The Color Wheel

An Introduction to the Color Wheel and Color Theory

By Pam & Tim O’Loughlin

Art Specialists
Oshkosh Area School District
Weblinks

Resource List
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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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The Color Wheel
Let’s learn about Color!
Primary, Secondary, &
Tertiary Colors
Warm Colors
Cool Colors
Neutrals
Color Schemes
Monochromatic,
Complementary, & Analogous
Mixing Colors
Color Meaning
Advanced Color Theory
Hue, Intensity, & Value
Click on the Red Boxes to the Right to Proceed Color Wheel Web Links
 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 MIXING
Primary + Secondary
When you mix the Primary Colors
together, you get the Secondary Colors.
What colors do these make?
Red + Yellow = Orange

Red + Blue = Purple

Blue + Yellow = Green

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Click the Mouse Anywhere to Reveal the Answers NEXT

 COLOR MIXING
Tints and Shades

Making Tints
and Shades

•A shade of color is
made by mixing that
color with black.
•A tint of color is
Return to Main Page made by mixing that
color with white.
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 COLOR MIXING
Tints 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.
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Fields in a Rising Storm
By Vincent Van Gogh

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 COLOR MIXING
Go to Value

Value, 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
(red+white), and gray is a tint of black (black+white).
• Shades are dark values that are made by mixing a
color with black. Maroon is a shade of red, and navy
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is a shade of blue.
 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

 The Color Wheel
Primary Colors

Secondary Colors

Tertiary Colors

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Click on the Red Boxes to the Right to Proceed

 Secondary Colors

Tertiary Colors
Primary Colors

• The primary colors

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

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 Secondary Colors

Tertiary Colors
Primary 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

 Primary Colors

Tertiary Colors
Secondary Colors

• The secondary
colors are orange,
green, and purple.
• Secondary colors
Return to Main Page are made from
mixing the primary
colors.
 Primary Colors
Secondary Colors Tertiary Colors
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• Mixing primary and secondary
colors creates tertiary colors.
Tertiary colors include:
1) Red-Violet
2) Blue-Violet
3) Blue-Green
4) Yellow Green
5) Red-Orange
6) Yellow-Orange
• On the color wheel, the tertiary
colors are located between the
primary and secondary colors
they are made from.
 Cool Colors

Warm 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
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come out at you in
space.
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 Cool Colors

Warm 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,
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looking at colors like these can actually make you feel
warmer!
 Warm Colors

Cool 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.
Return to Main Page • Cool colors seem to
recede from you in
space.
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 Warm Colors

Cool 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
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the peaceful feeling of the painting. Imagine how different the
painting would look with a bright red sky—it might seem
more exciting or energetic than restful.
 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
ways—by blending two Snow in New York
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complementary colors together or by Robert Henri
by blending all three primary In Snow in New York, Robert Henri uses many
different neutrals. You can see a few glimpses
colors together. 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.
 Color Schemes

Monochromatic Colors

• 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.
Return to Main Page • A tint of green is made by mixing green and white.
 Color Schemes

Analogous Colors
• 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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 Color Schemes

Analogous Colors

Sunflowers
By Vincent Van Gogh

• Orange, yellow-orange, and yellow are also examples of

analogous colors. They are blended nicely in Sunflowers, a
Return to Main Page painting by Vincent Van Gogh. How do you know that these
colors are closely related? They share a color—each of them
contains some yellow.
 Color Schemes

Complementary Colors
• 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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 Color Schemes

Complementary Colors

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
Return to Main Page 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).
 Color Schemes

Split-Complement Color Scheme

• 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-
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orange.
 Color Schemes

Double Split-Complement
Color Scheme
• 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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 Color Schemes

Triadic Color Scheme

• 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;
Return to Main Page green, orange, and
purple, etc.
 The Meaning of Color

Black

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White
Click on a color to learn about its meaning.
 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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Meaning of Color
Main Page
 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
Return to your design.
Meaning of Color
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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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Meaning of Color
Main Page
 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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Meaning of Color
Main Page
 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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Meaning of Color
Main Page
 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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Meaning of Color
Main Page
 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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Meaning of Color
Main Page
 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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Meaning of Color
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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
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Click on the Links Above to Proceed

Return to Advanced
Color Theory

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

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Return to Advanced
Color Theory

Intensity
• 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
Return to Advanced
Color Theory

Value
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,
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black is added. A dark color is
called a shade of the original hue.
Maroon is a shade of red.
 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.
Secondary Colors
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
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.
Monochromatic Colors
Tints (color + white) and shades (color +black) of a
single color.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite of each other on the color
wheel.
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Analogous Colors
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
 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.
Secondary Colors
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
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.
Monochromatic Colors
Tints (color + white) and shades (color +black) of a
single color.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite of each other on the color
wheel.
Return to Main Page
Analogous Colors
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
 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.
Secondary Colors
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
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.
Monochromatic Colors
Tints (color + white) and shades (color +black) of a
single color.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite of each other on the color
wheel.
Return to Main Page
Analogous Colors
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
 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.
Secondary Colors
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
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.
Monochromatic Colors
Tints (color + white) and shades (color +black) of a
single color.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite of each other on the color
wheel.
Return to Main Page
Analogous Colors
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
 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.
Secondary Colors
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
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.
Monochromatic Colors
Tints (color + white) and shades (color +black) of a
single color.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite of each other on the color
wheel.
Return to Main Page
Analogous Colors
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
 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.
Secondary Colors
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
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.
Monochromatic Colors
Tints (color + white) and shades (color +black) of a
single color.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite of each other on the color
wheel.
Return to Main Page
Analogous Colors
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
 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.
Secondary Colors
They result from the mixing of two of the primary
colors. Orange, green, and purple.
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.
Monochromatic Colors
Tints (color + white) and shades (color +black) of a
single color.
Complementary Colors
Colors that are opposite of each other on the color
wheel.
Return to Main Page
Analogous Colors
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
 Resources
Images 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
Weblinks • Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose by John Singer Sargent
– www.artcyclopedia.com
Return to Main Page • Boogie Woogie by Piet Mondrian
– www.paintings.name/piet-mondrian-biography.php
 •
Web Links
Clickable Color Wheel
– Basic Color Schemes Color Wheel
• Carmine’s 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.
Resource List • 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
Return to Main Page – 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.