orange, red-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, red-purple, and blue-purple.
These colors are the base of a color wheel and may have different tints (adding white into the color), shades (adding black into the color), and saturation (how strong the color is) to create different versions of these colors. Mixing white, black, and gray into the colors, can create brighter, lighter, softer, or darker colors. Then, from the color wheel comes the color theory and how to use them.
Colour Theory
Color theory helps to achieve the best use of different colors, and how to mix and use them to create beautiful pairings and visuals. This time we will focus on discussing these color combinations: Analogous, Complementary, and Monochromatic. Color theory helps with various kinds of design, art, style, and more. It is also a great way to help to decide on your custom-making process, such as choosing the buttons for your Cheongsam.
Analogous
To create a soft contrast with colors that are right next to each other on the color wheel. It is often used with more than 2 colors, e.g. yellow with orange and green. Even with more colors, this palette creates a softer look overall. Colors that blend nicely create this analogous palette.
Complementary
The combination of colors directly across the color wheel creates great contrast. A good way to use it is by making one color as a dominant colour, and the other as an accent. This is why it is a great color pairing choice for a smaller element such as cheongsam buttons that could be used as a focus point or an accent. An example would be when a pink cheongsam meets light green jade buttons. In this case, these colors are lighter/tinted versions of their main color so the contrast between them would not be as extreme as when red meets with a green.
Split Complementary
This combination is still by using a contrast-based set of colors, with one dominant color, which is paired with two or more accent color that is close to the opposite side, e.g. green bamboo fabric matched with a blend of purple and orange buttons. It still creates a nice contrast, but without being intensely contrasting. It is a good combination to create a certain color palette of two or more colors.
Monochromatic
The combination of one color with different tints or shades. This creates a clean look as it focuses on one color variation only. Although it does not have as much contrast as the other combinations, it creates a harmonious look that can still create a focus. For example, when light pink meets a darker red, the focus will go to the darker red, the one with more saturation and darker in contrast.
White meets Colour
A pairing that is useful for brides that use white as a main color, or in adding something neutral to an already vibrant color. For example, a white cheongsam meets purple jade buttons, or a green cheongsam meets pearl buttons. White adds the feel of freshness and elegance to an outfit.
Knowing your colors can be very helpful for your custom-making process, especially in creating harmony and balance when dealing with a lot of colors. If you're unsure, rest assured as our stylists would be here to guide you through your decisions for your bespoke piece.
Feel free to contact us at +65 8742 6863 (WhatsApp), and we would be happy to assist you. If you'd like to see more examples of our designs, follow us here on our Instagram, @accent.sg, and like us on Facebook!
Color Wheel & Combination of Colors: Designed by macrovector / Freepik