Color is the light reflected from a surface. Visible light is made up of the wavelengths of light between infrared and ultraviolet radiation (between 400 and 700 nanometers). What is Color?

Additive Model RGB, Light Color Models Subtractitive Model CMYK, Pigment

Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii. Dmitrievskii Church, Additive Color

Hue The ‘color’ of the color. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet Value Lightness (tint) or darkness (shade) of a color. Saturation (Chroma) Intensity of the hue in the color. Desaturated colors tend to look gray. Describing Color

Color Contrast Contrast Of Hue Contrast Of Value Contrast Of Saturation Low Contrast High Contrast

A color circle, based on red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton developed the first circular diagram of colors in Newton’s Color Model Graphics taken from

Primary Colors Primary colors are the most basic colors; they cannot be broken down into component colors. The primary colors are different depending on which color model you are using. The primary colors in the Newtonian color model are red, yellow, and blue. Graphics taken from

These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors. Secondary Colors Graphics taken from

These are the colors formed by mixing one primary and one secondary color. Tertiary Colors Graphics taken from

Color Relationships Analogous Colors located close together on a color wheel. Complementary Colors Located opposite each other on a color wheel Primary Colors Essential colors, cannot be broken down into component colors Secondary Colors Mixture of two primary colors Monochromatic Colors Shades and tints of the same color Newtonian (Artist’s) Color Wheel Shade and Tint Add black or white Intensity Amount of saturation) Graphics taken from

Color Temperature COOL WARM Temperature can be measured absolutely, or relatively. For example, yellow-green is warmer than cyan-green, but both are cool colors. An approximate separation of absolute color temperature is denoted below: Nearly any color could appear as either warm or cold depending on the surrounding colors, especially those near the dividing line.

Red appears more brilliant against a black background and somewhat duller against the white background. In contrast with orange, the red appears lifeless; in contrast with blue-green, it exhibits brilliance. Notice that the red square appears larger on black than on other background colors. Color Context Graphics taken from