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Red symbolizes love and passion. Yellow conjures happy and bubbly vibes. White and blue evoke feelings of calm and serenity. In almost all 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 talked about 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 deeper into easy concepts like ROYGBIV. From there, we'll go over more complex principles of color combination. Here's the brief 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 radiant, or quiet and serious. But whatever combination you use, it's useful to refer to the color wheel! This will help your floral pieces look more pleasant and exquisite. 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 made from the mix of other colors. Secondary colors are combinations 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 blends of any primary color with any secondary color. Red orange, yellow orange, red violet, blue violet (indigo), and blue green (teal), are examples of this.
It's essential to use the color wheel in appropriate and artistic ways. It can help speed up the process of selecting flowers, foliage and accessories. With this, you can create beautiful, harmonious arrangements and decoration with ease. There are a million and one ways to mix your colors and styles to go with the theme and occasion! To kick off your artistic flow of ideas, you can follow these four basic color harmonies. (Tip: Keep that color wheel in sight for an easy reference 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 intriguing palette due to their stark contrast to each other. This is ideal for building intense or radiant floral arrangements!
These schemes consist of three colors beside each other on the wheel. It the two most prevalent divisions of colors: warm (red, orange, and yellow) and cool (blue, green, purple). Florists match these color harmonies to different themes! Whether for soothing moods or exciting motifs, they mix well to create a flowing look.
On a strict budget? These arrangements are easy on the pocket but charming to the eye! Simple yet exquisite, they suit any theme or event with ease. Referred to as "greenery", they add the appeal 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 opt for muted or lighter shades of the triad. They also go with a mix of deep and soft shades for a pleasing, balanced aesthetic. Want a more detailed guide on making floral designs for specific containers or occasions? Check out our two-part series on how to create floral arrangements!
Read all about Ornaments for any occasion in our next article.