The Color Wheel

2. The color
wheel is a chart
of colors of the
visible
spectrum that
is used to show
how colors
relate to each
other.

3.  In1666, Sir Isaac Newton’s experiments
with light helped him begin his invention for
the first color wheel when he passed a
beam of sunlight through a prism.

4. The findings: All color is contained within
white light. When light passes through a
crystal prism, it is dispersed into the
spectrum’s range of visible colors.

5. Newton was able to
show the natural
sequence of color by
joining the two ends of
the color spectrum
together.

6.  The modern
color wheel
does not show
the full
gradation in
the spectrum.
It shows the
whole thing
broken up into
12 segments.

7. INFINITE COLORS
 Inreality, the segments actually smear into
one another so we have an infinite number
of colors.

8.  Some color
wheels show
the progression
across the
middle to a
complete
neutral in the
middle.

9. The color wheel
is made up of
three PRIMARY
colors, three
SECONDARY
colors, and six
TERTIARY
colors.

10. You
CANNOT
make the
three
primary
colors! You
MUST buy
them.

11. You make the
secondary
colors by
mixing two of
the primary
colors
together.

12.  Whatprimary colors do you mix to make
orange?
 Whatprimary colors do you mix to make
green?
 What primary colors do you mix to make
violet?

13. Tertiary colors
are created by
combining equal
parts of the
primary and
secondary colors
that are closest
to their sides.

14.  It
is important to note that the primary color
name comes first in the tertiary name.
• Red-violet
• Red-orange
• Yellow-green
• Yellow-orange
• Blue-violet
• Blue-green

15. Youcan mix any color of
the rainbow by mixing
with the three primary
colors!

16. Color + White= TINT

17. Color + Black= SHADE

18. Color + gray= TONE

19. Reds, oranges
and yellows are
considered
warm colors.
Blues, greens,
and violets are
considered cool
colors.

20.  Warm colors are vivid and energetic, and
tend to advance in space.

21.  Cool colors give an impression of calm,
and create a soothing impression. Cool
colors tend to retreat/recede in space.

22.  Colors opposite of each other on the color
wheel.

23.  The split-complementary color scheme is a
variation of the complementary color
scheme. In addition to the base color, it
uses the two colors adjacent to its
complement.

24.  These are colors
next to each other
on the color wheel.
They usually
create harmonious
combinations.

25. A triadic color scheme uses colors that are
evenly spaced around the color wheel.

26. A monochromatic scheme involves one
color mixed with a variety of tints, shades,
and tones.