This is a an extensive beginner guide to colors with a focus on anime and manga. If y'all don't know much (or perhaps nothing at all) about the color wheel or different color combinations and then this is a must read. These are the aforementioned principals used by professional person artists, designers and animators.

Anime girl different color combinations examples
Colour combinations

The colors of anime and manga characters or even unabridged scenes are not chosen at random. Certain colors get meliorate together so others.

Color Wheel

Color wheel
Color wheel

A color wheel shows colors based on their relation to ane some other.

Please note that while the color wheel used in this tutorial is probably the most common example, color wheels can have far more than divisions so this or even a smooth gradient transition from i color to some other.

Primary Colors

Primary colors color wheel
Primary colors

There are iii master colors, crimson, blue and xanthous. The main defining characteristic of principal colors is that they cannot be created past mixing other colors.

Secondary Colors

Secondary colors color wheel
Secondary colors

Secondary colors are created by mixing ii of the main colors. For example yous can mix red and yellowish to get orange or bluish and yellow to become green.

Third Colors

Tertiary colors color wheel
Tertiary colors

Third colors are a combination of a main color and a secondary color. And so if for example you mix yellow and green yous will get a yellow-green color.

Applying Colors to Anime Characters

In the below examples you tin see how colors and colour combinations can be applied to an anime fashion grapheme in different ways.

Delight note that for these examples the colors volition only exist changed on the hair, eyes and dress. The shaded half of the color circles represent the color used on the shaded areas of the character.

Color Intensity

Anime girl drawing color intensity example
Color intensity example

The colour intensity is the effulgence of a color. It is effected by tints, shades and tones.

  • Tint – adding white to a color
  • Shade – adding black to a colour
  • Tone – adding greyness to a colour (a mix of blackness and white)

In the to a higher place example yous tin run across the difference between colors with and without tone.

Having the right color intensity can exist very of import when coloring a grapheme.

More intense colors may be more advisable for a more than cheerful character while less intense colors may be more than appropriate for a more than serious i.

Generally you practice non want to apply colors with no tone at all color an entire character. Just you may desire to use more intense colors if for example you want parts of their outfit to look like they are glowing.

Achromatic

Anime girl achromatic drawing
Achromatic colors drawing

Pure achromatic "colors" are black, white and grey merely achromatic can also include browns, tans (light brows), besides as very dark or very pale colors.

Achromatic outfits are fairly common in anime characters (black suit with white shirt for example).

Monochromatic

Anime girl monochromatic drawing
Monochromatic cartoon

Monochromatic but means one colour. In this instance the color is a mix of red and blueish along with some white and black (tone) to make unlike colour intensity variations of pinkish.

A monochromatic graphic symbol may be good if you want to create a character that stands out. For example if you saw someone walking downwardly the street dressed in pretty much all bright cherry-red or yellow that person would probably catch your attending more and so others.

Gratis Colors

Anime girl complimentary colors drawing
Gratuitous colors cartoon

Gratuitous colors are located across from ane some other on the colour cycle.

Once again this is a good color combination to utilise for a character that you desire to stand up out.

Carve up Gratuitous Colors

Anime girl split complimentary colors drawing
Split complimentary colors drawing

Dissever complimentary colors are a milder version (less contrast) of complimentary colors. These basically create a "Y" shape on the colour wheel.

Split complementary color schemes are very common for anime characters.

Coordinating Colors

Anime girl analog colors drawing
Analog colors drawing

Analogous colors are another mutual color combination for anime characters. These are colors that are next to each other on the colour wheel.

Analogous colors create a fairly mild, low contrast wait.

Triadic Colors

Anime girl triadic colors drawing
Triadic colors drawing

Triadic colors are a combination of three or more colors. These colors will grade a sort of triangle on the color bicycle. You tin can pick whatever 3 colors you desire as long as you keep the aforementioned distance between them (in this example iii divisions apart).

Square Colors

Anime girl square colors drawing
Foursquare colors drawing

Foursquare colors are a combination of 4 colors. These colors volition basically form a square on the color bike.

Tetradic Colors Combination

Anime girl tetradic colors drawing 2
Tetradic colors cartoon 2

Only similar a square a tetradic is a combination of four colors. These colors will form a rectangle shape on the colour wheel.

Warm Colors

Anime girl warm colors drawing
Warm colors drawing

Warm colors are ones like xanthous, scarlet and orange. Basically colors that you would associated with warm things like the sun or fire.

This type of a color scheme may particularly be useful for fantasy or sci-fi characters (a character with fire magic for example).

Cool Colors

Anime girl cool colors drawing
Cool colors drawing

Cool colors are blueish, royal and some greens. They are colors that you lot would normally associate with cold things like ice and snow.

Same as the warm colour combination a cool color combination can also be slap-up for sci-fi and fantasy characters (ice magic using graphic symbol for example).

Determination

In that location is a lot to know when information technology comes to colors but hopefully this tutorial helped you gain a better understanding of dissimilar types of color combinations. You can try and apply these when coloring your drawings and you can also try and spot some of them in your favorite anime characters.

For more than on colour see:

How to Color an Anime Character Stride by Footstep

For beginner drawing tips see:

Beginner Guide to Drawing Anime & Manga