The Color Wheel

1
The Color Wheel

• An Introduction to the Color Wheel and Color
  Theory

By Pam Tim OLoughlin Art Specialists Oshkosh
Area School District
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Resource List
2
The Color Wheel

• The color wheel shows relationships between the
  colors.
• Artists often use the color wheel to help
  understand how colors relate to one another.

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3
The Color Wheel
Lets learn about Color!

• Primary, Secondary, Tertiary Colors
• Warm Colors
• Cool Colors
• Neutrals
• Color Schemes
• Monochromatic, Complementary, Analogous
• Mixing Colors
• Color Meaning
• Advanced Color Theory

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COLOR MIXING

• It's easy to mix paints to make new colors. You
  can use the primary colors (red, blue, and
  yellow) plus black and white to get all of the
  colors of the rainbow!

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COLOR MIXINGPrimary Secondary
When you mix the Primary Colors together, you get
the Secondary Colors. What colors do these make?
Red Yellow
Orange
Purple
Red Blue
Blue Yellow
Green
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Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answers
6
COLOR MIXINGTints and Shades

• Making Tints and Shades
• A shade of color is made by mixing that color
  with black.
• A tint of color is made by mixing that color with
  white.

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COLOR MIXINGTints and Shades

• This painting by Vincent Van Gogh, Fields in a
  Rising Storm, has tints and shades of blue in the
  sky, and tints and shades of green in the fields.

Fields in a Rising Storm By Vincent Van Gogh
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Go to Value
COLOR MIXINGValue, Tints, Shades

• The lightness or darkness of
  a color is called its value.
• Tints are light values that are made by mixing a
  color with white. For example, pink is a tint of
  red (redwhite), and gray is a tint of black
  (blackwhite).
• Shades are dark values that are made by mixing a
  color with black. Maroon is a shade of red, and
  navy is a shade of blue.

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Color Schemes

• Monochromatic Color Scheme
• Analogous Color Scheme
• Complementary Color Scheme
• Split-Complementary Color Scheme
• Double Split-Complement Color Scheme
• Triadic Color Scheme

Color Scheme Game
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Click on the Red Boxes Above to Proceed
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The Color Wheel

• Primary Colors
• Secondary Colors
• Tertiary Colors

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Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
Tertiary Colors

• The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow.
• Primary colors cannot be made from other colors.

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Primary Colors
Secondary Colors
Tertiary Colors

• Can you see the primary colors in this painting
  by Piet Mondrian?
• What shapes did Mondrian use in this painting?

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Boogie Woogie By Piet Mondrian
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Secondary Colors
Primary Colors
Tertiary Colors

• The secondary colors are orange, green, and
  purple.
• Secondary colors are made from mixing the primary
  colors.

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Tertiary Colors
Primary Colors
Secondary Colors

• Mixing primary and secondary colors creates
  tertiary colors.Tertiary colors include
• Red-Violet
• Blue-Violet
• Blue-Green
• Yellow Green
• Red-Orange
• Yellow-Orange
• On the color wheel, the tertiary colors are
  located between the primary and secondary colors
  they are made from.

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Warm Colors
Cool Colors

• The warm colors are red, orange, yellow, and
  anything in between.
• They are called warm because they remind you of
  the sun or fire.
• Warm colors seem to come out at you in space.

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Warm Colors
Cool Colors
The Fighting Temeraire by William Turner

• In The Fighting Temeraire by William Turner, the
  warm colors of the sunset give a feeling of
  brightness and heat. Look at the red spreading
  from the setting sun and the deep golden glow on
  the water. If you're feeling cold, looking at
  colors like these can actually make you feel
  warmer!

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Cool Colors
Warm Colors

• The Cool colors are blue, green, purple and
  anything in between.
• They are called cool because they remind you of
  the earth or a cool creek.
• Cool colors seem to recede from you in space.

