What Is A Monochromatic Color Scheme? The Definitive Guide

We’ve all heard the phrase “seeing red.” It means angry, aggressive or excited. Or perhaps the phrase “feeling blue” means sad.

What is it about color that creates mood and meaning?

In visual art and design, color has a powerful impact on both the mood and perceived meaning of a work.

Color can be used to evoke emotion, create a sense of connection to a culture, or even bring attention to something important.

However, when we think about using color in our designs, we often think in terms of “colors” as if there was only one spectrum of light. In reality, there are three: red, green and blue (also known as RGB).

A monochromatic color scheme is one where you use only one basic color throughout your design.

For example, if you choose red as your primary color, then you will use red for everything from backgrounds to typography to graphics.
 

What Is A Monochromatic Color Scheme?

A monochromatic color scheme is a palette that uses different hues of the same color or different values of the same hue. This can be a very effective way of creating a harmonious, unified feel to your design.

The easiest way to create a monochromatic color scheme is simply to decide on one hue and vary its tint, tone, or shade.

A tint is created by adding white to a color; a tone is created by adding black, and a shade is created by adding gray (or any neutral color).

For example, say you want to use a blue-green color scheme for your website header. If you add white, you get aqua—that’s the tint.

Add black, and you get teal—that’s the tone. Add gray, and you get seafoam green—that’s the shade.

You can use any combination of these variations without changing the hue itself: they’re all variations on the same blue-green theme. The trick to making this work as an effective design strategy is knowing what colors work well together.

Two colors are harmonious if they’re opposite each other on the color wheel or if they’re both on one side of it.

   

What Are The Components Of A Monochromatic Color Scheme?

Monochromatic color schemes may be the most popular of all the color schemes. They are easy on the eyes, and they are great for beginners.

The term monochromatic refers to using tints, tones, and shades of a single color. Depending on how much variation you use, your design can have a very subtle effect or a big impact.

If you want to experiment with monochromatic color schemes, you will need to learn how to create them. Below is an overview of some of the general rules that apply to this type of scheme.

Let’s start with tints and tones. Pure hues are called tints; adding white makes it a tint.

Adding black makes it a tone. Tones are known as “grounds” in design terminology.

A simple illustration is that red + white = pink and red + black = purple. When working with shades and tints, you need to know if your software allows you to change the saturation (or “depth”) of the color; some independently of the hue and lightness (or value).

Photoshop allows you to do this; some other programs do not. You can test out different combinations by changing the lightness and saturation in Photoshop, then previewing it on your screen before you commit.

How Is The Color Scheme Created For Film?

The director, producer, and/or writer creates the color scheme for a film. The director, producer, and/or writer will usually meet with the cinematographer to plan out the film and determine what kind of color scheme they would like to use.

The director, producer, and/or writer will also meet with the costume designer to plan out the color scheme they want the characters to wear throughout the movie. Once this is done, the cinematographer and costume designer will start working on creating the color scheme for the film.

The cinematographer will shoot all of their scenes with that color scheme in mind. The cinematographer will pick out all of their lighting based on this color scheme.

Usually, this includes choosing a camera filter or lens filter that has a certain tone or feel to it (i.e., soft focus). Once the filming is done, the next step is editing.

When it comes time for editing, it is not uncommon for filmmakers to change their minds about how they want to use color in their films.

There are basically two ways that filmmakers can approach editing: Editing scene by scene—which means that as each scene has been filmed, they will edit that scene right away—before any other scenes have been edited.

A Monochromatic Color Scheme Idea

Using a monochromatic color scheme is a great way to create unity without being overly matchy-matchy. The colors in this palette are similar enough that they go together, but not so similar that they compete for attention.

   

Teal, purple, and rose gold are at opposite ends of the color spectrum, so I would never use all three together, but they work beautifully as the dominant colors in a monochromatic scheme. You can take the same colors and create a whole new look by changing up their shades or tints.

The teal shade shown here is a little more saturated than the cooler variety. And while you could use different hues of each color, I prefer my color schemes to be harmonious, so I stick with just one hue per color.

Monochromatic schemes look best when paired with neutrals like this room’s deep gray walls and white trim. You can paint your wall any shade of teal and still keep it from looking too busy.

If you’re using a light teal, try pairing it with neutrals instead of other colors for a true monochromatic feel. You don’t have to limit yourself to just two colors in your scheme: I love how this space uses more of the teal.

How To Use Analogous Color Scheme In Film?

Analogous Color Schemes are monochromatic schemes that are derived from two or more hues that are next to each other on the color wheel. It uses three colors that are adjacent to each other on a particular color wheel. This color scheme creates a harmonious and consistent look for your film project.

Hue: Hue is a specific color of the spectrum. It can be red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple. Hue is the purest form of color; it is the sensation we experience when viewing light at wavelengths ranging from 400 to 700 nanometers.

Blue, Red, and Yellow are primary colors, so they cannot be formed by mixing other colors. On the other hand, orange, green, and purple are secondary colors because they can be formed by mixing two primary colors. For example: Blue + Red = Purple.

Analogous color schemes work well in design projects where you need pleasing yet subtle color combinations that won’t distract viewers from your message or image. 

The analogous color scheme produces a visual harmony between the three chosen colors which can create a sense of consistency or unity within your film project.

How To Use Triadic Color Scheme In Film?

Using color in a film can have profound effects on not only the mood but also the message and even the plot itself. While color is rarely used as a code or a language for filmmakers, it does occasionally serve that purpose.

In those instances, the specific choice of colors should be considered carefully.

The triadic color scheme is one of the most common ways that color is used in films. It is any three colors whose hue (or hue and saturation, as explained below) are spaced evenly apart on the color wheel.

These hues will not be actual colors on the spectrum, but they will form an equilateral triangle when plotted out on the wheel with their respective hues at each of its points.

A triadic color scheme can create contrast and balance within a scene or throughout an entire film by allowing filmmakers to use one color to highlight another.

Triadic schemes are usually employed in decorative applications, using two complementary colors plus one main color to create a feeling of unity within a space.

The triadic scheme can be used with primary, secondary, or tertiary colors, though it works best with primary colors or two secondary colors that are adjacent to one another on the wheel.

Advantages Of A Monochromatic Scheme

A monochromatic scheme involves choosing the same hue for all your room furniture, accessories, upholstery, etc. The best part is that you can choose any color from blue, red to white, brown and yellow as per your choice and requirement.

Saves Time: When you design a room in a monochromatic scheme, it saves your time because when you purchase any item for your room or anything for your living room then you need not worry about matching the item with other items.

The same color will match with anything else and you do not need to worry about matching the item with other items of different colors.

Easy To Maintain: When you start a monochromatic scheme in your room then you can easily maintain it. Because if any item gets damaged or gets dirty, then repairing or cleaning that item will be an undemanding job.

You just have to replace the damaged or dirty item with another one of the same colors.