When it comes to color theory and design, contrast is an important principle to understand. Specifically, whether brown and purple are considered high or low contrast colors. This article will examine the color properties of brown and purple, look at the color wheel placement, analyze hue, shade, and tone, and make a determination on if the two colors contrast highly.
Understanding Color Contrast
In design, contrast refers to the arrangement of opposite elements and how they interact with each other. Contrast creates visual interest and draws attention. With color specifically, contrast refers to the difference between two colors based on their position on the color wheel. Complementary colors that are opposite each other on the wheel provide the highest contrast. Monochromatic colors near each other provide low contrast.
There are several factors that affect color contrast:
- Hue – The pigment or pure spectral color
- Shade – How light or dark a color is
- Tone – The combination of hue and shade
Colors with contrasting hues, shades, and tones will stand out against each other. While colors with similar properties will blend together.
Color Wheel Placement
To understand if two colors contrast, you must look at how they are positioned on the color wheel. The color wheel organizes colors by hue and illustrates color relationships. Complementary colors sit opposite each other, while analogous colors sit side by side.
On the standard 12-part color wheel, brown and purple are not direct complementary colors. Brown sits between orange and yellow. Purple sits between red and blue. However, they have enough difference in hue to provide some contrast.
Here is a diagram showing brown and purple on the color wheel:
| Color Wheel |
|---|
|
While not direct opposites, brown and purple are far enough apart on the wheel to contrast more than analogous pairings. However, the exact hue will still play a role.
Hue Contrast
With brown and purple, the specific hue makes a difference in contrast. Brown is a neutral and can take on warm, cool, and earthy tones. Purple ranges from reddish-purples to blueish-purples.
Warm brown hues contain touches of red, orange, and yellow. These contrast more with blueish-purples on the cool side of the color wheel. Cool brown shades with hints of green and gray contrast better with reddish-purples. Earthy browned paired with a royal purple provide high contrast due to the warm vs cool properties.
Here is a visual of different brown and purple hue combinations:
| Brown Hue | Purple Hue | Contrast Level |
|---|---|---|
| Warm Brown | Blueish-Purple | High |
| Cool Brown | Reddish-Purple | High |
| Earthy Brown | Royal Purple | High |
While any brown and purple combination provides some contrast due to color wheel placement, choosing hues from opposite temperature sides maximizes contrast.
Shade Contrast
The lightness or darkness of a color impacts contrast. Lighter and darker shades of the same hue can contrast with each other. But contrast is heightened when lighter and darker shades of opposing hues are paired.
For brown and purple:
– Light brown will contrast more with dark purple
– Dark brown will contrast more with light purple
Darker purple shades make light earthy browns pop. Lighter purples make rich dark browns stand out. Here is a visual of how shade impacts brown and purple contrast:
| Brown Shade | Purple Shade | Contrast Level |
|---|---|---|
| Light Brown | Dark Purple | High |
| Dark Brown | Light Purple | High |
Combining shades from opposite ends of the light and dark spectrum creates stark contrast between brown and purple.
Tone Contrast
The overall tone of a color is determined by both its hue and shade. Tone refers to where a color fits on the light-to-dark scale. Light tones are tints of a hue. Dark tones are shades.
Mixing brown and purple tones from opposite sides of the scale maximizes contrast. Light brown tones contrast strongly with dark purple tones. Dark brown tones contrast strongly with light purples.
Here is a visual of how tone impacts the contrast of brown and purple:
| Brown Tone | Purple Tone | Contrast Level |
|---|---|---|
| Light Brown | Dark Purple | High |
| Dark Brown | Light Purple | High |
Matching light brown tones with dark purple tones creates high visual contrast. The same is true when pairing lighter purples with deeper browns.
Using Contrasting Browns and Purples in Design
When using browns and purples together, choose hues, shades, and tones strategically to make them contrast. Here are some color design tips:
- Use warm browns with cool purples
- Pair light browns with dark purples
- Choose a soft light purple against rich dark brown
- Use muted earthy browns with vivid royal purples
- Design with dark brown tones and light purple tones
Incorporating strategically contrasting shades and tones of brown and purple creates striking, eye-catching color combinations. It adds sophistication, depth, and visual interest.
Conclusion
While brown and purple are not direct complementary colors, they can still contrast strongly. The warm vs cool properties, light vs dark shades, and contrasting tones allow brown and purple to be used effectively together. Choosing hues, tints, and shades carefully when combining brown and purple creates appealing color palettes with high visual contrast.