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Cool Colors
Warm Colors
The Walk, Lady with a Parasol by Claude Monet

• In this painting by Claude Monet, The Walk, Lady
  with a Parasol , the cool colors of the ground
  and sky contributes to the peaceful feeling of
  the painting. Imagine how different the painting
  would look with a bright red skyit might seem
  more exciting or energetic than restful.

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Neutrals

• Neutrals don't usually show up on the color
  wheel. Neutrals include black, white, gray, and
  sometimes brown and beige. They are sometimes
  called earth tones.
• There are a few different ways to make neutrals.
  You can blend black and white to make gray. You
  can create brown in two waysby blending two
  complementary colors together or by blending all
  three primary colors together.

Snow in New York by Robert Henri
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In Snow in New York, Robert Henri uses many
different neutrals. You can see a few glimpses of
red paint, but the overall effect is of natural
browns, whites and grays--like those you might
see in rocks, sand, dirt, or clay.
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Monochromatic Colors
Color Schemes

• A monochromatic scheme consists of different
  values (tints and shades) of a single color. An
  example of a monochrome color scheme could
  include any color mixed with white or black. The
  example above is a green monochromatic color
  scheme.
• A shade of green is made by mixing green and
  black.
• A tint of green is made by mixing green and white.

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Analogous Colors
Color Schemes

• These colors are located next to each other on
  the wheel, such as
• Blue, Blue-green, Green
• Red, Red-Orange, and Orange
• Analogous colors are sometimes called harmonious
  colors.

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Analogous Colors
Color Schemes
Sunflowers By Vincent Van Gogh

• Orange, yellow-orange, and yellow are also
  examples of analogous colors. They are blended
  nicely in Sunflowers, a painting by Vincent Van
  Gogh. How do you know that these colors are
  closely related? They share a coloreach of them
  contains some yellow.

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Complementary Colors
Color Schemes

• Complementary colors are the colors that are
  directly across from each other on the color
  wheel
• Blue Orange
• Red Green
• Purple Yellow

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Complementary Colors
Color Schemes
Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent

• Red and green are an example of complementary
  colors. Look at the painting Carnation, Lily,
  Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent. The
  reddish-pink color of the flowers really stands
  out against the green background. Imagine if
  Sargent had painted all yellow or blue flowers
  instead. They would just blend in with the green
  (ho-hum).

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Split-Complement Color Scheme
Color Schemes

• A split-compliment color scheme includes a main
  color and the two colors on each side of its
  complementary (opposite) color on the color
  wheel.
• An example of a split-compliment color scheme
  could be green, violet-red, and red-orange.

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Double Split-Complement Color Scheme
Color Schemes

• A double split-complement (also called tetradic)
  uses two pairs of complements, one space apart on
  the color wheel.
• An example is red, green, orange, and blue.

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Triadic Color Scheme
Color Schemes

• A triadic color scheme uses colors at the points
  of an equilateral triangle (three colors spaced
  equally on the color wheel).
• These are sometimes called balanced colors.
• An example of a triadic color scheme could be
  red, blue, and yellow green, orange, and purple,
  etc.

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The Meaning of Color
Black
White
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Click on a color to learn about its meaning.
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The Meaning of Color-Red

• Red is the color of fire. It is associated with
  energy, war, danger, strength, power,
  determination and love.
• Red is a very emotionally intense color. It
  enhances human metabolism, increases respiration
  rate, and raises blood pressure. It has very high
  visibility, which is why stop signs, stoplights,
  and fire equipment are usually painted red. It is
  a color found in many national flags.
• Red brings text and images to the foreground. Use
  it as an accent color to stimulate people to make
  quick decisions it is a perfect color for 'Buy
  Now' or 'Click Here' buttons on Internet banners
  and websites. Red is widely used to indicate
  danger (high voltage signs, traffic lights).

