Colour Theory and Makeup Looks

Colour Theory - The colour theory is almost like a fact file with different rules and guidance to help artists understand how different colours go or don't go together and how colours are mixed together.

Colour Wheel - The colour wheel is a chart, shaped as a circle, with different sections of colour and it is used to understand the relationships between each colours.

Colour Wheel
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--76GA5xvmfs/UWfhqdUe3qI/AAAA
AAAAAcg/YkKPfmZmTXg/s1600/colour_wheel.jpg

Colour Complex - This is when the same colour can be interpreted differently by the eye when compared to different colours. The example below shows how the purple square on the left looks more pinky and brighter when compared with the blue, but when compared with the dark purple, it looks much more lavender.

http://facweb.cs.depaul.edu/sgrais/images/Color/Untitled-2a%20copy.gif

Makeup Looks

Analogous colours - One colour and the two colours either side of it. 

http://peppermintcreative.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/ct_8.jpg

Below is a face chart I made with a makeup look using the analogous colours red, orange and yellow. I did a smokey eye with yellow on the inner corner and on the inner third of the lid, I then faded this into orange in the middle of the lid and then finally red on the outer third, into the crease and along the lower lash line. I kept the contour neutral with brown contour and slightly red cheeks. I then finish the look off with a bold matte red lip.

Complementary colours - Complementary colours are the two colours directly opposite each other on the colour wheel.

http://willkempartschool.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/colourwheel01.gif

Below is my makeup look I did on my model using complementary colours. I chose the colours yellow and purple as they are opposite on the colour wheel. I chose to put yellow on the centre of the lid, the centre of the lower lash line and the inner corner. I then put purple on the inner and outer thirds of the lid and lower lash line, I also put purple in the crease. I made the contour colour dark purple and then added a hint of purple to the apples of the cheeks. I gave the lips an ombre effect with yellow in the centre fading out to purple. 

If I were to do this look again I would make the bottom eyelash colours more defined and possibly add some purple false eyelashes. I would also make sure the lips were blended further, giving a smoother transition between the colours. I really like how the eye is highlighted with the yellow in the middle and how well the purple in the crease is blended out. 

Achromatic colours - White, black and all shades of grey.

Achromatic scale
http://theslideprojector.com/images/art200/thelanguageofart/achromaticvaluescale.jpg

I did a makeup look using only achromatic colours and below was my result. I gave my model a black smokey eye with white inners corners and white eyelashes. She had black eyebrows, black contouring and a white lip. 

I ram really happy with the effect of the white eyelashes over the black smokey eye because of the high contrast and I am happy with the shape of the eye shadow and how its blended. However I think the lips could have looked better as the outline doesn't look crisp enough. I think that having a black outline fading into the white centre could look fun or I could have used a lipliner to get a presses edge. I also think that the contouring makes her look a bit muddy so I would experiment with using more black and not using grey as a blush colour, but instead leaving it bare or with a white highlight. 

Monochromatic colours - All shades of a single colour. 

Monochromatic scale of red.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/CPT-
Websites-monochrome.svg/201px-CPT-Websites-monochrome.svg.png

I made a face chart of a makeup look using monochromatic colours, shown below. I used the scale above for red, focusing more on the lighter half than the deeper reds. I will mix a white super colour with a bit of red to make a very light pink and apply that as the base all over the face and down the neck. I will then add a red powder contour colour in the usual places and add white to the high points of the face. I will add red powder to the eyebrows and contour the eyes with a red eyeshadow in the crease and along the lower lash line and then add white eyeshadow to the inner corner and brow bone. I will then make the lips red.