Color wheels are a useful tool for visualizing and understanding color relationships. When creating a color wheel, it is important to properly label the colors so that the wheel is clear and easy to read. There are a few key considerations when labeling a color wheel.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors
Most color wheels are based on the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) and include the secondary colors (orange, green, purple) and tertiary colors that are mixtures of the primaries and secondaries. The primary, secondary, and tertiary colors should be clearly labeled around the outer edge of the wheel.
| Primary Colors | Secondary Colors | Tertiary Colors |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Orange | Red-orange |
| Yellow | Green | Yellow-green |
| Blue | Purple | Blue-purple |
This helps identify the main hue groups and relationships at a glance.
Warm and Cool Colors
Another useful labeling system is to identify warm and cool colors. Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow visually stimulate and advance in space. They are often associated with heat or fire. Cool colors like blue, green, and purple visually recede in space and are associated with water or ice. Labeling warm and cool colors draws attention to these important color properties.
| Warm Colors | Cool Colors |
|---|---|
| Red | Blue |
| Orange | Green |
| Yellow | Purple |
Complementary Colors
Color wheels also commonly identify complementary colors – these are color pairs located opposite each other on the wheel, like red and green or blue and orange. Mixing complementary colors results in a grayscale color. Labeling complementary pairs makes it easy to see these relationships.
| Complementary Pairs |
|---|
| Red – Green |
| Yellow – Purple |
| Blue – Orange |
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are located right next to each other on the color wheel, like blue, blue-green, and green. They create visually harmonious color schemes. Identifying analogous groups on the wheel highlights these harmonious relationships.
| Analogous Groups |
|---|
| Red, red-orange, orange |
| Yellow, yellow-green, green |
| Blue, blue-purple, purple |
Color Names
In addition to broad color families like “red” and “green”, more specific color names can be used when labeling a color wheel:
| Specific Color Names | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crimson | Burgundy | Magenta |
| Vermilion | Amber | Chartreuse |
| Azure | Teal | Indigo |
Using more descriptive color names creates a more informative color wheel guide.
Hue Names
Hue names referring to the position on the color wheel can also be used:
| Hue Names | ||
|---|---|---|
| Red-violet | Red | Red-orange |
| Orange | Yellow-orange | Yellow |
| Yellow-green | Green | Blue-green |
| Blue | Blue-violet | Violet |
These descriptive labels identify each color’s position and relationship to other hues.
Tints and Shades
Color wheels may also show tints and shades of each hue. Tints are made by adding white to a color to lighten it. Shades are created by adding black to darken a color. Labeling tints and shades on a wheel illustrates these color mixing principles.
| Tint | Shade |
|---|---|
| Pink (tint of red) | Maroon (shade of red) |
| Peach (tint of orange) | Russet (shade of orange) |
| Cream (tint of yellow) | Olive (shade of yellow) |
Value
The lightness or darkness of a color is referred to as its value. Color wheels can be labeled with value information, from light to dark. This helps illustrate the wide range of light and dark shades possible for any given hue.
| Light Value | Medium Value | Dark Value |
|---|---|---|
| Pink (light red) | Red | Maroon (dark red) |
| Peach (light orange) | Orange | Russet (dark orange) |
| Cream (light yellow) | Yellow | Olive (dark yellow) |
Color Bias
Some color wheels also identify color bias or temperature. Colors can be biased toward warm or cool. Warm colors are associated with heat or fire and cool colors with water or ice. Labeling color bias makes it easy to create cohesive color schemes.
| Warm Colors | Cool Colors |
|---|---|
| Red | Blue |
| Red-orange | Blue-green |
| Orange | Green |
| Yellow-orange | Blue-violet |
| Yellow | Violet |
Color Harmony Schemes
Color harmony schemes like complementary, triadic, tetradic, and analogous are commonly used in design. These schemes have a balanced visual relationship. Labeling color harmony groups on a wheel identifies colors that work well together.
| Complementary | Triadic | Tetradic | Analogous |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red – Green | Red – Yellow – Blue | Red – Green – Blue – Orange | Red – Orange – Yellow |
HSB/HSV Labels
Color can also be labeled using the HSB/HSV color model, which refers to:
- Hue – The pigment or dominant wavelength
- Saturation – Intensity of the hue
- Brightness/Value – How light or dark the color is
Providing HSB/HSV labels gives specific numeric information about each color.
| Hue | Saturation | Brightness/Value |
|---|---|---|
| 0° (Red) | 100% | 100% |
| 60° (Yellow) | 100% | 100% |
| 240° (Blue) | 100% | 100% |
RGB Values
The RGB color model uses amounts of red, green, and blue light to create colors. Providing RGB values on a color wheel specifies the precise red, green, and blue components of each color:
| Red | Green | Blue |
|---|---|---|
| 255 | 0 | 0 |
| 255 | 255 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 255 |
Hex Codes
Colors can also be specified using hexadecimal RGB codes like #FF0000 for red, #FFFF00 for yellow, and #0000FF for blue. Including hex codes provides an exact definition of each color.
| Color | Hex Code |
|---|---|
| Red | #FF0000 |
| Yellow | #FFFF00 |
| Blue | #0000FF |
Conclusion
Labeling a color wheel properly provides important visual information about colors and their relationships. Consider including labels for primary/secondary/tertiary colors, warm/cool colors, complementary pairs, analogous groups, specific color names, hue names, tints/shades, color value, color bias, color harmonies, HSB/HSV, RGB, and hex codes. A well-labeled color wheel is a valuable reference tool for artists, designers, and anyone working with color.
