Basic color theory

Basic Color Theory


Color Wheel - 12 hues of the spectrum:

Warm Hues of the spectrum:
Yellow
Yellow-orange
Orange
Red-orange
Red
Red-violet

Cool Hues of the spectrum:
Violet
Blue-violet
Blue
Blue-green
Green
Yellow-green


Primary Colors: Red, Yellow & Blue

These colors cannot be mixed from any other colors. The triangle they form on the color wheel is called the primary triad.

When two primaries are mixed, secondary colors are formed:

red & yellow = Orange
red & blue = Violet
yellow & blue = Green
Orange, violet and green form the secondary triad.

When a primary color is mixed with a secondary color tertiary colors are made:

yellow & green = Yellow-green
green & blue = Blue-green
blue & violet = Blue-violet
violet & red = Red-violet
red & orange = Red-orange
orange & yellow = Yellow-orange
Complementary colors are colors that lie opposite each other on the color wheel.

The 3 major complementary pairs are: yellow & violet, blue & orange, and red & green.

The intermediate/tertiary colors all have intermediate complements:

red-orange & blue-green
yellow-orange & blue-violet
yellow-green & red-violet


When complementary colors are mixed, they usually produce a neutral gray.

When white is added to a color it becomes a tint.
When a color has been lowered in value by adding its complement or black, it is called a shade of the color.

Monochromatic color - color scheme using one hue plus white, neutral gray or black.

Analogous colors - three to five colors next to each other on the color wheel. They are more harmonious because they have a common primary color present in all of them.

Local Color - the actual color of an object; its middle tone.
The four characteristics of local color are:
hue - the color of the object: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet
value/tone - lightness or darkness
intensity/chroma - brightness or dullness
temperature - warmth or coolness