The color wheel consists of three primary colors (red, yellow, blue), three secondary colors (colors created when primary colors are mixed: green, orange, purple) and six tertiary colors (colors made from primary and secondary colors, such as blue-green or red-violet).

Color Wheel Basics

Split Complimentary Color Scheme

Square Color Scheme

- Complementary colors are opposites on the color wheel—red and green
- Analogous colors sit next to one another on the color wheel—red, orange, and yellow
- Triadic colors are evenly spaced around the color wheel and tend to be very bright and dynamic.

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The first color wheel was designed by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666.


Color Theory Origin

Color Scheme

Color theory is a body of practical guidance to color mixing and the visual effects of a specific color combination. It explains how humans perceive color and the visual effects of how colors mix, match, or contrast with each other.

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