Makeup color theory

Makeup Color Theory for Makeup Artist

1. Color Theory

2. As a make-up artist, you are working with products, tools, colors, textures, shapes, and human faces (bone structure) all the time. Because you are an artist, you must have a good sense in coloring, so you can color match correctly and create the best color selection/scheme for your clients.

3. Color Theory : in the visual arts is practical guidance to color mixing and the visual impacts of color combinations. A make-up artist should understand the  fundamentals of color application  in order to know how colors work with each other, and how one color will influence another by placing it next to, or on top of each other, or even how the color will result in when you mix them together.

4. The color wheel is divided into three categories:  Primary ,  Secondary (or Intermediate) ,  and   Tertiary .   Primary:  the three primary colors are:  red ,  yellow  and  blue . These colors are considered to be foundation colors because they are used to create all other colors. Secondary (or Intermediate) : by combining two of the primary colors, three secondary colors are formed. For example, when you mix red with yellow, you will get an orange color. The Secondary colors are:  orange ,  green  and   violet .  Tertiary : the six tertiary colors are made by combining a primary and an adjacent secondary color. These colors are:  yellow – orange ,  orange – red ,  red – violet ,  violet – blue ,  blue – green , and  green – yellow .

5. Warm and Cool Colors The color wheel can be divided into  warm  and  cool  colors. By understanding the differences of warm & cool colors, it will help you better in foundation & concealer color matching on different color skin tones.

6. Warm colors  are bright, passionate and energetic, and tend to be eye-popping colors. Warm colors include: red, orange, and yellow, and variations of those three colors.   In make-up artistry, reds can be both cool and warm. If the red is blue based (a red with purple or blue undertone), it is cool. If the red is orange based, it is warm. 

7. Cool Colors  give an impression of calm, and create a soothing impression. Cool colors include: violet, blue, and green . In make-up artistry, the same theory applies with the color green. If a green has more gold/yellow undertone, then it is warm. If a green contains more blue undertone, then it is cool. Whenever most colors have a blue undertone, they will always be a cool color.

8. Skin Tone

9. Skin Tone Fair Skin –Light Ivory, Porcelain, Sand, Pale Peach Pink or slightly reddish (rosy) undertones Medium Skin –Yellow, Gold, Beige, Natural, Red-Olive, Yellow-Green Medium-Dark Skin –Honey, Cameo, Copper, Olive, Tan, Golden-Olive, Caramel Dark Skin –Orange-Brown, Red-Brown, Walnut, Almond, Blue-Black, Ebony, Dark Chocolate

10. Cool Skin Tone Cool Skintone   – the skin has a little  pink (rosiness)  in their skin. They tend to burn easily under the sun. People who look good in  silver  jewelry & accessories. When they wearing a  cool undertone red lipstick , they look brightened up. Most of the time, their veins are in  blue  color (take a look at the wrist under natural light).

11. Warm Skin Tone Warm Skintone   – the skin has a  yellow  undertone or  golden-olive  undertone. They tend to tan easily under the sun. People who look awesome in  gold  jewelry & accessories than silver. When they wearing a  warm (orange) undertone red lipstick , they look brightened up. Most of the time, their veins are in  green  color (take a look at your wrist under natural light).

12. Neutral Skin Tone Neutral Skintone –the skin has both   pink  and  golden  undertone. They look good in both  gold  or  silver  jewelry. Most of the time, their vain is in both blue-green color.

13. Analogous Colors

14. Analogous  (or  Adjacent )  Colors  are created by using three (or more) colors that are next to each (side-by-side colors) on the color wheel.

15. Complimentary Colors Complementary color schemes are created by combining colors from opposite sides of the color wheel. They bring out each other, they make a visual contrast, thus both colors appear stronger against each other.

16. When you mix complimentary colors together ( eg . mix red and green), they will combine to produce a neutral gray. It doesn’t mean you want to produce gray color on your face, it just means you will use other color(s) to get rid of (or cancel out) the color you do not like on your skin.

17. In color theory, a neutral color that is neither warm nor cool. Neutral colors are classy, sophisticated, and extremely wearable. They’re commonly worn on its own, or combined with brighter accent colors – they can easily be matched with every color. The meanings and impressions of neutral colors are much more affected by the colors that surround them than are warm and cool colors.

18. Black  is the strongest of the neutral colors. On the positive side, it’s commonly associated with power, elegance, and formality. On the negative side, it can be associated with evil, death, and mystery . White  is at the opposite end of the spectrum from black, but like black, it can work well with just about any other color. White is often associated with purity, cleanliness, and virtue. In the West, white is commonly worn by brides on their wedding day. White is associated with goodness, and angels are often depicted in white.

19. Brown  is associated with the earth, wood, and stone. It’s a completely natural color and a warm neutral. Brown can be associated with dependability and reliability, with steadfastness, and with earthiness. It can also be considered dull . Beige  is somewhat unique in the color spectrum, as it can take on cool or warm tones depending on the colors surrounding it. It has the warmth of brown and the coolness of white, and, like brown, is sometimes seen as dull. It’s a conservative color in most instances, and is usually reserved for backgrounds. It can also symbolize piety . Ivory  and  Cream  are sophisticated colors, with some of the warmth of brown and a lot of the coolness of white. They’re generally quiet, and can often evoke a sense of history. Ivory is a calm color, with some of the pureness associated with white, though it’s a bit warmer.

20. Monochromatic Colors

21. Monochromatic Color Monochromatic color schemes are made up of different tones, shades and tints within one hue. For example, a monochromatic scheme of the color blue would be the  Blue Color Family  ranging from the lightest sky blue, to a medium shade of ocean blue, to the darkest navy blue . These are the simplest color schemes to create, as they’re all taken from the same hue.

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