The first color wheel has been around for more than 300 years and was developed by Sir Isaac Newton, according to ColourLovers. Other color charts, though, existed before that time. The basic design has evolved over time but the concept remains the same – almost any color combination from the wheel will work together.
A basic color wheel features 12 colors that can be combined in a variety of ways to create a number of different effects. Colors can complement one another, or even create chaos. Colors are also divided into categories of warm and cool. Warm colors are vivid and energetic and fall on the wheel from red to orange and yellow-green. Cool colors, which range from violet to blue and green, are considered calming and soothing. White, black and gray are neutral and take on the properties of surrounding colors.
Expanded color wheels build on this design and add equal variants of color around the wheel. Some wheels also include tints, shades and tones of each color. A tint is a variant of a color made by adding white to lighten it. Shades are a darkening of each hue accomplished by adding black to a color. Adding gray to a color creates a different tone.
Types of Colors
The basic principle of the color wheel starts with three primary colors – red, yellow and blue. The colors are placed equidistant on the wheel. Primary colors are the basis for all other color and any color can be made using a combination of primary colors.
Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors from the color wheel. The results – orange, green and violet – are centered between the colors mixed to make them on the wheel.
The last group of hues, tertiary colors, is made from mixing a primary and secondary color. Each color has a two word name, such as red-orange, blue-purple or blue-green. Tertiary colors rest between the colors used to form each on the color wheel.
Color schemes are generally created by selecting and combining two, three or four colors in a palette. Each color scheme can be made from a pure hue, tint, shade or tone. Match hue to hue, tint to tint and so on for the best color combinations.
