When two complementary colors are placed next to each other, an interesting visual effect is created called simultaneous contrast. Complementary colors are colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel, such as red and green or blue and orange. When these opposite colors are juxtaposed, they create a vibrant interplay that makes both colors appear more intense and pronounced. The human eye perceives contrasting colors as highly energetic and attention-grabbing. Understanding the principles of simultaneous contrast can help designers use color more effectively to highlight important elements, add visual interest, and create appealing color palettes.
What are complementary colors?
Complementary colors (also known as complementary hues) are any two colors located directly across from each other on the color wheel. For example, red is the complement of green, blue is the complement of orange, and yellow is the complement of purple. Complementary colors occupy opposite positions in the color spectrum and contain no common hues. When complementary colors are mixed together, they cancel each other out and produce a neutral gray or brown. However, when placed side-by-side, complementary colors create maximum contrast and make each color appear richer. This intensifying effect is known as simultaneous contrast.
Examples of complementary color pairs:
| Color | Complement |
|---|---|
| Red | Green |
| Blue | Orange |
| Yellow | Purple |
As shown in the table above, red and green, blue and orange, and yellow and purple occupy opposite sides of the color wheel and are considered complementary pairs. When these opposite colors are placed next to each other, they create maximum contrast.
The principles of simultaneous contrast
Simultaneous contrast refers to the perceptual intensification of complementary colors when viewed side-by-side. This visual phenomenon was first noted by Michel Eugène Chevreul in 1839 and several key principles have been identified:
- Complementary colors make each other appear brighter, more saturated, and more pronounced.
- The lightness contrast between the two colors also enhances the effect.
- The intensification effect is greatest when the complementary colors share a clean, distinct border with high edge contrast.
- The effect is more pronounced when one color dominates the overall area.
- Viewing distance and ambient light influence the perception of complementary contrast.
Studies of simultaneous contrast have found that the enhancement effect can influence colors up to 6 degrees apart on the color wheel. However, the maximum contrast is achieved by diametric opposites. The size of the colored areas also impacts the effect. When one color dominates the majority of the visual field, it strongly influences the appearance of the complementary color.
Why does simultaneous contrast occur?
There are several theories that aim to explain why the eye perceives complementary colors as intensified when they are juxtaposed. One theory points to lateral inhibition within the retinal ganglion cells. The cells responsible for red and green, for example, inhibit each other. This creates enhanced contrast between red and green areas in the visual field.
Another explanation involves color constancy and the way the visual system strives to maintain consistent color perception under different lighting conditions. Adjacent complementary colors provide cues that exaggerate their differences, causing each one to appear more intense. This increased separation makes it easier for the eye to quickly identify the colors even as lighting changes.
Overall, simultaneous contrast results from complex perceptual and optical mechanisms. The vibrancy produced by complementary colors likely helps highlight information and alert the viewer to important elements in their field of vision.
Uses and applications
Understanding simultaneous contrast opens up many possibilities for using color more effectively. Complementary colors can be leveraged to grab attention, add vibrancy, and create color schemes that interact in interesting ways. Some examples include:
- Graphic design – Complementary colors are used to make headings stand out from bodies of text or important buttons pop against their backgrounds.
- User interfaces – Complementary colors help highlight clicked elements and clearly indicate state changes.
- Typography – Colored headlines paired with complementary backgrounds create eye-catching posters and flyers.
- Painting – Impressionist and post-Impressionist painters leveraged complementary colors to create visual vibrancy.
- Landscaping – Complementary flower varieties can be planted together for distinctive color interplay.
Skillful use of complementary colors allows designers to direct attention, organize information, and create aesthetically pleasing compositions. However, color contrast always depends on context. Overusing high-contrast complements can become jarring and overwhelm the viewer. Effective use of simultaneous contrast requires carefully balancing color relationships within the whole image or design.
Complementary contrast in natural color vision
The intensifying effect of complementary colors has significance in human color vision. The cells in the retina responsible for color vision are stimulated in opposing ways by different wavelengths of light. Red-green color perception relies on cones that are activated either by medium (green) or long (red) wavelength light. Meanwhile, blue-yellow perception relies on short (blue) wavelength or combined medium-long (yellow) wavelength signals.
This retinal rivalry between chromatic channels produces complementary color effects. Long wavelength (red) light generates a strong response in the “red” cones but suppresses and inhibits surrounding “green” cones. Similarly, “blue” cones are inhibited by stimulation of “yellow” cones. The reciprocal suppression between cone types is believed to play a key role in the visual exaggeration of complementary colors.[1]
Mixing of paint pigments vs. light
It is important to distinguish between the mixing of colored pigments and colored light. When complementary paint pigments are combined, they neutralize each other’s hue and create shades of gray or brown. However, adding complementary colored lights together produces white light. For example, shining red and green spotlights on the same white wall makes the wall appear white, not gray. This is because red and green light contain all the components needed to produce white light. The rules for mixing paint vs. light explain why complementary colors are muted when mixed as pigments but intensified when placed next to each other.
Conclusion
Placing complementary colors side-by-side creates a phenomenon known as simultaneous contrast. The eye perceives the juxtaposed colors as mutually intensified, with enhanced brightness, saturation, and color separation. This effect has been leveraged by great painters and designers to create color combinations that pop and catch the viewer’s eye. However, contrast always depends on the surrounding context. Careful balance is needed when applying complementary colors to avoid overstimulation. When used skillfully, complementary contrast can heighten aesthetics, organize information, and energize visual designs.
References
- Wiesel, T. N., & Hubel, D. H. (1966). Spatial and chromatic interactions in the lateral geniculate body of the rhesus monkey. Journal of neurophysiology, 29(6), 1115–1156. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.1966.29.6.1115
