Color Wheel

art · color · design · science

Primary colors rule. Red, yellow, and blue are the primary colors because you cannot make them by mixing other colors together. All other colors come from mixing these three in different amounts.

Mixing makes secondaries. When you mix two primary colors together, you get a secondary color. Red plus yellow makes orange, yellow plus blue makes green, and blue plus red makes purple.

The wheel shows relationships. Colors that sit across from each other on the color wheel (called complementary colors) look amazing when placed side by side. For example, purple and yellow really pop together.

Colors have neighbors. Colors next to each other on the wheel are called analogous colors, and they blend together smoothly and peacefully. Blue, green, and teal are neighbors that work well together in paintings and designs.

Useful for artists. Painters, designers, and decorators use the color wheel to pick colors that look good together and to understand how colors affect our feelings and moods.