A color scheme consisting of one color and the two colors adjacent to its opposite color is called which?

• A. Analogous color scheme
• B. Monochromatic color scheme
• C. Complementary colors/scheme
• D. Split-complementary color scheme

Answer: (D)

Split-complementary color schemes use one base color plus the two colors adjacent to its opposite color on the color wheel. This setup gives strong contrast because you’re still pairing with colors close to the opposite, but the nearby hues soften the jump, creating a lively yet balanced look. For example, if blue is the base color, its opposite is orange; the two colors next to orange are red-orange and yellow-orange, and those three together form the split-complementary palette. This differs from an analog palette, which would only use colors next to each other on the wheel without involving the opposite, a monochromatic palette that sticks to variations of one hue, or a true complementary scheme that pairs only two colors directly opposite each other.