The color wheel is an elementary device that is absolutely indispensable when selecting color combinations. Concepts of Primary, Secondary and Tertiary Colors Mixing Complementary Colors
Secondary colors: are obtained by mixing two primary colors. Secondary colors of light include magenta, yellow, and cyan (greenish blue). Secondary pigment colors: red, green and purple.
Tertiary colors: are formed by mixing primary and secondary colors. These include orange, crimson, light green, bright blue, emerald green, dark purple.
Additional colors: located on opposite sides of the chromatic circle. That, for example, for red, green is complementary (obtained by mixing two primary colors - yellow and cyan (greenish-blue). And for blue, orange is complementary (obtained by mixing yellow and magenta).
The law of color is the basic system for understanding color relationships. By mixing colors, you can make sure that the combination of the same colors gives the same result. Red and blue mixed in equal proportions always produce purple. Equal parts of blue and yellow always create green. Equal parts of red and yellow always produce orange. This system is called the law of color, since these laws of color compatibility are the result of repeated tests that have proven their accuracy.
Basic primary colors
Primary colors cannot be obtained by mixing. These are blue, red and yellow. All other colors are derived from them. Colors with a predominance of blue are called cool, while colors with a predominance of red and yellow are called warm.
Blue is the darkest of the primary colors. When added to another color, the resulting color becomes darker and cooler. Blue is the only cool primary color and when added to any primary, secondary or tertiary it becomes dominant (Figure 1). By making another color cold, blue also enhances its depth and gives it a dark tint. The blue pigment granules are the largest and its concentration is the highest.
Rice. 1
Secondary colors
Secondary colors are green, orange and purple. They are obtained by combining two, and only two, primary colors in equal proportions. Green is a combination of blue and yellow, orange is a combination of red and yellow, purple is a combination of blue and red. Green and purple contain blue, so they are cool tones. Orange combines red and yellow, making it warm (Figure 2).
Rice. 2 Secondary colors
Tertiary colors
These are blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet and yellow-green.
Tertiary colors are created by mixing a primary color with an adjacent secondary color. Blue-green and blue-violet are cold tones, red-violet is also cold, but not as much as the previous two, because red predominates in it. Red-orange and yellow-orange are warm tones. Yellow-green is a warm tone, but not as warm as the previous two, because it contains blue (Fig. 3).
Rice. 3 Tertiary colors
Primary colors(Figure 1) the primary natural colors of light and the primary colors of pigments (used in painting and printing) are separated. These are colors that are not created by mixing. If you mix the primary red, blue and green rays, you get white light. If you mix the primary colors of magenta, cyan and yellow - the colors of the pigments - you get black.
Figure 1 – Natural colors
Secondary colors(Figure 2) are obtained by mixing two primary colors. Secondary colors of light include: magenta, yellow and cyan (greenish blue). The secondary colors of the pigments are red, green and purple.
Figure 2 – Secondary colors
Tertiary colors: are formed by mixing primary and secondary colors. These include orange, crimson, light green, bright blue, emerald green, dark purple.
Additional colors (Figure 3): located on opposite sides of the chromatic circle. So, for example, for red, green is complementary (obtained by mixing two primary colors - yellow and cyan (greenish-blue). And for blue, orange is complementary (obtained by mixing yellow and magenta).
Figure 3 – Munsell chromatic circle
Munsell system
The Munsell system describes color based on three indicators: hue, lightness and saturation (Figure 4).
Key – this is, for example, yellow or blue.
Lightness shows at what grayscale level (vertical axis) the color is located.
Saturation: shows at what distance from the vertical axis in the horizontal plane the tone is located.
Thus, in the Munsell system, colors are arranged in three dimensions and have the appearance of a tree. The barrel (vertical axis) represents a scale with gradations of gray (from black at the bottom to white at the top). The tones are located on a chromatic circle, which is, as it were, “implanted” on a vertical axis. The horizontal axes show the saturation of tones.
Figure 4 – Munsell system
Chapter 3. Psychological effects of color
Color preferences
The effects of flowers are well known and accepted by most people. It has often been studied in serious scientific experiments. But this effect has not been fully studied.
When talking about the psychological impact of color, it is important to take into account the fact that different societies have different points of view. Even independent research results on the effects of color sometimes bear the imprint of belonging to a particular cultural group of people whose opinions have been formed over the centuries.
Why is it impossible to stay objective when studying this issue? Partly because it is quite difficult to separate the psychology of color from its symbolism.
The symbolic meaning of flowers has developed among certain peoples over the centuries. Take, for example, black and white colors. In the West, black is perceived as a serious, dramatic, and sometimes sad color. When using black color in decoration, warnings are often heard about its depressing effect. Traditionally, black is the color of mourning. White color, on the contrary, is associated with purity, peacefulness, and optimism. Therefore, wedding dresses in Western countries are traditionally white. It would never occur to anyone to wear white clothes to a funeral ceremony, or for a bride to attend a wedding in a black dress. However, in some countries of the East it is white, and not black, that is the color of mourning...
