Itten's color circles: what it is and how to use it

Did you know that, according to various estimates, the human eye is able to distinguish between 8 and 16 million colors and their shades? Thanks to this organ, which is the most complicated in its structure, we are able to observe and marvel at all the variety of colors that are both found in nature and are artificially created by people. The importance of color is very high, and this fact has long been proven by psychologists. Therefore, many designers, designers, artists and all those whose activities are slightly related to coloring, are greatly assisted by Itten's color circles, which make it easy to achieve harmony of all possible combinations of shades. Even if a person does not work in these areas, knowledge of this tool will allow you to properly arrange your home, successfully create your own style of clothes, choose appropriate accessories, etc.

Who is Johannes Itten?

This person is a fairly well-known and significant figure for all artists without exception. Want to find out why Iteng's color circles are so important? It is known that when a person concentrates his efforts on an object for a long time, he inevitably becomes a professional in it. So, Johannes Itten devoted his entire life to research on the theme of color, and for 50 years conducted on this topic the author's course in the Bauhaus and European private schools. He wrote the excellent book "The Art of Color" (1961), which became the basic textbook for all who are engaged in colorist. Agree, all these facts indicate that it is really worth reading about the conclusions of this remarkable person.

Itten's color circle

This tool is the basis on which all modern theory and practice of coloring is built. What is he like? This color scheme consists of three components:

1. Central, in the form of an equilateral triangle, inscribed in a circle.
2. Medium, in the form of a hexagon added to it.
3. External. It is a circle with a large radius, forming something like a bagel, divided into 12 equal sectors.

The principle of construction begins with the coloring of the parts of the triangle and the donut sectors opposite its corners into three primary colors: yellow, red and blue. They are basic, and all other shades are obtained from their combinations. If you mix them in pairs, you get the colors of the second order: purple, orange and green. They paint the remaining parts of the hexagon that Itten's color circles contain inside, as well as the sectors opposite these vertices. The last thing left to do is get the remaining shades in the empty parts of the outer circle. This is achieved by mixing the tones of sectors that are directly nearby.

The color circle of Itten: how to use this scheme

Based on this tool, you can successfully select combinations of two or more shades. Let's consider some of the most popular ways:

1. Selection of complementary color. It is produced by finding the main color on the outer ring and determining the hue that is opposite. Such contrasting combinations look very harmonious and perfectly complement each other. For example, orange and blue.

2. Choose a combination of three opposite colors. Produced by building an equilateral triangle with vertices in sectors of the outer circle. The resulting combination may seem pretty bold, but in fact, in fashion, it looks very elegant.

3. The combination of 3 neighboring colors. Select shades, located in close proximity to each other. This combination is, in comparison with the previous one, more calm and restrained. Example: fuchsia, blue, purple.

4. Combination of three complementary colors. This option is similar to the first one because here also the main hue is selected first. But instead of one complementing it on the opposite side, two are taken, located next to it on both sides. The solution is quite bold, but at the same time not as contrasting as when using the first method.

As you can see, the color circles of Itten are quite simple to use. Being a base for almost any creativity, they allow you to select the most successful combinations, bringing to life even greater harmony and beauty.