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The Meaning of Color-Orange

• Orange combines the energy of red and the
  happiness of yellow. It is associated with joy,
  sunshine, and the tropics. Orange represents
  enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity,
  determination, attraction, success, and
  encouragement.
• To the human eye, orange is a very hot color, so
  it gives the sensation of heat. Nevertheless,
  orange is not as aggressive as red. Orange
  increases oxygen supply to the brain, produces an
  invigorating effect, and stimulates mental
  activity. As a citrus color, orange is associated
  with healthy food and stimulates appetite. Orange
  is the color of fall and harvest.
• Orange has very high visibility, so you can use
  it to catch attention and highlight the most
  important elements of your design.

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The Meaning of Color-Yellow

• Yellow is the color of sunshine. It's associated
  with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.
• Yellow produces a warming effect, arouses
  cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and
  generates muscle energy. Yellow is often
  associated with food. Bright, pure yellow is an
  attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs
  are painted this color. When overused, yellow may
  have a disturbing effect it is known that babies
  cry more in yellow rooms. Yellow is seen before
  other colors when placed against black this
  combination is often used to issue a warning.
• Use yellow to evoke pleasant, cheerful feelings.
  Yellow is very effective for attracting
  attention, so use it to highlight the most
  important elements of your design. Shades of
  yellow are visually unappealing because they
  loose cheerfulness and become dingy.

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The Meaning of Color-Green

• Green is the color of nature. It symbolizes
  growth, harmony, and freshness. Green has strong
  emotional correspondence with safety. Dark green
  is also commonly associated with money.
• Green has great healing power. It is the most
  restful color for the human eye it can improve
  vision. Green suggests stability and endurance.
  Sometimes green denotes lack of experience for
  example, a 'greenhorn' is a novice. Green, as
  opposed to red, means safety it is the color of
  free passage in road traffic.
• Green is directly related to nature, so you can
  use it to promote 'green' products. Dull, darker
  green is commonly associated with money, the
  financial world, banking, and Wall Street.
• Dark green is associated with ambition, greed,
  and jealousy. Olive green is the traditional
  color of peace.

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The Meaning of Color-Blue

• Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It
  symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence,
  intelligence, and truth.
• Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and
  body. It slows human metabolism and produces a
  calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with
  tranquility and calmness.
• Blue is used to promote products and services
  related to cleanliness (water purification
  filters, cleaning liquids), air and sky
  (airlines, airports, air conditioners), water and
  sea (sea voyages, mineral water).
• When used together with warm colors like yellow
  or red, blue can create high-impact, vibrant
  designs for example, blue-yellow-red is a
  perfect color scheme for a superhero.

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The Meaning of Color-Purple

• Purple combines the stability of blue and the
  energy of red. Purple is associated with royalty.
  It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and
  ambition. It conveys wealth and extravagance.
  Purple is associated with wisdom, dignity,
  independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.
• According to surveys, almost 75 percent of
  pre-adolescent children prefer purple to all
  other colors. Purple is a very rare color in
  nature some people consider it to be artificial.

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The Meaning of Color-White

• White is associated with light, goodness, and
  innocence. It is considered to be the color of
  perfection.
• White means safety, purity, and cleanliness. As
  opposed to black, white usually has a positive
  connotation. White can represent a successful
  beginning.
• White is associated with hospitals, doctors, and
  sterility. White is also often associated with
  low weight, low-fat food, and dairy products.

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The Meaning of Color-Black

• Black is associated with power, elegance, death,
  evil, and mystery.
• Black is a mysterious color associated with fear
  and the unknown (black holes). Black denotes
  strength and authority it is considered to be a
  very formal, elegant, and prestigious color
  (black tie event).
• Black gives the feeling of perspective and depth.
  When designing for a gallery of art or
  photography, you can use a black or gray
  background to make the other colors stand out.
  Black contrasts well with bright colors. Combined
  with red or orange other very powerful colors
  black gives a very aggressive color scheme.

