Colour Theory

Primary- three main colours that are mixed to make other colours

– colours that cannot be created through mixing of other colours

usually red, yellow, blue

Secondary– colours that appear after mixing two colours from the primary colours

composed of orange, purple, green

Tertiary – colours that are made by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour or two secondary colours together

i.e. yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, red-purple, red-orange, yellow-orange

(bottom left)

Complimentary – colours that are directly opposite to each other on the colour wheel (colours that help one colour stand out more)

i.e. yellow and purple, red and green

Triadic– three colours on the colour wheel that form an equilateral triangle

i.e. orange, purple, and green

 

Analogous – colours adjacent to each other on the colour wheel

i.e. green’s analogous colours are blue-green and yellow-green

Contrasting – two colours from different segments of the colour wheel

Harmonious – all combinations of colours that allow colours to work together in harmony

i.e. complementary, analogous, triad, split-complementary, rectangle

Monochromatic – all the colours, including tints, tones, and shades of a single hue