Color Theory 101
Created by: Kari Ann Jones
Morrice Area Schools
Color
• Color is all around us.
• Artists use color to help convey a mood,
feeling, thought or idea.
• Colors can be grouped into primary,
secondary and intermediate colors.
Primary Colors
• The primary colors are
red, yellow and blue.
• Primary colors cannot
be mixed from any
other colors.
• All other colors are
mixed from
combinations of red,
yellow, blue, black
and white.
Quiz Time!
Which of the following statements is NOT true:
A. Red, yellow and blue are primary colors.
B. You must have the primary colors to make
all other colors.
C. Primary colors can be mixed using
other colors.
Oops! Remember…
• The primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
• Primary colors cannot be mixed from any other
colors.
• All other colors are mixed from combinations of
red, yellow, blue, black and white.
Let’s Review
• The primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
• Primary colors cannot be mixed from any other
colors.
• All other colors are mixed from combinations of
red, yellow, blue, black and white.
You’re right! Primary colors CANNOT be
mixed from any other colors!
Secondary Colors
• Secondary colors are mixed using
combinations of the primary colors.
• Red + Yellow = Orange
• Yellow + Blue = Green
• Blue + Red = Violet
Red + Yellow = Orange
Yellow + Blue = Green
Blue + Red = Violet
Test Your Knowledge
Click on the secondary colors:
Oh no!!!
Remember…
PRIMARY COLORS:
Red, Yellow and Blue
SECONDARY COLORS:
Orange, Green and Violet
Yes, Orange, Green and Violet are the Secondary Colors!
The Color Wheel
The color wheel is a tool artists use to organize colors.
A color wheel with the primary and secondary
colors looks something like this:
Intermediate Colors
• Intermediate colors are mixed using a
primary color and the secondary color right
next to it (adjacent to it).
• For example, to make blue-green, we mix
equal parts of blue and green.
• These colors are then placed between the
combined primary and secondary colors on
the color wheel.
The Color Wheel
A full color wheel, with the primary, secondary and
intermediate colors looks something like this:
Primary + Secondary = Intermediate
Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green
Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange
Blue + Green = Blue-Green
Red + Orange = Red-Orange
Blue + Violet = Blue-Violet
Red + Violet = Red-Violet
Quiz Time!
Which of the following colors would you mix
with blue to make an intermediate color?
Yellow
Orange
Green
Let’s Review…
To make an intermediate color, we mix a primary color
and a secondary color next to it.
Oh no!
Remember…
To make an intermediate color, we mix a primary
color and a secondary color.
When we mix the primary color, blue, with the secondary
color, green, we make the intermediate color, blue-green.
Another Quiz Q For You!
Which of the following colors would you mix with
orange to make an intermediate color?
Green
Red
Blue
Oops!!! Review Time…
To mix an intermediate color, we add a primary
color to its adjacent secondary color.
Remember…
Primary + Secondary = Intermediate
Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green
Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange
Blue + Green = Blue-Green
Red + Orange = Red-Orange
Blue + Violet = Blue-Violet
Red + Violet = Red-Violet
Yes! Red and Orange make
Red-Orange!
Tints and Shades
• Artists often make tints and shades of
colors.
• To make a shade of a color, we add black.
• To make a tint of a color, we add white.
shades
tints
+black
+white
Pure color
Mixing Tints
To make a tint of a color we add white.
Here are some examples of colors and some of their tints:
Mixing Shades
To mix a shade, we add black to a color.
Here are some examples of colors and some of their shades:
The Color Star
When we add some tints and shades to the color wheel,
we make a color star that looks like this:
Tints go toward
the center of
the color star
from the color.
Shades go
outward from
the color to
points.
Quiz Time!
To make a tint of a color, we add black.
True
False
Remember…
To make a tint of a color, we add WHITE.
+
=
Yes! To make a tint of a color,
we add white!
Still Quiz Time!
Click on the color below that is a shade of
Yellow
Oh no! Let’s Review…
To make a shade, we add black to the color.
Think Again!
Remember:
To make a shade, we add black to the color.
When we mix shades of a color, we add black.
So What Do Artists Do
With All of This Info?
• Artists use the color wheel as a guide to
help them choose colors to use in their
artworks.
• The color wheel can help us see various
color schemes.
