COLOR
The Color Wheel & Properties of Color
The Color Wheel
• Primary Colors:
– colors from which all others are made
– no other colors can be mixed to create
these colors
The Color Wheel
• Secondary Colors:
– colors formed by mixing equal amounts of two
primary colors
– these colors are located on the color wheel in
between the colors that formed them
For example:
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=
The Color Wheel
• Tertiary Colors:
– colors formed by mixing one primary and one
secondary
– these colors are located on the color wheel in
between the colors that formed them
For example:
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=
The Color Wheel
• Tertiary Colors:
– always named with primary color first, then
secondary color
For example:
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=
Red + Violet = RED VIOLET
Three Properties of Color
• Hue
– the purest form of a color
– the name of the color itself
Hue = Yellow Green
Three Properties of Color
• Intensity
– the brightness or dullness of a color
– A color is most intense in its purest form
– Two ways to lower the intensity of a color
• Mix the colors opposite (compliment)***
• Add a nuetral to the color (browns/black/white)
Lowering the intensity of yellow-green
Simultaneous Contrast
The intensity of a color will appear to change
depending on what other hues are around it.
– Appear more intense = place next to compliment
– Appear less intense = place next to a similar color
Three Properties of Color
• Value
– the lightness or darkness of a color
TINT = color mixed with white
TONE = color mixed with gray
SHADE = color mixed with black
Other HUES of importance
• Nuetrals: created by different
amounts of reflected light
• Earth Tones: created by mixing
opposite colors