Elements of Art: Colors

Color Wheel

A visual representation of colors arranged according to their chromatic relationships. Typically it features primary, secondary, amd tertiary hues.

Primary Colors

Sets of colors that can be combined to create all other colors, but cannot themselves be made by mixing others.

Secondary Colors

Colors created by mixing equal parts of two primary colors. These colors serve as foundational, vibrant, alternatives to the primary palette.

Tertiary Colors

Colors created by mixing a primary color with an adjacent secondary color in equal amounts, resulting in six distinct hues: red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet.

Complementary Colors

Pairs of colors that sit directly opposite of each other on the color wheel, such as: red-green, blue-orange, and yellow-purple.

Analogous Colors

Groups of three to five colors positioned next to each other on the color wheel, typically sharing a common base hue.

Hue

Is the pure, basic identity of a color. It is the specific color family or name, such as red, blue, or yellow, determined by its dominant wavelength of light.

What does a Hue not have?

white, black, or gray

What does a hue represent?

An unadulterated point on the color wheel.

What are the primary colors?

red, yellow, and blue

What are the secondary colors?

orange, green, and purple

Warm Colors

Are hues associated with heat and light.

What are some warm colors?

red, orange, and yellow

Cold (Cool) Colors

Are hues associated with cold and evoke feelings of calmness, serenity, and distance.

What are some cold (cool) colors?

green, blue, and purple