Which colors in the color circle complement each other?

The complementary colors are separated by 120 degrees to 180 degrees on the 24-hue phase ring.

Two colors between degrees, such as green and magenta, yellow and blue, red and cyan. In optics, when two colors of light are mixed in a proper proportion to produce white light, the two colors are called "complementary colors".

Color ring

It is much easier to understand color with PS. One adjustment tool of PS is color balance. It can be seen that the three primary colors of cyan, magenta and yellow on the left and the three primary colors of red, green and blue on the opposite side are the contrast colors.

Color balance tool in PS

How to use complementary colors in photography creation.

Simply put, if the complementary colors are put together, it will have a strong contrast effect and make the picture more dynamic. If it is a complementary color with high color purity, the contrast will be stronger and the visual impact will be greater. If you want to use contrast color and make the picture color harmonious, the best way is to change the brightness and reduce the purity, which will appear much softer. Complementary colors in colors will reduce color purity and turn gray. Generally, you don't need complementary colors when painting. However, when the two colors are complementary to each other, when one color occupies a much larger area than the other, the contrast of the picture can be enhanced and the picture can be eye-catching.

Application of Red and Green Complementary Colors

Therefore, many photographers will apply the concept of complementary color to the subject on the basis of composition. For example, bright orange and red sunset gradually blend into the deep blue sky, which is an excellent match. Similar to the concept of color collision in fashion photography, complementary color matching is usually used to highlight the subject. Using the contrast of complementary colors, the subject is gradually integrated into the background elements, which is helpful to portray the subject and let the audience notice what you want them to notice.

Application of complementary colors of blue and orange

Application of complementary colors of purple and yellow

Application of complementary colors of blue and orange

Application example of complementary color in late photography

1, the color of single tone is easier to show, and the color is dirty. For example, the picture 1 is yellow, which looks dull and lifeless. At this time, you can use the principle of complementary color to add its complementary color blue to the highlight and yellow to the shadow. A simple step is to make the picture more vivid with contrasting colors of highlights and shadows.

area chart

2. Complementary colors are an important basis for our color matching. We need to add a color. There are two ways to add a color: one is to increase its adjacent color, and the other is to reduce its complementary color. For example, if we want to increase red, we can increase its adjacent colors yellow and magenta at the same time, and also reduce its complementary color cyan. Add adjacent colors to add red.

We can move the optional color "magenta" and "yellow" sliders to the right. Magenta and yellow are mixed to form red (the adjacent colors of red are magenta and yellow), so magenta and yellow are added at the same time, that is, red is added.

Reduce the contrast color to increase the red color.

3. The use of complementary colors for highlights and shadows will make the picture more refreshing. Similarly, the highlights are blue and the shadows are yellow.

Highlight and shadow use complementary colors.

In fact, there is a lot of knowledge about colors, so we should pay attention to accumulation at ordinary times and save good photos and colors in time for further study.