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Red symbolizes love and passion. Yellow conjures happy and bubbly vibes. White and blue elicits feelings of calm and serenity. In most visual art forms, the proper use of colors is crucial in creating pieces. Floral design is no different! Using color theory is the first step in designing exquisite floral arrangements. Before this, we explored the origins and styles of different flower arrangements. Now, we'll take up the basics of color and design in the art of floristry. We'll go much deeper into simple concepts like ROYGBIV. From there, we'll deal with more complex principles of color combination. Here's the simple rundown of the color theory that every florist in the industry needs!
Depending on how you want to use them, colors can be soft and delicate, bright and vibrant, or quiet and serious. But no matter what combination you use, it's useful to refer to the color wheel! This will help your floral pieces look more pleasing and dazzling. There are three basic terms in color theory: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Primary colors are the three major parts of the color wheel - red, yellow, and blue. These are the only colors that aren't created from the mixture of other colors. Secondary colors are blends of any two primary colors. Orange is the mix of red and yellow. Green is the mix of yellow and blue. Purple is the mix of blue and red. Tertiary colors are combinations of any primary color with any secondary color. Red orange, yellow orange, red violet, blue violet (indigo), and blue green (teal), are good examples of this.
It's vital to use the color wheel in appropriate and creative ways. It can help speed up the process of selecting flowers, foliage and accessories. With this, you can create delightful, harmonious arrangements and decor with ease. There are a million and one ways to mix your colors and styles to fit the theme and occasion! To kick off your inspired flow of ideas, you can use these four basic color harmonies. (Tip: Keep that color wheel in view for an easy focal point with these combinations.).
These are pairs of colors right across from each other on the color wheel. Examples include red and green, yellow and violet, and blue and orange. They create an interesting palette given their stark contrast to each other. This is excellent for creating intense or bright floral arrangements!
These schemes consist of three colors beside one another on the wheel. It produces the two most prevalent divisions of colors: warm (red, orange, and yellow) and cool (blue, green, purple). Florists match these color harmonies to a variety of themes! Whether for soothing moods or delightful motifs, they mix well to create a flowing look.
On a strict budget? These arrangements are light on the pocket but enchanting to the eye! Simple yet stylish, they suit any theme or celebration with ease. Known as "greenery", they add the beauty of nature's touch to any arrangement.
This scheme uses three colors in equal distance from each other on the color wheel. In floral arrangements, this appears in bundles of the primaries and secondaries. Florists often select muted or lighter shades of the triad. They also go for a mix of rich and soft shades for a pleasing, balanced aesthetic. Want a more thorough guide on making floral designs for specific containers or occasions? Check out our two-part series on how to craft floral arrangements!
Read all about Flowers For All Occasions 101 in our next article.