The Power of Three
It is widely understood that the relationship between colours plays an integral role in the success of a design; by exploring the principles of colour theory we are able to create palettes that set our personal tastes to one side.
Here, we focus on the science behind triadic schemes and what history can teach us about creating colour harmony with three main colours.
The colour wheel (or circle) remains the main tool used by artists and designers for selecting a palette. Understanding how colours relate to each other on the wheel is the starting point to creating strong arrangements.
There are six key colour schemes here; monochromatic; analogous; complementary; triadic; split-complementary; tetradic. When looking to create sharp contrast and impact, complementary colours are often employed where two hues that lie opposite each other on the wheel are used, such as red and green.
For a less intense outcome, it is worth considering a triadic scheme using three colours evenly spaced around the wheel (forming an equilateral triangle). As a rule, these schemes are vibrant but less intense than when the eye has to move between just two contrasting hues. This can be seen in the Burger King® logo that features the primary colours red, yellow and blue. The red typography is dominant based on its size, position and quantity.
To ensure harmony, one colour should always dominate with the other two featured as accents. This is most commonly achieved through a proportional scheme. You can allow for some artistic licence using a triadic group where a couple of variants of one colour can be used playing with saturation (purity) and value (lightness or darkness) to introduce different aspects while sticking to the principle of three main colours.
When we study historic paintings there is often a minimal palette of three key colours applied with tints (colour plus white) and shades (colour plus black) as opposed to a rainbow of hues. An example is The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer (c.1657), largely focused on yellow, blue and red with various shades and tints of these pigments adding depth and texture.
Johannes Vermeer | The Milkmaid
This primary triad holds great significance for other artists too; Early Modernists including Piet Mondrian worked with the irreducible trio based on this group’s influence on all other colour (secondary and tertiary). Abstract expressionists from around the mid twentieth century also studied the power of colour perception with colour field painters such as Barnett Newman adopting the expressive power of colour by immersing the viewer.
Piet Mondrian
Triadics have a role to play in architecture too. Mo-tel House by Office S&M features the playful and often youthful nature of triadic schemes. The stairway area features a combination of red, yellow and blue with a more saturated red as an accent on handles and a tinted version creating pink banisters. In terms of proportion the dominant hue is blue which is also the darkest. Yellow is the lightest in value but equally as saturated, making it an effective colour for the skirting and handrail to ensure visibility.
Office S&M | Mo-tel House
Varying the saturation and lightness between the hues can be useful in interior schemes when a selection of materials and finishes come into play. Many layers of texture and detail can be created while maintaining the scheme centred around three key colours.
A timeless decorating rule that can help plan a space using three hues involves the ratio of 60 per cent plus 30 per cent plus 10 per cent to give balance to the colours used in the space, choosing your dominant, secondary and accent colours.
While there are psychological factors that influence our preferences towards particular hues there are also fundamental principles based on visual perception that can aid the selection process. While colour resonates with us on so many levels, exploring colour formulas such as the triadic groups helps to create harmony and balance.
This feature was first published in MIX Magazine. For more colour and design insights visit our creative agency Colour Hive's digital platform, In Colour.
Duha Group is a global, industry leading manufacturer of innovative colour marketing tools. We specialise in colour matching, colour mass reproduction and colour system management.
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