Colour Schemes

Colour schemes connote different ideas and atmospheres so it is important to have the correct colours regarding the product you're making in a way that will appeal to the target audience. The colours used are important as they need to be appealing and harmonious to the eye to draw in the attention of the viewer.

The colour wheel is an important part of determining what colours work well together. Colours that are opposite to each other on the colour wheel are considered to be complementary (red and green). Complementary colours create a contrast and a vibrant look so work well if there is something you want to stand out. Analogous colour schemes are often found in nature and are aesthetically pleasing to the eye (green, teal and blue). These colours are often used to create serene and comfortable designs. A triad colour scheme uses colours that are evenly spread around the colour wheel which can be primary (red, blue and yellow) or secondary colours (purple green and orange). Tertiary colours are the hues between primary and secondary colours (teal, indigo, violet, brick, gold and lime).

Bright colours tend to set a warm and positive atmosphere whereas dark colours can often convey the opposite. This means it is important to choose the most appropriate colour scheme regarding the genre in order to capture the attention of who the product is aimed to attract. Colours can also express different emotions and atmospheres so when designing a music magazine it is useful to try to convey the emotions of the genre by using appropriate specific colours.

I'll need to make sure i use a scheme of colours that promotes the right ideas about the magazine and will appeal to the audience. I'll ensure the colours I pick work well together and emphasise the aspects that I'd like to stand out such as titles, headlines or puffs. Using a colour scheme well will make the magazine look professional and refined which is important.