Understanding colour theory is essential for makeup artists. It is one of the principal foundations of everything that the makeup artist does. For example, successfully recognising and matching a client’s skin tone needs an understanding of colour. Likewise, corrective makeup, complementing natural colouring, blending in prosthetic pieces and creating realistic casualty effects relies on colour theory knowledge as much as technique.
Colour Theory Models
There are various colour theory models, but here are the three we come across every day:
- Red Green Blue (RGB) model – used in electronic systems that transmit light such as computers and televisions.
- Red Yellow Blue (RYB) model – the colour system traditionally used in art. It has been around for centuries and is the model taught in school.
- Magenta Cyan Yellow model – a more modern approach to painting and is the model used by printers. These colours mix a bright and clean spectrum.
We are using the RYB model, simply as it’s the one most people are familiar with, and it is easy to use for makeup and hair purposes.
The Colour Wheel
The colour wheel is a simple way to look at the basic relationship between the twelve colours shown on the wheel. It also explains, in simple terms, how to mix colours to create new ones.
Below is the Red-Yellow-Blue colour wheel showing the main twelve colours that are part of the PRIMARY, Secondary and Tertiary (the smallest font) groups.
Primary Colours
- The primary colours are red, yellow and blue.
- When two primary colours are mixed, it creates a secondary colour. So, red and yellow make orange. Yellow and blue make green. Blue and red make purple.
- Using the primary colours, you can mix pretty much any other colour in the spectrum. Hence why knowing your colour theory is so important.
- When all three primary colours are mixed they make a brown. Therefore, different shades of brown can be made by mixing the primary colours in varying proportions.
Secondary Colours
- The secondary colours are orange, green and violet.
- They are made by mixing equal amounts of two primary colours.
- By mixing different proportions of two primary colours, you will create variations of a secondary colour. For example, if you mix equal amounts of red and yellow, you will create a classic orange colour, as seen on the colour wheel. However, if you mix a little more red colour into a yellow, you will create a darker orange colour.
Tertiary Colours
- The tertiary colours are vermilion, amber, chartreuse, aquamarine, indigo, and violet-red.
- They are made by mixing one primary colour equally with one of its adjacent secondary colours. For example, a 50:50 mix of red (primary colour) + orange (secondary colour and situated next to red on the colour wheel) = vermilion.
- The name for tertiary colours can vary. However, we’ve used familiar names in our colour wheel diagram.
Creating Other Colours
The colour spectrum is a continuous thing – meaning the colours move seamlessly from one into another without any hard borders. Mixing the primary colours in differing proportions allows us to create pretty much any colour we want – except for white or a perfect black.
Creating Browns & Skin Tones
Our skin colour and its undertones are a mix of colours provided by the skin’s pigments, resulting in an overall brown colour. Of course, skin colour varies around the world, from very dark brown to very pale.
We can use primary and secondary colours to create various shades of brown. Firstly, the three primary colours can be mixed to create brown. Similarly, we can also mix two secondary colours to produce the browns seen in skin tones. Some examples:
- Olive brown = green + violet. It has a blue bias.
- Russet brown = violet + orange. It has a red bias and is called ruddy or warm.
- Citrine brown = orange + green. It has a yellow bias and is referred to as sallow or golden.
Colour Combinations
Complementary Colours
- Each colour has a complementary colour – namely, the one that is opposite it on the colour wheel. For example, blue and orange are opposite each other and, therefore, are complementary to each other.
- When placed next to each other, complementary colours create a strong and vibrant contrast. For example, blue and orange side by side creates a strong contrast.
- When mixed in equal proportions, they cancel each other out producing grey. So, to cancel out a blue colour and make it grey, you would mix an equal amount of orange into it.
- Are used in makeup for colour correction. For example, use a touch of green to neutralise red areas or patches. However, use too much and the result will be too dull and greying. Another example is using an orange-based concealer to neutralise bluish dark circles under the eyes.
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