Color is one of the most important choices a scrapper makes when designing layouts. It is a very effective tool used to convey meaning and depth. Monochromatic color scheme is often used in scrapbooking. What is a monochromatic color scheme? A monochromatic color scheme is a color palette in which a single color tint is used as the basis for all shades and hues found within the image. The shade of color is varied by changes made to the saturation and/or brightness of the base color. White and black are always present as the two extremes on either end of the spectrum for whichever color is chosen for the monochromatic color scheme.

The word “monochromatic” derives from the root words “mono,” meaning one, and “chroma,” meaning color. It is important to keep in mind that while a monochromatic color scheme is built entirely around a single color, that does not mean that it is built around a single shade.

Varying the shades through changes to the brightness and saturation of the base color is key in providing an image with depth and visual appeal.

A couple ideas for making the most of monochromatic color schemes are found below:

Use a monochromatic scheme to prompt season or holiday

Many of us have seasonal or holiday associations with particular colors. Just like red and green are considered Christmas colors, orange and black are strongly associated with Halloween. These colors are what I used in my spooky layout below using the Haunting collection. Notice I changed the big photo to black and white because my daughter was actually wearing a light pink floral jacket. The other two photos were purposely not converted to black and white because I want to pull the orange in those images and use orange elements to bring the pop of colors.

Use a monochromatic color scheme for easy pattern mixing

Mixing a variety of patterned papers get easier when you use a monochromatic color scheme. I hunted for orange/amber/ginger tones to create this page. Traci’s Autumn Enchantment collection contains the perfect mix of beautiful patterns that go well together. The embellishments were carefully chosen to keep the color scheme.