• Artists often use one color scheme as the
base palette for a painting.
Color Schemes
Some color schemes artist use are:
Monochromatic
Complementary
Analogous
Warm Colors
Cool Colors
Monochromatic
• A monochromatic color scheme is one color
and its tints and shades.
To complete a painting
with a blue
monochromatic color
scheme, you could use
the colors on this palette.
This is an example of a monochromatic painting. Notice
how Mr. Chagall used blue and its tints and shades.
Les Amants Sur Le Toit
-Marc Chagall
Complementary
• Complementary colors are directly opposite each
other on the color wheel.
• Each color has only one complementary color.
• Next to each other, each color appears as vivid as
it can.
This painting has a complementary color scheme.
Notice how Mr. Cezanne used blue and orange and
their tints and shades.
La Montage Saint Victoire
-Paul Cezanne
Analogous
• When an artist uses two or more colors that
are next to each other on the color wheel
and that are closely related, it is called an
analogous color scheme.
This painting has an analogous color scheme. Notice
how Mr. VanGogh used yellow, yellow-green, green,
blue-green, and their tints and shades.
The Iris
-Vincent VanGogh
Click on the color scheme you
think Pablo Picasso utilized in
this painting, The Old Guitarist.
Complementary
Analogous
Monochromatic
Remember…
A monochromatic
color scheme is one
color and its tints
and shades.
Complementary
colors are directly
opposite each other
on the color wheel.
The colors of an
analogous color
scheme are next to
each other on the
color wheel.
Let’s Review…
A monochromatic
color scheme is one
color and its tints
and shades.
Complementary
colors are directly
opposite each other
on the color wheel.
The colors of an
analogous color
scheme are next to
each other on the
color wheel.
Yes, Mr. Picasso’s
painting does have
a monochromatic
color scheme
based on blue.
Click on the color scheme you think
Mr. Picasso based this painting, Still
Life With Biscuits, on.
Complementary
Analogous
Monochromatic
Oh no!!!
Think Again...
This painting has mostly blue, blue-violet,
violet, red-violet, red and its tints and
shades.
Monochromatic = one color and its tints
and shades
Complementary = colors opposite each
other on the color wheel and their tints and
shades.
Analogous=colors next to each other on
the color wheel and their tints and shades.
Look Again!
This painting has mostly blue, blue-violet, violet, red-violet, red and its
tints and shades.
Monochromatic = one color and its tints and shades
Complementary = colors opposite each other on the color wheel and their
tints and shades.
Analogous=colors next to each other on the color wheel and their tints and
shades.
Yes! This is an analogous color scheme.
Click on the color scheme Mr.
Cezanne used when he painted
Still Life With Onions.
Monochromatic
Analogous
Complementary
Remember…
Monochromatic = one color and its tints
and shades
Complementary = colors opposite each
other on the color wheel and their tints and
shades.
Analogous=colors next to each other on
the color wheel and their tints and shades.
Let’s Review…
Monochromatic = one color and its tints
and shades
Complementary = colors opposite each
other on the color wheel and their tints and
shades.
Analogous=colors next to each other on
the color wheel and their tints and shades.
Yes! Mr. Cezanne used the complementary color pair red
and green in his painting!
Warm Colors
• Some of the colors of the color wheel are
referred to as warm colors.
• When an artist uses these colors, they are
creating a painting with a warm color
scheme.
The “Warm” Colors
This painting has a warm color scheme. Notice how
Mr. Vermee used red, red-orange, orange, yelloworange, yellow and their tints and shades.
Girl Asleep at a Table
-Jan Vermee
Cool Colors
• The other half of the color wheel’s colors
are referred to as cool colors.
• When an artist uses these colors, they are
creating a painting with a cool color
scheme.
The “Cool” Colors
This painting is said to have a cool color scheme.
Notice how Mr. Picasso used yellow-green, green,
blue-green, blue-purple and their tints and shades.
Femme Allongee Lisant
-Pablo Picasso
Quiz Time!
Click on the painting that has a warm color scheme:
On the Bank of the Seine, Bennecourt
Red Canna
-Claude Monet
-Georgia O’Keeffe
Let’s Review
Cool Colors
Warm Colors
You’re right! This painting
has a warm color scheme.
Congratulations!
You have passed
Color Theory 101!