Summer is a popular time to paint a house. If your summer plans include this exterior face lift, read on for advice on planning your color scheme, after all, the color of your home makes a statement about you.

The following is a short lesson from Dave Donovan at doityourself.com that will help you understand color and the way different colors work together.

Understanding Color

First, there are three primary colors – red, blue and yellow. All other colors have their base in one of these three primaries. Next are the secondary colors. Secondary colors are what you get when two primary colors are mixed in equal parts, such as combining red and blue to create violet. Lastly, we have the tertiary colors, which are created by combining a primary color with a secondary color. Understanding the primary base colors and their derivatives makes it easier to choose two colors that accentuate each other.

So, What are Color Schemes?

Color schemes are collections of certain colors that work together in a pleasing fashion. There are four types of color schemes – complementary, monochromatic, triadic and adjacent.

Complementary Color Schemes – Complimentary colors are two opposite colors on the color wheel that when combined create a dramatic contrast, like using red as the primary and green for the accents.

Monochromatic Color Schemes – Monochromatic color schemes are based on a single hue, like blue, but with two variations used, like dark blue and light blue.

Triadic Color Schemes – Triadic color schemes are created using three equidistant colors on the color wheel. This type of color scheme is more difficult to come develop and is most commonly applied by a professional with an experienced eye.

Adjacent Color Schemes – Adjacent color schemes are designed using two colors from the color wheel that are either right next to each other or nearby. This scheme can employ a number of harmonic colors, like blue, green and blue-green.