Colour TermsPrimary colours – RED, YELLOW, BLUE

Secondary colours – mix a primary colour with a primary colour ORANGE, GREEN, VIOLET

Tertiary Colours – mix a primary colour with the secondary colour next to itRED-ORANGE, RED-VIOLET, BLUE-VIOLET, BLUE-GREEN, YELLOW-GREEN, YELLOW-ORANGE,

RR-V

violet

B-V

B

B-Ggreen

Y-G

Y

Y-O

orange

R-O

Colour TermsPrimary coloursRED, YELLOW, BLUE

Secondary colours – mix a primary with a primary (e.g. red + yellow = orange)ORANGE, GREEN, VIOLET

Tertiary Colours – mix a primary colour with the secondary colour next to it (e.g. red + orange = red-orange)RED-ORANGE, RED-VIOLET, BLUE-VIOLET, BLUE-GREEN, YELLOW-GREEN, YELLOW-ORANGE,

RR-V

violet

B-V

B

B-Ggreen

Y-G

Y

Y-O

orange

R-O

COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS • Colours directly across from

eachother on the colour wheel• They bring out the best in

eachother• They add contrast• JUST DON’T MIX THEM – THEY MAKE MUD!

R-V

Y-G

R

green

B

orange violet

Y

B-VY-O

B-G

R-O

ANALOGOUS COLOURS • Colours BESIDE eachother on the

colour wheel• They look good together because they

have a common colour • It’s like relatives (common genes) or

neighbours (side by side on the same street)

• usually 3 colours make a great set to work with

RR-V

violet

B-Ggreen

Y-G

MONOCHROMATIC COLOURS • One colour plus tints and shades of that colourTo create a TINT add white To create a SHADE add black (or the colours’ complement)

B

TINTS SHADES

WARM COLOURS • Remind you of the sun, fire,

summer, autumn…• They pop out at you • They are attention seekers• They give a sense of

excitement, fun, energy and heat

R

Y-G

Y

Y-O

orange

R-O

COOL COLOURS • Remind you of ice, sky, grass,

winter…• They sit back (recede) in a

picture• They create a sense of relaxation,

peace, sadness and cold

B-G

green

R-V

violet

B-V

B

TRIADIC COLOURS – • 3 colours equally

spaced on the colour wheel (it forms a triangle)

RR-V

violet

B-V

B

B-Ggreen

Y-G

Y

Y-O

orange

R-O

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS • One colour plus the two colours

on either side of its’ complement

• For example, the complementary colour of yellow is violet

• red-violet and blue-violet on either side of violet so…..

• yellow, red-violet and blue-violet are a split complementary set

R-V

violet

B-V

Y

R

B-G

orange

R-O

SPLIT COMPLEMENTARY COLOURS

• blue-green, orange and red are a split complementary set