The Color Wheel: It's Not A Movie
"Color is my day-long obsession, joy and torment." - Claude Monet
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A Color Wheel
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In the above image, can you see the three primary colors? Do you know what a primary color is? If not, don't worry... I'm about to explain it. First, here's a list of the different types of colors you'll find on this color wheel:
- Primary colors
- Secondary colors
- Tertiary colors
- Complimentary colors
- Split complimentary colors
- Triadic colors
- Tetradic colors
Primary colors are those that when mixed together, can make all the other colors; they cannot, however be made by mixing any colors together. The primary colors are: red, blue, and yellow.
Secondary colors are the colors that are made when two primary colors are mixed. For example, Red + Yellow = Orange; Orange is a secondary color. The secondary colors are: orange, green, and violet.
Tertiary colors (intermediate colors) are formed by mixing one primary color with one secondary color. For example, Red + Violet = Red-violet. Some of the possible tertiary colors are: red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, and blue-violet.
Complimentary colors are two colors that are opposites in placement on the color wheel and when used in close proximity are pleasing to the eye. No, it doesn't sound very scientific, but it was a scientist who first developed the idea. Who? Oh, just some guy by the name of Sir Isaak Newton! An example of complimentary colors would be: red & green, yellow & violet, or yellow-orange & blue-violet.
Split Complimentary colors are the two colors on either side of one of the two complimentary colors. So, if we look at the diagram above, if you chose violet as your main color, then yellow would be your complimentary color, while yellow-green & yellow-orange would be your split complimentary colors. The idea of the split complimentary color scheme requires that you have one main color to start with in order to determine what the other two colors will be.
Triadic colors are any three colors that are evenly distributed on the color wheel. An example would be the primary colors red, blue, and yellow. The secondary colors also work in this fashion, as do some of the tertiary colors (red-orange, yellow-green, and blue violet).
Tetradic colors are four colors that are made up of two complimentary sets. For example, on the color wheel above, lets say that one of your chosen complimentary colors sets is red & green, and your second chosen set is violet & yellow. Well, those four colors in a palette are called tetradic colors.
I would understand if your confused,
but hopefully your not bored... cause there's more.
OK, so we've talked (I've talked) about all the different colors and color schemes. Now, it's time for all the variations on those colors. So let's keep going!
Hue is basically just a different way to describe color. So for example, if you went to buy a new car with a green hue, you'd be looking for green colored cars.
Tint is a word to describe a lighter version of an original color. So for example, lets say you have blue as your original color. If you were to mix a bit of white into the blue, you would have a blue tint. Add a little more white, and you'll have a different blue tint. Make sense?
Shade is a word to describe a darker version of a color. It's the same process as with tint, but using black instead. If you were to add some black to green, the you would have a shade of green.
Tone is used to describe a color plus grey. Again, it's the same process, we're just using grey this time. So if red was your original color, and you add some grey, then you have a tone of red or a red tone.
You may have also heard someone use the phrase "warm colors" or "cool colors". There's two different things they could be referring to. Warm or cool looking colors, and color temperature. For example, during a sunset, the sky will have a lot of reds, oranges and yellows present. These are considered to be "warm colors". During midday, the sky will have more blue and cyan present, and these are called "cool colors". Color temperature is a phrase used to describe the color of light that is emitted when a theoretical object called a "black-body radiator" is heated and it is measured in degrees Kelvin (K). The details of it all are far more complicated than this blog is meant for, so I'll leave it at that. However, you should know that color temperature works on a scale that is visually opposite of what you might expect. A higher number will have more blue, and a lower number will have more red. For example, a candle that burns with a very "warm" colored glow might have a low color temperature of say 3200K. A studio strobe with a blue gel filter on it, however, may have a very "cool" looking color, but its color temperature would be very high at perhaps 7000K. This is important to understand if you're going to accurately correct the white balance in your photos.
Like I said, this is a very simple tool, but really provides a lot of useful information. The version used for this article is made by The Color Wheel Company and is always at my desk unless I take it on a photo-shoot. I recommend the Pocket Color Wheel for portability, but the 9-1/4" wheel is great for the studio! They're cheap and easy to use, so don't hesitate!
Please, if you have any questions, comments, or corrections, just write them in the comment box below! And, I would LOOOOOVE it if you share my articles using the little icon thingies below!! :) Thanks!
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