Color, Value and Hue9. The Square Tetrad relationship uses four colors that are chosen

from every third color on the color wheel. Like the triad relationship, the name tetrad comes from the shape made between the colors. Orange/yellow-green/blue/red-purple is just one example.

Color, Value and Hue Despite having one more color than the triad color relationship,

tetrads are remarkably similar to triads. They work for the same reason triads work theres a balance to this relationship because of the way the colors are methodically chosen.

Color, Value and Hue Like a triad, use a tetrad grouping when you want a more complex

color scheme that still feels balanced and harmonious.

Color, Value and Hue One variation on a tetrad relationship would be to use double

complements, no matter the positioning of each pair. Instead of orange/yellow-green/blue/red-purple, you could do red-purple/red-orange/yellow-green/blue-green. So long as each pair is a complementary pair, your color scheme will work no matter if the second pair sits 90 degrees away from the first, or if they sit side-by-side. Since it still uses four colors that create a rectangular shape, this falls under a tetrad relationship.

Color, Value and Hue Neutral colors don't usually show up on the color wheel. Neutral

colors commonly are associated with black, white, gray, brown and its close shades like beige, tan and taupe. They are sometimes called earth tones.

When complements are mixed with one another in paint, the resulting muted tones de-saturate or dull the hues, create neutral shades.

Color, Value and Hue Neutral colors are colors that lack hue, usually they are de-

saturated colors such as gray, ivory, beige, tan and taupe (brownish-gray). They may be dark or light.

Neutral colors are usually dusky in nature and may be called achromatic.

Color, Value and HueIn the world of design the term neutrals is used, typically, to refer to three categories of colors:

1. Black, White, and Gray. In the first category are the achromatic colors of near pure black, white, and gray. Black, white, and gray are the ultimate, you might say, in terms of neutrality. The variations of whites and blacks used in interiors, however, are not typically referred to as neutrals, but as off-white or off-black.

Color, Value and Hue2. No Discernable Hue. The second class of colors we call neutrals

are those that we cant easily discern what colors they were mixed from. Colors like brown, cocoa, beige, taupe, sand, driftwood, or ivory are examples. Theyre arrived at by mixing complementary colors to the point that neither color is apparent. Or, they can be a mix of many colors that also cancel out the hue of the other colors in the mix.

These colors have been sufficiently dulled to the point that a hue is not recognizable. These neutrals may have black and white added as well. Earthy.

Color, Value and Hue3. Muted Colors. The third type of neutral colors are those in which

we can still recognize the dominant hue. To arrive at colors in this group, a pure color has been neutralized, dulled, or muted by the addition of another color, often its complement.

A color can also be diluted by the addition of gray, and in the design world we typically call these colors neutral as well.

With sufficient white added to otherwise dulled colors, we get what can be called muted pastels.

Color, Value and HueDiscernable Vs. Muted

Color, Value and Hue Neutral colors such as beige, ivory, taupe, black, gray, and

white appear to be without any color hue, and yet in many applications these hues might have undertones of color.

Be aware of these underlying tones as you match colors or choose paint. For example, beige might have an undertone of pink or tan or gold. White might be slightly ivory, yellow, bluish, or peachy.

Color, Value and Hue Beige may be described as a brown color with a cream colored

tone, an off- (sometimes dark) tan color, or an extremely pale yellowish brown color. The term originates from beige cloth, a cotton fabric left un-dyed in its natural color. It has since come to be used for a range of light tints chosen for their neutral or pale warm appearance.

Color, Value and Hue Ivory is an off-white color that resembles ivory, the material of

which the teeth and tusks of animals (such as, notably, the elephant and the walrus) is made. It has a very slight tint of yellow.

Color, Value and Hue Taupe is a dark brown/tan-ish grey color. Taupe is a vague,

unscientific color term which may be used to refer to almost any grayish-brown, brownish-gray, or warm gray color. It often overlaps with tan.

Color, Value and Hue We can divide neutral colors in two convenient categories:

1. Warm Neutrals - Yellow, orange, or red added.

2. Cool Neutrals - Green, blue, or violet added.

If you simply mix all the Primary colors, the result will be a Neutral that tends towards 'warm' or 'cool' depending on the proportion of Red or Blue in the mix.

Color, Value and Hue Neutral colors help to put the focus on other colors or serve to

tone down colors that might otherwise be overpowering on their own.

Color, Value and Hue To some extent blacks, browns, tans, golds, and beige colors are

considered warm. While white, ivory, silver, and gray are somewhat cooler colors.

Yet these warm and cool attributes are flexible and more subtle than that of reds or blues.

Color, Value and Hue Neutral paint colors are often characterized as bland, boring, and

non-offensive. One purpose of neutral paint colors is to avoid offense. When real estate home stagers go so far as to apply paint, it will almost certainly be a neutral color. When a home remodeler aims to feature a room's structural or architectural elements, she or he will choose a neutral wall color to let those features stand out.