PRIMARY COLORS

Red, yellow and blue

The Primary colors are blue, red,

and yellow and cannot be made by
mixing other colors together.

In traditional color theory,

these are the 3 pigment
colors that can not be mixed
or formed by any
combination of other colors.
All other colors are derived
from these 3 hues or color
SECONDARY
COLORS
Green, orange and
purple

These are the colors

formed by mixing the
primary colors

Intermediary colors are

made by mixing a primary
and a secondary color
together. Like purple and
blue, green and yellow or
blue and green.
TERTIARY COLORS
Yellow-orange, Red-
orange, Red-purple,
Blue-purple, Blue-
green and Yellow-
green

These are the colors formed

by mixing the secondary
colors.
Color Theory
The Color Wheel
A color circle, based on
red, yellow and blue, is
traditional in the field of
art. Sir Isaac Newton
developed the first
circular diagram of
colors in 1666. Since
then scientists and
artists have studied and
designed numerous
variations of this
concept. Differences of
opinion about the
validity of one format
over another continue
to provoke debate. In
reality, any color circle
or color wheel which
presents a logically
arranged sequence of
pure hues has merit.
COMPLEMENTARY

Complementary colors are opposite from

each other on the color wheel and they
contrast because they do not have any
colors in common. Green is made by
mixing yellow and blue, so it will
complement red.

ANALOGOUS

Analogous colors on the color wheel are

right next to each other and have a color in
common. Like blue, blue/green, and green
all contain blue. Red, orange and yellow are
analogous because red and yellow make
orange.
WARM COLORS

Warm colors are made mostly

of red, orange and yellow and
they remind you of warm things
and make you feel warm.

COOL COLORS

Cool colors are made mostly of green,

blue and purple and they remind you of
cool things and make you feel cooler.
Some Formulas for
Color Harmony A color scheme based on analogous colors
There are many theories for
harmony. The following
illustrations and descriptions
present some basic formulas .

Analogous colors are any three

colors which are side by side on
a 12 part color wheel, such as
yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-
orange. Usually one of the three
colors predominates.

Complementary colors are any two

colors which are directly opposite
each other, such as red and green A color scheme based on complementary colors
and red-purple and yellow-green. In
the illustration above, there are
several variations of yellow-green in
the leaves and several variations of
red-purple in the orchid. These
opposing colors create maximum
contrast and maximum stability.
A color scheme
based on nature

Nature provides a perfect departure

point for color harmony. In the
illustration above, red yellow and
green create a harmonious design,
regardless of whether this
combination fits into a technical
formula for color harmony.
CLEAN SATURATED COLOURS
In order to mix pigments into clean saturated
colors it is necessary to include a warm and
cool of each of the primaries in your palette.
There is no such thing as a pure primary
pigment, so when mixing green for example,
choosing a cool blue such as phthalo and a
cool yellow such as lemon ensures there is no
trace of red in the green. Using a warm yellow
like cadmium or a warm blue such as
ultramarine would introduce a slight trace of
red into the green resulting in a compound
color.

TINTS / SHADES of the COLOUR

In this illustration the compound mixtures

between red and green are shown, as are
tints and shades of the color wheel. Tints
are made by adding white to a color, shades
are made by adding black
Color Context

How color behaves in relation to other colors and shapes is a complex area of color theory.

Red appears more brilliant against a black background and somewhat duller against the
white background. In contrast with orange, the red appears lifeless; in contrast with blue-
green, it exhibits brilliance. Notice that the red square appears larger on black than on other
background colors.
Different
readings of the
same color

Small purple rectangle

on the left appears to
have a red-purple tinge
when compared to the
small purple rectangle
on the right. They are
both the same color as
seen in the illustration
below. This
demonstrates how three
colors can be perceived
as four colors.