Color Wheels Explained: What Are Color Wheels And How Do Color Wheels Differ?
What Are Color Wheels?
A color wheel, sometimes referred to as a color circle, color disc or color scale, is a visual method to organized color hues in the form of a circle. Each color wheel represents an arrangement of colors and color combinations within a color spectrum that is based on their mutual relationships. By using color wheels, it becomes easier to describe and communicate colors and color relationships in more reliable way. It might come as a surprise that there is not a single method or solution to organize colors in a color wheel. For example, a color wheel based on the RYB color model is not the same as one that is based on the CMY model or RGB model. The choice for one color wheel or another depends largely on the intended use, for example, designing a print for a garment would require a different color model than drawing a web illustration. However, even though the underlying models are different, most color wheels have similar structural elements. Commonly, the structure of a color wheel consists of three primary colors, three secondary colors and six tertiary colors. Other important structures are color triads, analogous colors and complementary colors.
What Are Primary Colors?
Color Model |
Type Of Model |
Primary Colors |
RGB
|
Additive
|
Red |
RYB
|
Subtractive
|
Red |
CMY
|
Subtractive
|
Cyan |
What Are Secondary Colors?
Secondary colors are colors that are formed by combining or mixing two primary colors. This means that secondary colors can be described by referencing to these two primary colors.
Color Model |
Type Of Model |
Secondary Colors |
RGB
|
Additive
|
Cyan (obtained by mixing blue and green) |
RYB
|
Subtractive
|
Orange (obtained by mixing yellow and red) |
CMY
|
Subtractive
|
Red (obtained by mixing magenta and yellow) |
What Are Tertiary Colors?
Tertiary colors are colors that are created by mixing one primary and one secondary color. Just like secondary colors, tertiary colors can also be described based on two primary colors which have either a more dominant or smaller role.
Note: the names in the table below used for describing the tertiary colors in RGB and CMY color models are not fixed.
Color Model |
Type Of Model |
Tertiary Colors |
RGB
|
Additive
|
Orange (obtained by mixing red and yellow) |
RYB
|
Subtractive
|
Red-orange (sometimes referred to as vermilion) |
CMY
|
Subtractive
|
Orange (obtained by mixing red and yellow) |
What Is A Color Triad?
A color triad refers to a set of three hues spaced apart 120 degrees on a color wheel. Even though a color wheel knows many different triads, the starting point of all triads are the primary and secondary color triads. As is the case with primary, secondary and tertiary colors, how color triads are spaced apart and which colors form a triad depends on the underlying color model.
Color Model |
Type Of Model |
Color Triads |
RGB
|
Additive
|
Red, green blue |
RYB
|
Subtractive
|
Red, yellow, blue |
CMY |
Subtractive |
Cyan, magenta, yellow |
What Are Analogous Colors?
Analogous colors are colors adjacent or near to each other on the color wheel. These colors connect well with each other and together have a sense of visual unity. Analogous colors are often described as a set of colors containing a dominant color (usually a primary or secondary color), a supporting color (usually a secondary or tertiary color) and a third color which tends to be a mix of the dominant and supporting color or an accent color. Examples of analogous colors are:
- Red, orange, red-orange
- Blue, purple, blue purple
- Green, teal, teal-green
What Are Complimentary Colors?
Complementary colors are pairs of hues that provide a strong contrast and appear opposite of each other on a color wheel. Complementary colors enhance each other’s intensity when placed together and tend to have a bold look and feel. Again, which pairs of colors are seen as complementary colors depends on the underlying color model.
Color Model |
Type Of Model |
Complementary Colors |
RGB
|
Additive
|
Red-cyan |
RYB
|
Subtractive
|
Red-green |
CMY
|
Subtractive
|
Red-cyan |
What Are Additive Color Models?
In additive color models, colors are created by adding or mixing different amounts of light colors together. Additive color models start with black and add different colors in the mix to produce a wide spectrum of colors. Because additive color models use transmitted light, their colors appear much brighter and have a larger visible spectrum compared to subtractive colors as these colors rely on pigments and reflection. Additive colors are mainly used for digital devices (i.e. phones, cameras, computer monitors, televisions, etc.). An example of such an additive color model is the RGB model.
What Are Subtractive Color Models?
In subtractive color models, colors revolve around pigments. These models are based on the absorption of certain wavelengths from white light and while reflecting back others. Because ink pigments are more limited in number than transmitted light, subtractive color models offer a smaller visible color spectrum compared to additive color models. Subtractive color models are mainly used for printing and dyeing. Examples of subtractive models are CMY, CMYK and RYB.
What Are Color Wheels Used For?
Summary
Color wheels are visual methods to organize color hues and their mutual relationships along a circle. As there are multiple approaches to create a color wheel, the exact structure and lay-out of a color wheel depends on the underlying color model (e.g. RGB, RYB or CMY). Even though the underlying colors differ, most color wheels have in common that they have three primary colors, three secondary colors and six tertiary colors. The underlying color models can either by additive (e.g. RGB) or subtractive (e.g. RYB or CMY). Additive color models are models that are based on colors that can be obtained by adding or mixing different light colors together. On the other hand, subtractive models are based on pigments and the subtraction of light. Selecting one or the other model depends in practice mostly on the intended use. Lastly, even though color wheels are arguably the most famous and widely used representation of color relationships, alternative methods to organize, classify and use colors exist as well.