The Color Wheel

By Nancy March 6th, 2013

Isaac Newton invented the color wheel in 1666.  I have had the same color wheel for almost 20 years.  Why get a new one, the information doesn’t change.  I keep it by my desk and read the definitions and study it every so often.

Primary Colors:  Red, yellow, and blue.  These colors cannot be mixed from any other colors.

Secondary Colors:  Two primary colors mixed together to make orange, green, and violet.

Tertiary Colors (Intermediate Colors):  One primary and one secondary mixed together, like blue-green.

Warm Colors:  Reds, oranges, and yellows.  Warm colors advance.

Cool Colors:  Greens, blues, and violets.  Cool colors recede.

Hue:  Another word for color.

The next three words are mixed up all the time:

Tint:  Color plus white.

Tone:  Color plus gray.

Shade:  Color plus black.