analogous color

American  

noun

1. Art. any one of a group of related colors that are near each other on the color wheel, a circular chart that shows gradations of color.

   Red, orange, and yellow are analogous colors.

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Usage

What does analogous color mean? Colors are called analogous colors when they are very similar to each other, especially when they are next to each other on a color wheel. For example, red, red-orange, and orange are analogous colors.Analogous colors are typically discussed in terms of their relationship and closeness to each other on a color wheel, which is a circular chart that shows shades of color that gradually blend into one another (much like how they do in a rainbow). An analogous color is also called an analogous hue.The term analogous color is used in art when discussing the relationships of colors, especially in contrast to complementary colors, which are located in opposite positions on a color wheel.[caption id="attachment_148119" align="alignnone" width="300"] Color wheel: Getty[/caption]

Etymology

Origin of analogous color

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

The advantage of having a second, analogous color stimulus like that is we can now test whether there’s any consistency between the way people make sense of these images.

From Slate

The man sitting behind the desk looked as though he'd been built to be the lightest spot in an analogous color scheme.

From Project Gutenberg