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Advanced Color Theory

• Color
• An element of art which has three properties. 
• 1) Hue, which is the name of a color. For
  example, red, yellow, blue are hues.  
• 2) Intensity, which refers to the brightness and
  purity of a color.  For example, bright red or
  dull red.  
• 3) Value, which refers to the lightness or
  darkness of a color.

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Hue
Return to Advanced Color Theory

• Hue refers to the name of a color.  For example
  red, blue, and purple are hues.

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Intensity
Return to Advanced Color Theory

• Intensity refers to the brightness or dullness of
  a color. An example is bright red (or dull red).
• When a hue is strong and bright, it is said to be
  high in intensity. When a color is faint, dull
  and gray, it is said to be low in intensity.

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Intensities of Green
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Value
Return to Advanced Color Theory
Here is an example of a value scale that has
values ranging from the darkest dark, to the
whitest white.

• Value is the lightness or darkness of a color.
• You can obtain different values by adding black
  or white to a color.
• A light color is called a tint of the original
  hue. For example, pink is a tint of red.
• To make a color darker in value, black is added.
  A dark color is called a shade of the original
  hue. Maroon is a shade of red.

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41
Can you identify the color scheme in the image
below?
Is it a.
 

Primary Colors
Red, yellow and blue - may not be created by
mixing other colors.
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
Secondary Colors
Color Scheme Game
Cool Colors
Colors ranging between blue-violet and
yellow-green on the color wheel.
Warm Colors
Colors ranging between yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel.
Colors that are opposite of each other on the
color wheel.

Tints (color white) and shades (color black)
of a single color.
Monochromatic Colors
Complementary Colors
Analogous Colors
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Analogous colors are three colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel.
NEXT
Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answer
Analogous colors Analogous colors are three
colors that are right next to each other on the
color wheel.
42
Can you identify the color scheme in the image
below?
Is it a.
 

Primary Colors
Red, yellow and blue - may not be created by
mixing other colors.
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
Secondary Colors
Color Scheme Game
Cool Colors
Colors ranging between blue-violet and
yellow-green on the color wheel.
Warm Colors
Colors ranging between yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel.
Colors that are opposite of each other on the
color wheel.

Tints (color white) and shades (color black)
of a single color.
Monochromatic Colors
Complementary Colors
Analogous Colors
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Analogous colors are three colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel.
NEXT
Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answer
Analogous colors Analogous colors are three
colors that are right next to each other on the
color wheel.
43
Can you identify the color scheme in the image
below?
Is it a.
 

Primary Colors
Red, yellow and blue - may not be created by
mixing other colors.
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
Secondary Colors
Color Scheme Game
Cool Colors
Colors ranging between blue-violet and
yellow-green on the color wheel.
Warm Colors
Colors ranging between yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel.
Colors that are opposite of each other on the
color wheel.

Tints (color white) and shades (color black)
of a single color.
Monochromatic Colors
Complementary Colors
Analogous Colors
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Analogous colors are three colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel.
NEXT
Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answer
Analogous colors Analogous colors are three
colors that are right next to each other on the
color wheel.
44
Can you identify the color scheme in the image
below?
Is it a.
 

Primary Colors
Red, yellow and blue - may not be created by
mixing other colors.
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
Secondary Colors
Color Scheme Game
Cool Colors
Colors ranging between blue-violet and
yellow-green on the color wheel.
Warm Colors
Colors ranging between yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel.
Colors that are opposite of each other on the
color wheel.

Tints (color white) and shades (color black)
of a single color.
Monochromatic Colors
Complementary Colors
Analogous Colors
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Analogous colors are three colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel.
NEXT
Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answer
Analogous colors Analogous colors are three
colors that are right next to each other on the
color wheel.
45
Can you identify the color scheme in the image
below?
Is it a.
 

