Analogous

An analogous color scheme is made up of any three colors that are next to each other on the color wheel and share a common hue. For example, yellow-green, yellow and yellow-orange all contain yellow. In an analogous color scheme it's common for one of the three colors to predominate. Notice that Wembly Fraggle is mostly yellow-green, but the yellow and yellow-orange in his hair help create a harmonious color scheme.

Complementary

Complementary colors are any two colors that are directly opposite one another on the color wheel. When combined, complementary colors will enhance each other and create a striking visual contrast. With his blue-green face and red-orange hair, Boober Fraggle exemplifies good use of complementary colors.

Monochromatic

A monochromatic color scheme is one of the most simple combinations. It's made up of different values (tints, tones and shades) of the same color. While monochromatic color schemes are visually appealing, they don't contain a lot of contrast. Junior Gorg from Fraggle Rock has a nice monochromatic color scheme: His fur, hair, shirt and shoes are all different values of brown.

Color Schemes

Developing an appealing color scheme for a puppet can be a difficult task because there are endless numbers of color combinations. While there is no right way to combine different hues, understanding the layout of the color wheel will provide you some tools for developing interesting color schemes. Monochromatic, complementary and analogous colors are just a few of the color schemes that have been used by artists for generations.

Tints, Tones and Shades

You'll notice there are several colors missing from this color wheel: pink, brown and navy blue, just to name a few. These color variations are called tints, tones and shades. Any pure hue that is lightened by adding white is called a tint (red + white = pink). Any pure hue that is muted by adding gray is called a tone (orange + gray = brown), and any pure hue that is darkened by adding black is called a shade (blue + black = navy blue). These Sesame Street characters exemplify good use of tints, tones and shades.

Click here and here for more information on color theory.

Color Theory 3

Yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange and yellow-orange are tertiary colors. They are created by combining one primary color with an adjacent secondary color. For example, yellow plus green will give you yellow-green. These Sesame Street characters exemplify good use of tertiary colors.

Click here and here for more information on color theory.

Color Theory 2

Orange, green and purple are secondary colors created by combining two of the three primary colors:
Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Blue + Red = Purple
These Sesame Street characters exemplify good use of secondary colors.

Click here and here for more information on color theory.

Color Theory 1

It's important to understand basic concepts of color when designing puppets because they will help you choose different color schemes. Red, blue and yellow are primary colors -- they can't be created by combining other colors. Every other color can be created by mixing different combinations of the primary colors. These Sesame Street characters exemplify good use of primary colors.

Click here and here for more information on color theory.