Color Theory

The RGB primary colors are Red, Green, and Blue. This is an additive color model used for screens and digital displays, where combining all three at full intensity produces white light.

The CMYK primaries are Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow, with K representing Black (Key). This is a subtractive color model used in print, where combining all three theoretically produces black (though true black ink is added for depth).

Additive mixing (RGB) combines light — adding colors together moves toward white. Subtractive mixing (CMYK) combines pigments/inks — adding colors together absorbs more light and moves toward black.

In RGB, the secondary colors are Cyan (Green + Blue), Magenta (Red + Blue), and Yellow (Red + Green). These are formed by combining two primary light colors at full intensity.

In the traditional RYB model used in painting, the secondary colors are Orange (Red + Yellow), Green (Yellow + Blue), and Purple/Violet (Red + Blue).

Tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary color with an adjacent secondary color. Examples include red-orange, yellow-green, and blue-violet. They provide nuanced intermediate hues on the color wheel.

A color wheel is a circular diagram organizing colors by their chromatic relationship. It typically shows 12 colors: 3 primary, 3 secondary, and 6 tertiary, and is used to identify color harmonies and relationships.

Sir Isaac Newton developed the first color wheel in 1666 after his experiments with prisms splitting white light into the visible spectrum. He arranged the colors in a circle, establishing the foundation for modern color theory.

Warm colors include reds, oranges, and yellows. They are associated with energy, warmth, sunlight, and fire. In design, warm colors tend to advance visually and can create feelings of excitement or comfort.

Cool colors include blues, greens, and purples. They are associated with calmness, water, sky, and nature. In design, cool colors tend to recede visually and can create feelings of tranquility or professionalism.

Complementary colors sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel (e.g., red and green, blue and orange). When placed side by side, they create maximum contrast and visual vibration; when mixed, they neutralize each other.

Analogous colors are three or more colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel (e.g., yellow, yellow-green, green). They create harmonious, unified color schemes often found in nature.