Primary Colors
Red, yellow and blue - may not be created by
mixing other colors.
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
Secondary Colors
Color Scheme Game
Cool Colors
Colors ranging between blue-violet and
yellow-green on the color wheel.
Warm Colors
Colors ranging between yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel.
Colors that are opposite of each other on the
color wheel.

Tints (color white) and shades (color black)
of a single color.
Monochromatic Colors
Complementary Colors
Analogous Colors
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Analogous colors are three colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel.
NEXT
Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answer
Analogous colors Analogous colors are three
colors that are right next to each other on the
color wheel.
46
Can you identify the color scheme in the image
below?
Is it a.
 

Primary Colors
Red, yellow and blue - may not be created by
mixing other colors.
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
Secondary Colors
Color Scheme Game
Cool Colors
Colors ranging between blue-violet and
yellow-green on the color wheel.
Warm Colors
Colors ranging between yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel.
Colors that are opposite of each other on the
color wheel.

Tints (color white) and shades (color black)
of a single color.
Monochromatic Colors
Complementary Colors
Analogous Colors
Return to Main Page
Analogous colors are three colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel.
NEXT
Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answer
Analogous colors Analogous colors are three
colors that are right next to each other on the
color wheel.
47
Can you identify the color scheme in the image
below?
Is it a.
 

Primary Colors
Red, yellow and blue - may not be created by
mixing other colors.
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
Secondary Colors
Color Scheme Game
Cool Colors
Colors ranging between blue-violet and
yellow-green on the color wheel.
Warm Colors
Colors ranging between yellow to red-violet on
the color wheel.
Colors that are opposite of each other on the
color wheel.

Tints (color white) and shades (color black)
of a single color.
Monochromatic Colors
Complementary Colors
Analogous Colors
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Analogous colors are three colors that are right
next to each other on the color wheel.
The End
Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answer
48
ResourcesImages have been borrowed from the
following websites

• Fields in a Rising Storm by Vincent Van Gogh
• www.factmonster.com
• The Fighting Temeraire by William Turner
• www.all-art.org
• Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh
• www.allartclassic.com
• The Walk, Lady with a Parasol by Claude Monet
• www.latifm.com
• Snow in New York by Robert Henri
• www.usc.edu
• Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer
  Sargent
• www.artcyclopedia.com
• Boogie Woogie by Piet Mondrian
• www.paintings.name/piet-mondrian-biography.php

Weblinks
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Web Links

• Clickable Color Wheel
• Basic Color Schemes Color Wheel
• Carmines Introduction to Color
• This site uses fun rhymes to explain what
  primary, secondary, and intermediate colors are.
  Mix colors before moving to another page and
  complete a quiz on color wheels.
• Sanford's ArtEdventures with Carmine Chameleon
• During this online adventure kids can learn about
  the color wheel, primary, secondary, and
  intermediate colors. Students also can find out
  what colors create these secondary and tertiary
  colors. Includes interactive game for mixing
  colors online.
• Color Factory
• Visit the online color factory for fun
  activities. Select the "Sorting Sector" and
  practice your knowledge of the color wheel by
  selecting and placing right colors into the
  circle. Go to the "Mixing Room" and create
  secondary and intermediate colors using online
  mixing machine then go to the "Messy Area" to
  paint pictures.
• Make a Splash with Color
• Learn about color. Find out why and how we see
  colors. Discover how hue, saturation, and
  brightness effect an image. Click on the
  "Combining All Three" link to go to the part of
  the site with interactive color wheel for
  practicing use of hue and saturation.
• The Science of Light Made from Dots
• Read how cyan, magenta, and yellow colored dots
  are mixed together to produce images on paper.
  Click on the "Go" link and use three swatches to
  mix and match colors.
• The World of Color
• Here are interactive applets that demonstrate how
  colors interact, mix with each other, and affect
  images.
• Additive Color
• Learn what color addition is and how it works.
  Use spotlights to practice mixing colors.
• Subtractive Color
• Find out how color subtraction works and mix some
  colors.

Resource List
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