But on the other hand, different societies attribute similar properties to the same color. For example, the opinion of feng shui experts about the properties of flowers coincides in many aspects with the opinion of Western scientists. This suggests that each color has certain qualities that lie deep in its nature. It was these properties that were identified by man and passed on from culture to culture, starting from the moment of the great discovery of the Venetian Marco Polo.
Based on what color we prefer at one time or another, what color we want to surround ourselves in the interior, all this can tell a lot about us.
Color preferences depend on many reasons. Among them are age, gender, cultural level, education, characteristics of temperament and character, etc. For example, pure bright colors are preferred by people with a healthy psyche, among them children, youth, as well as open-minded people.
Mixed, complex colors evoke mixed emotions. These colors are most often preferred by people with a fine nervous system, sometimes with a rather tired nervous system.
First impression is everything. The proverb “You are greeted by your clothes, you are seen off by your mind” is relevant not only in life, but also in design. The impression of a design consists of many factors, and one of the most important is color.
Understanding which colors go together isn't always easy, this article describes the basics of color theory that will come in handy when choosing a color scheme for your website design. Let's start with the simplest.
Primary Colors
The main colors of the palette are red, yellow and blue. If we talk about the primary colors on the screens of various devices, these are RGB, red, green and blue.
Secondary Colors
If you evenly mix red and yellow, yellow and blue, blue and red, you get secondary colors, respectively - orange, green and violet. Combining these colors in a project can add contrast to the design.
Tertiary Colors
A tertiary color is obtained by mixing the primary and secondary colors. For example, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green, red-orange, yellow-orange.
We've covered the basics of the color wheel. It makes it easy to select well-matching colors for your design. Let's move on to more complex combinations.
Complementary Colors
As you can see from the diagram, complementary colors are opposite each other on the wheel. They add more contrast to the design, but should be used with caution, otherwise it will be an eye-catching design.
Analogous Colors
They are located nearby on the wheel of flowers. Adjacent colors create a sense of variety, such as blue-green or yellow-orange.
Triads
Using triads on the color wheel you can achieve enough variety, but at the same time good balance.
Split Complementary Colors
This color combination adds contrast and variety to the design.
Square Colors
This scheme works well with one enhanced color and three muted ones.
Rectangular scheme (Tetradic Colors)
It is similar to the previous scheme, or rather just a variation of it.
Using Light and Shadow (Tints and Shades)
Gives the design volume and color variety.
Warm and Cool Colors
Cool and warm colors are classic color schemes in their own right. Their main difference is in human perception. Warm colors evoke summer associations: warmth, sun, green landscapes, while cool colors are associated with winter: cold, snow, cloudy weather.
Understanding color theory and using it correctly in practice is one of the most important skills of a good designer. The right combination of colors on a website improves the overall perception of the design and can evoke different emotions.
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Artists divide all colors into three groups: Primary colors (primary), Secondary colors and Tertiary colors. Tone, which refers to the name of a color, such as red, blue and yellow, are different shades. Saturation of a color is the strength with which that color is presented. Color purity is the amount of gray in a color achieved by adding white or black. This value refers to the lightness and darkness of a color on a luminance scale from 1 to 10.
By interacting one color with another, you can achieve both a strong and subtle glow effect in your work. Understanding the power of the interaction of color and light on the surface of various textures is essential for every artist. The genre, technique and subject depicted are not so important. Everyone must know this, otherwise his works will only be strange works, since you will achieve this effect by trial and error.
Primary colors
Red, Yellow and Blue, since light waves have different frequencies: Red - long waves, Yellow - medium, Blue - closer to short, the last one (Purple)
Secondary colors
Orange, Green and Purple - the combination of Primary colors in pairs is the result of the appearance of Secondary colors. (Yellow + Red = Orange, Yellow + Blue = Green, Red + Blue = Purple)
Tertiary colors
The colors that are obtained by mixing Primary and Secondary are Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, Red-Violet and Blue-Violet.
Complementary colors
These are those colors that are 180° opposite each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors allow you to achieve the greatest color contrast and stability. Colors located next to complementary ones help soften visual contrast, which can be annoying.
How to get the "glow"
Did you know? Using lighter shades of complementary colors can recreate that “glow” of light and color.
Mixing complimentary colors
If you slowly add color to its complementary color, it will gradually lose its identity. They neutralize each other and only the shade variation remains. Depending on the pigment used, this property can be considered an important tool for finding more complex combinations of warm and cool shades.
