The Color Wheel

By: Mrs. Barth

This is the color wheel

The Color Wheel

The color wheel has the three Primary colors:

Red

Yellow

Blue

Secondary Colors

The secondary colors fall in between the primary colors from which they are mixed.Secondary colors:

Purple

Orange

Green

Tertiary Colors or Intermediate Colors

Tertiary Colors are located in between the secondary colors from which they are mixed.

The tertiary colors are:

Yellow-green Blue-green

Blue-violet Red-violet

Red-orange Yellow-orange

Complimentary Colors

Complimentary Colors are across from one another on the color wheel. Complimentary colors work well together because the compliment each other!

Complimentary Colors

Yellow’s compliment is purple.

What is Red’s compliment?

Green!

What is Blue’s Compliment?Orange!

Cool colors

Cool colors are on one side of the color wheel. The cool colors are:Green

Blue

VioletAnd everything in between them!

Warm Colors

Warm colors are on the other side of the color wheel. Warm colors are:Yellow

Orange

RedAnd everything in between!

Cool colors warm colors

Neutral Colors

Black, Gray and White are called Neutral Colors

Tints and Shades

A tint is when you add white to make a color more light

Red’s tint is pink, Violet’s tint is lavender

A shade is when you darken a color using black. This creates darker shades of the same color.

Tints & Shades

Tints

Tints and Shades

Shades

Color Schemes

Color schemes are established palettes that you KNOW will look good together, because other artists proved it long ago!

What are some reasons that it’s important to understand which colors look good together?

Monochromatic color scheme

Mono means one and chroma means color

So a monochromatic color scheme uses only tints and shades of a single color.

Monochromatic color scheme

Yellow, black and white

Any colors that are side by side on the color wheel are analogous.

Analogous Color scheme

Analogous colors always look good

together.

When artists use analogous colors in their work, we say that their colors have harmony. This means that they get along

Complimentary Color Schemes

Using colors that are across from one another on the color wheel

Red and Green Blue and orange Purple and yellow

Complementary Color Scheme

Triadic Color Scheme(Tri meaning 3, like tricycle)

Using colors that are equally spaced on the color wheel

Such as: All primary colors (red, blue, &

yellow)Or all secondary colors

Triadic Color Scheme

Primary Colors only Secondary colors only