1. Color Schemes
Understanding and Applying Color
(Comprendre et appliquer les
couleurs)

2. Primary Colors
• RED, YELLOW, BLUE
• Primary because they can’t
be made using other colors
• (Primaire parce qu'ils ne
peuvent pas être faites en
utilisant d'autres couleurs)
Johannes Vermeer
“The Milkmaid”

3. Johannes (Jan) Vermeer, Dutch Master, 1632-1675

4. Secondary Colors
• ORANGE, GREEN, PURPLE
• Primary + Primary =
Secondary
• Red and Blue = purple
• Yellow and Blue = green
• Yellow and Red = orange

5. Georges Seurat, “Sunday Afternoon on
the Island of La Grande Jatte” 1884-1886

6. Tertiary Colors
• Primary + Secondary = Tertiary
Six tertiary colors:
Red Orange
Yellow Orange
Yellow Green
Blue Green
Blue Purple
Red Purple

7. Color Wheel

8. Terminology
• Hue - the color itself (la couleur elle-même)
• Chroma - the brightness and dullness of a color
(la luminosité et la matité de la couleur)
• Value (valeur)- the lightness or darkness of a
color (la clarté ou l'obscurité d'une couleur)
• Tint (teinte) - color plus white (couleur plus
blanche)
• Tone - color plus grey (couleur plus grise)
• Shade - color plus black (couleur + noir)

9. Some Yellow Variations

11. Color Schemes
• Complementary - across from each other on
the color wheel
• Split Complementary - using the neighbors of
one of the complimentary colors
• Analogous - three colors next to each other
• Triadic - evenly spaced around color wheel

13. Color Schemes
a b
c d

14. Split complementary analogous
complementary triadic

15. Complementary Color Scale
Tint/ Shade Grid

16. Robert Swain, Untitled Works