Split-complementary colors
Split complementary groups consist of a main color and two adjacent colors. For example, Yellow\Red-violet\Blue-violet.
Similar colors
Groups of 3-4 closest colors on the color wheel. Here are four groups of three similar colors.
Color key
Color key is the overall brightness and color saturation of a drawing. A drawing in a light color scheme is a drawing depicted with colors that are on the light end of the scale. Working in dark tones is darker and the shades are on the dark end of the scale. Paintings painted in light and dark colors may have different levels of color saturation.
High key - high level of color saturation 
High key - low color saturation 
Low key - high level of color saturation 
Low key - low level of color saturation Color and emotional temperature
Primary colors - red, yellow, blue
Red is the color of blood and all living things, it is warm. Yellow is the color of the sun and warm golden flowers. Blue is the color of coolness and water and the distant sky.
Secondary colors - orange, green, purple
Orange is the color of citrus fruits hanging on the trees and the last warm rays touching the edge of a distant canyon. Green can be the color of life and everything growing, or distant and alien. Purple can be rich, requiring a neutral presence, or find itself in the elements of organic foods.
Tertiary colors - yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, yellow-green
Yellow-orange is the color of flesh and life. Red-orange is a vibrant invitation to celebrate his presence. Red-violet is not yet the cool shade of canyon sandstone at dusk. Blue-violet is a mystery with deep shadows on a cold night. A blue-green claim that promises solace elsewhere.
Emotional response to color
All the above associations will give you only a vague idea of the basic color theory that talks about our emotional response to color, and how these responses actually relate to the reality in which we find ourselves. Just like the intervention of some natural primitive connections, which we most likely will not be able to understand.
Frederic Edwin Church. "Twilight in the Desert", 40x64, 1860, oil, Cleveland Museum of Art "Color is a strong component. It can leave you breathless. The familiar sight of a glowing bright red sunset has become so because of our desire to receive the same emotional response first-hand. This is one of those magical moments when we, as artists, try to recreate reality in our thoughts and actions. We would like to pay attention to this experience through our creations... wouldn't we?"
Put your head to work:
Make a list of colors as done above. Write down your emotional response to each color, as if it were just a characteristic of the individual you are observing. For example, "When you see red, what comes to mind. Then, using the terms you use to describe those objects that have those colors, imagine the tactile sensation, the temperature of the color. This usually refers to the time of day, time of year and how far away visually this color is displayed.
“If you are cold, and given equal conditions, you can choose between a red and a blue blanket, which one do you think will be warmer?”
If you really look around and look at nature, and the objects of everyday life, what you see should be recorded. If not, then you need time to adjust your choice.
Since the beginning of this school year, I have a new resolution - to regularly write on LJ. Let's see how long I can last.
To start somewhere, I decided to start with color. It is color that catches our eye first when we look at something.
If we start completely from the beginning, then color is electromagnetic waves of different lengths. The eye catches them, and the brain converts them into color sensations. Since color perception is a subjective characteristic, each person sees colors differently. At the same time, everyone’s visual apparatus is structured the same, so we see colors, although in our own way, but very similarly. The light wave itself has no color. Color appears only when this wave is perceived by the eye and brain. This or that color appears in the process of absorption of light waves. Black color absorbs all light waves, and white color, on the contrary, reflects all waves. A blue cup, for example, absorbs all light rays and reflects only blue light.
Color can be chromatic or achromatic. Achromatic color has no color tone, it is white, black and gray. Accordingly, chromatic color is all other colors.
Primary, secondary and tertiary colors.
Many colors and shades can be obtained by mixing small amounts of paint. At one time, the desire to decompose everything into elements led to the isolation of primary colors. Primary or base colors are colors that cannot be created by mixing. There are three primary colors: red, yellow and blue. If you mix them, you get black.
Secondary colors are obtained by mixing two primary colors:
Red + blue
Red + yellow
Yellow + blue
Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary and an adjacent secondary color.
Thus, we got twelve colors, from which we can get countless different shades.
Color circle
Waves of color flow smoothly into each other, creating a continuous range of colors.
And if we imagine this spectrum in the form of a circle, we get a color wheel - a very important tool for artists, designers and everyone who works with color. Including stylists.
The most used is the two-dimensional Itten circle
and three-dimensional Munsell circle
In a two-dimensional circle, you can clearly see how the colors are located in relation to each other. This is a reminder to help you create different color combinations.
The 3D circle shows a color change. This brings us to color characteristics.
There are three generally accepted characteristics of color:
- tone (Hue) - determines the color. Red, orange, green, etc. This is where we talk about warm and cool colors.
- brightness (Saturation) - determines the addition of gray to the main color. Pure color is bright, with additions of gray it is soft.
- with lightness - determines the admixture of white or black in the main pigment.