Itten color wheel: what it is and how to use them

Did you know that, according to various estimates, the human eye is able to distinguish between 8 and 16 million colors and shades?Because of this complex on the device body, we are able to observe and wonder around the variety of colors that are both naturally occurring and artificially created humans.The importance of color is very high, and this fact has long been proven by psychologists.So many designers, designers, artists and all those whose activities are linked to at least a little of color, great care is provided Itten color wheel, allowing easy combination to achieve the harmony of various colors.Even if a person does not work in these areas, the knowledge of this tool will allow properly equip your home, ideally create their own style of clothing, choose the appropriate accessories to each other, etc.

Who is Johannes Itten?

This person is a fairly well-known and important figure for all artists, without exception.Want to know why Itten color wheel are so important?It is known that when a person is concentrating its efforts on any subject for a long time, it will inevitably become a professional in it.So, Johannes Itten dedicated his life to research on the topic of color, and for 50 years conducted on this subject the author's course at the Bauhaus and European private schools.He wrote a wonderful book "Art of Color" (1961), which became the basic textbook for all those involved in koloristkoy.Agree, these facts suggest that the findings of this remarkable man is really worth reading.

Itten color wheel

This tool is the basis on which the whole of modern theory and practice of color.What is it?This color scheme is made up of three components:

  1. Central, in the form of an equilateral triangle inscribed in a circle.
  2. average, in the form of unfinished him hexagon.
  3. Exterior.It is a circle with a large radius, forming something like a donut divided into 12 equal sectors.

principle of construction begins with a painting of the triangle and a donut in front of his sector angles in the three primary colors: yellow, red and blue.These are basic, and all other tones obtained from the combinations thereof.If you mix them in pairs, we obtain a second-order colors: purple, orange and green.They are colored the rest of the hexagon that Itten color wheel contained within, as well as the sector in front of the vertices.The last thing left to do - is to get the rest of shades in an empty part of the outer circle.This is achieved through a mixture of tones sectors that are directly nearby.

Itten color wheel: how to use this scheme

On the basis of this tool manages to successfully choose a combination of two or more colors.Consider a few of the most popular ways:

1. Selection of complementary (additional) color.Produced by finding the main color on the outer ring and the determination of shade, which is located across the street.Such a combination of contrasting look very harmoniously and perfectly complement each other.For example, orange and blue.

2. Selection of a combination of three opposing colors.Produced by constructing an equilateral triangle with vertices in the sectors of the outer circle.The resulting combination may seem rather bold, but really in fashion, it looks very elegant.

3. Combining 3 adjacent colors.Selected shades located in close proximity to each other.This combination is compared with the previous, more relaxed and low-key.Example: fuchsia, blue, purple.

4. The combination of three complementary colors.This option is similar to the first in that it also initially selected main color.But instead of supplementing its opposite side is taken on two located adjacent to it on both sides.The solution becomes quite bold, but yet not such a contrast as in the first method.

As you can see, Itten color wheel is quite easy to use.As a base for almost any work, they allow you to select the most successful combinations that bring to life an even greater harmony and beauty.