Which color scheme uses various tints, shades, and intensities of a single hue?

Which color scheme uses various tints, shades, and intensities of a single hue?

• A. Polychromatic color scheme
• B. Triadic color scheme
• C. Monochromatic color scheme
• D. Analogous color scheme

Answer: (C)

A monochromatic color scheme centers on one hue and its variations. You start with a single color and create tints, shades, and different intensities by adjusting lightness and saturation—tints are lighter versions made by adding white, shades are darker versions made by adding black, and varying intensity changes how pure or muted the color appears. This approach yields a cohesive, unified look because all choices share the same base hue, while contrast comes from light versus dark values and how strong the color feels. Other schemes involve multiple hues—polychromatic uses several colors, triadic uses three evenly spaced hues, and analogous uses neighboring hues—so they don’t stay within a single hue family.

A monochromatic color scheme centers on one hue and its variations. You start with a single color and create tints, shades, and different intensities by adjusting lightness and saturation—tints are lighter versions made by adding white, shades are darker versions made by adding black, and varying intensity changes how pure or muted the color appears. This approach yields a cohesive, unified look because all choices share the same base hue, while contrast comes from light versus dark values and how strong the color feels. Other schemes involve multiple hues—polychromatic uses several colors, triadic uses three evenly spaced hues, and analogous uses neighboring hues—so they don’t stay within a single hue family.