> I'm on the side of color theory in terms of visual harmony. I have this unpopular opinion that a lot of color theory in terms of visual harmony - like much o

> I'm on the side of color theory in terms of visual harmony. I have this unpopular opinion that a lot of color theory in terms of visual harmony - like much of psychology - is a bunch of p-hacked pseudo-science;-) The most telling sign for me is that the relationship between harmonic colors most often are (and have been for a very long time) defined by certain simple angles in a color wheel. While the specific angles have always been the same (like 180 degrees for contrasting colors) the underlying color wheels have changed drastically[1]. Even today the angles are most often interpreted in relation to the hue circle of the HSV (or HSL) model which takes a very simplistic approach to hue angles compared to perceptual models like CIECAM. Fortunately not all designers fall for this quackery. I especially like the summary of the chapter about color harmony from Linda Holtzschue's book "Understanding Color: An Introduction for Designers": > * No single factor determines color harmony. All elements of a color composition contribute to the overall effect. > * The complementary relationship between hues is a strong basis for harmony, but it is not the only basis. Any hues used together can be made to be harmonious. > * Even intervals between colors contribute to harmony. Even intervals are pleasing whether between colors of different hue, different value, different saturation, or any combination of these qualities. [1] https://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/vismixmap.html https://www.handprint.com/HP/WCL/vismixmap.html