Color Theory and the Color Wheel PDF

# Color Theory and the Color Wheel There have been many different discoveries and theories concerning color. Various systems have been developed to help us understand color and how to apply these theories. Some color wheels are made up of 12 colors and others of 24. Some theories state that the pri...

# Color Theory and the Color Wheel There have been many different discoveries and theories concerning color. Various systems have been developed to help us understand color and how to apply these theories. Some color wheels are made up of 12 colors and others of 24. Some theories state that the primary colors are red, yellow and blue while others believe the primary colors to be magenta, yellow and cyan. We will focus on the artist's spectrum, which is the color wheel most artists work from. Color theory began with the observation of light passing through a prism and the effects. The prism divided the white light into the colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, indigo and purple. These colors are measured in wavelengths, the shortest wavelengths look purple to blue, the medium wavelengths appear green to yellow, and the longest wavelengths we see are orange to red. From this it was determined that natural light is made up of seven colors. Further experiments found that all color could be made from three basic colors, red, yellow and blue which when mixed together in light, make white. The color wheel is made up around these colors. The three basic colors; yellow, blue and red, are known as **Primary colors**. Theoretically we can create any color if we start with the primary colors, however when the pigments are mixed, they lose their intensity. When two **Primary colors** are added to each other a **Secondary color** is produced. So; yellow and blue produce green, blue and red produce violet and red and yellow produce orange. Next there are six **Intermediate colors** which are made up of a primary color and the secondary color next to it. So; yellow and green produce lime green, green and blue produce turquoise, blue and violet produce blue-violet, violet and red produce crimson, red and orange produce red-orange, and orange and yellow produce yellow-orange. Finally the color wheel consists of three **Tertiary colors** which are made up of the secondary colors. So; orange and green produce olive, green and purple produce slate, and orange and violet create brown. The color wheel excludes neutrals which are beige and cream. Also, white and black are not considered part of the color wheel. Grey is found in the center of the wheel.