Splitcomplementaire

Splitcomplementaire, also known as split-complementary in English, is a color scheme used in art, design, and visual communication. It builds on the idea of complementary colors by using a base hue plus the two hues adjacent to its direct opposite on the color wheel. The result is a three-color palette with high contrast and visual interest, but with less tension than a direct complement pair.

Construction and example: choose a base color. Find its opposite on the color wheel (the complement). Then select the two colors adjacent to that opposite hue. For example, with base blue, the complement is orange. The colors adjacent to orange are red-orange and yellow-orange, yielding a split-complementary palette of blue, red-orange, and yellow-orange. Other common examples include purple with yellow-orange and yellow-green, or green with red-violet and red-orange.

Effect and use: split-complementary schemes offer strong contrast while maintaining harmony, making them popular for branding, UI design, and interior styling. They tend to feel lively without the harshness of a pure complementary pair. Practical guidance includes treating one color as dominant and using the other two as accents, maintaining legibility for text, and adjusting saturation and brightness to avoid visual clutter. Accessibility should be considered to ensure adequate contrast.

Variations: palettes can be muted or intensified by altering value (lightness) or saturation, and can be expanded with tints, shades, or additional neutrals for broader applicability.