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Primary Colors

Primary colors are the three colors we need to make all other colors. They are red, blue, and yellow. These three colors can be used to create the next level of colors, called the secondary colors.

Secondary Colors

Secondary colors are purple, green, and orange. They are created using the primary colors. If you look on the color wheel, you’ll find the secondary colors in between two primary colors.

red + blue = purple

blue + yellow = green

red + yellow = orange

Tertiary Colors

Tertiary colors are created when you mix primary colors with a secondary color.

They are known as two name colors, red-orange, yellow–green, etc. Can you find other tertiary colors on the color wheel?

Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are those colors opposite each other on the color wheel.

Color Terms

Let’s take a quick look at some color-related terms that will help you understand the different types of colors you might be using as you work on your art projects:

• Hue: the name of a specific color; traditionally refers to one of the 12 colors on the color wheel

• Shade: a hue darkened with black
• Tone: a hue dulled with gray
• Tint: a hue lightened with white
• Saturation: refers to the intensity or purity of a color (the closer a hue approaches to gray, the more desaturated it is)

• Value: refers to the lightness or darkness of a color