THE TRADITIONAL COLOR WHEEL
This is the traditional color model commonly used in painting.
primary colors
red, yellow, and blue
secondary colors
orange, green, and violet (mixing the primary colors)
tertiary colors
red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet (mixing primary with secondary colors)
THE RGB COLOR WHEEL
This is the additive color model that represents light.
additive colors
three light sources are added together to create color
primary colors
red, green, and blue
secondary colors
magenta, yellow, and cyan (mixing the primary colors) - you will see these below in the CMY model
tertiary colors
red-magenta, orange, yellow-green, cyan-green, blue-cyan, and blue-magenta (mixing primary with secondary colors)
THE CMY COLOR WHEEL
This is the subtractive color model that represents ink.
subtractive colors
inks are mixed together creating color by the reflection or absorption (subtraction) of light - Black (K) is added to CMY because of impurities in the ink
primary colors
cyan, magenta, and yellow
secondary colors
green, blue*, and red (mixing the primary colors) - *these represent the RGB colors, but RGB blue is out of gamut and the color shifts closer to purple
tertiary colors
cyan-green, cyan-blue, blue-magenta, red-magenta, orange, and yellow-green (mixing primary with secondary colors)
TERMINOLOGY
Terms and harmonies used to create aesthetically pleasing color combinations - please note: the traditional color wheel has been used in the examples below.
hue
the name of a color (in this case, red)
saturation
the intensity or purity of a color
brightness
how dark or light a color is
tint
a hue that has white added
shade
a hue that has black added
tone
a hue that has gray added
monochromatic
using only shades and/or tints of one hue
neutral colors
all tints and shades of browns, tans, beiges and grays (earth tones)
cool colors
blues, violets and greens (ex. cool water)
warm colors
reds, oranges and yellows (ex. hot sun)
complementary
colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel (ex. blue and orange)
split complimentary
choosing a base color and using the colors on each side of its complement (ex. blue, yellow-orange, and red-orange)
analogous
adjacent hues on the color wheel (these colors have a common color - ex. yellow, yellow-orange, and orange)
diad
two colors that are two colors apart (ex. yellow and orange)
triad
three colors that are four colors apart (equally spaced, ex. green, orange, violet)
tetrad
four colors in two complimentary pairs (ex. blue, violet, orange, yellow) - note: the pairs are usually two (as above) or three colors apart (ex. blue, red-violet, orange, yellow-green)
hexad
six colors equally spaced in the hue circle making three sets of compliments
COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
Important: the examples below represent typical responses to color in the United States - other cultures may have very different responses because of their traditions and beliefs.
red
energy, war, danger, fear, strength, power, determination, passion, desire, affection, love
orange
joy, sunshine, enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, stimulation
yellow
joy, happiness, optimism, intellect, energy, honor, loyalty
green
growth, renewal, harmony, freshness, fertility, safety, stability, endurance, trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, sincerity
blue
trust, dependability, serenity, calm, intelligence, relaxation, confidence, cold
purple
royalty, power, nobility, luxury, ambition, wealth, extravagance, wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, spirituality, loyalty, courage
white
light, goodness, innocence, purity, innocence, cleanliness, peace, perfection, safety
black
power, elegance, sophistication, independence, formality, death, fear, mystery, grief
gray
conforming, neutral, impartial, indecisive, mysterious, still, emotionless, strong, mature
gold
happiness, shrewdness, achievement, accomplishment, triumph, wealth, success, extravagance, quality, charm, confidence, luxury, prosperity
pink
feminine, love, calmness, innocence, hope, sensitivity, optimism, compassion
brown
structure, security, protection, support, reserved, boring
