What is the difference between complementary colors and analogous colors?

Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel (like blue and orange on a traditional color wheel), so they typically create strong contrast and often make each other look more vivid.

Analogous colors are neighbors on the color wheel (like blue, blue-green, and green), so they usually create a more harmonious, blended look with lower contrast.

In practice: use complementary colors when you want something to stand out, and analogous colors when you want more cohesive combinations.

You can use QuillBot’s free color wheel to create complementary and analogous color schemes.