Analogous Colors Are the Easiest Part of Color Theory

These colors share similar wavelengths of light. Unlike complementary color schemes, which rely on opposing hues for high contrast, analogous colors are all about blending seamlessly within a single quadrant of the color wheel.

A typical analogous color scheme consists of three colors: a dominant color, supporting color and accent color. These sets often include a mix of primary colors; secondary colors (a mix of primaries); and tertiary colors (a mix of primary and secondary colors), adding extra depth.

For instance, Claude Monet’s famous "Water Lilies" paintings often use yellow-greens, greens and blue-greens, which form an analogous trio. He blends these analogous shades of green into the foliage, water and reflections.

To balance a space, designers often use one dominant color with supporting hues and accent colors.

For example, you might paint the walls a soft blue-green to establish a calm, serene base color. Throw in a green velvet sofa and incorporate blue throw pillows and rugs to tie the scheme together while adding depth.

You can also use green plants as natural decor and pair them with vases or artwork in varying shades of blue and blue-green.

Analogous color schemes create effortlessly stylish outfits. Like interior design, the trick is to let one shade be the dominant color, with the others serving as accents.

Imagine Beyoncé's iconic 2018 Coachella outfits: a bright metallic yellow crop-top hoodie with gold and pink sequins, gold sequined cuffs and a yellow-orange fitted shirt peaking out underneath. She later changed into another copy of the Beta Delta Kappa sweatshirt, but this time in bright pink, with the same light pink and gold sequins, and darker magenta sequin cuffs.

For an example of cooler-tone analogous colors in fashion, look no further than Disney's "Frozen." Anna's purple overcoat has dark pink stripes running down the inside, and Elsa's iconic dress is teal-green blue with a lighter purplish icy-blue cape and sleeves.

In branding and marketing, analogous color schemes can craft a cohesive identity that feels trustworthy and inviting. This approach ensures that the overall color palette feels unified while still providing enough variation to keep things interesting.

Think of Subway's logo, where the letters SUB are in yellow and WAY are in green. Sprite's aluminum cans are typically blue and green, with a hint of yellow with the image of a lemon. And Burger King's logo has the name of the fast-food chain in red, with orange images of bread buns on the top and bottom.

Digital products like websites and apps rely on analogous color schemes to create user-friendly interfaces. These schemes make it easier to guide users' attention without overwhelming them with too much contrast.

Color palettes in digital products often include a mix of warm and cool analogous colors to maintain balance. Accent colors, such as yellow-orange or red-violet, can be used sparingly to highlight important features like buttons or calls to action (CTAs).

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.