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Color concept

Complementary Color

A paired-color relationship used in color wheels, perception, design, and contrast systems.

Core concept Color relationships future

What it is

Complementary colors are colors positioned opposite each other in a chosen color model. The exact pair depends on the model: RGB/CMY, RYB, perception, and design traditions do not always agree.

Basics

  • Complements can create strong contrast, neutralization, or visual vibration.
  • Complementary pairs depend on the color system being used.
  • This concept should link directly to the interactive experiments page.

Notes for later expansion

  • Later expansion should compare CMY/RGB complements with RYB painterly complements.

Tags

Color modelPerceptionTerminologyBasicsPaintingDesign
Color Lore · internal archive prototype · manual tags and final content to follow