Colors play an important role in our lives. We are surrounded by colors everywhere we go. The colors we see are made up of primary colors and secondary colors.
Primary Colors
The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These colors can’t be made by mixing other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 primary colors.
Secondary Colors
When you mix two primary colors together, you get a secondary color. There are 3 secondary colors:
- Orange – made by mixing red and yellow
- Green – made by mixing blue and yellow
- Purple – made by mixing red and blue
So in summary, the secondary colors are orange, green, and purple. They are called secondary colors because they are created by combining two primary colors.
Tertiary Colors
There is another group of colors beyond primary and secondary. These are called tertiary colors. Tertiary colors are made by mixing one primary color with one secondary color. For example:
- Red-orange – made by mixing red (primary) and orange (secondary)
- Yellow-orange – made by mixing yellow (primary) and orange (secondary)
- Yellow-green – made by mixing yellow (primary) and green (secondary)
- Blue-green – made by mixing blue (primary) and green (secondary)
- Blue-purple – made by mixing blue (primary) and purple (secondary)
- Red-purple – made by mixing red (primary) and purple (secondary)
So in summary, tertiary colors are made by combining 1 primary color and 1 secondary color.
The Color Wheel
All of these color relationships can be visualized on a color wheel. Here is a color wheel showing the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors:
| Primary | Secondary | Tertiary |
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As you can see, the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) make up the outer ring. When you combine two adjacent primary colors, you get the secondary colors (orange, green, purple) which make up the middle ring.
By mixing a primary color with an adjacent secondary color, you get the tertiary colors which fill in the gaps between the other colors.
This color wheel helps show the interrelationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
Complementary Colors
Another important relationship between colors is complementary colors. These are color pairs that are opposite each other on the color wheel. For example:
- Red and Green
- Yellow and Purple
- Blue and Orange
When placed side-by-side, these color pairs create strong visual contrast and vibrancy. Some examples of complementary colors in nature and everyday objects include:
- Red roses and green stems/leaves
- Blue sky and orange sunsets
- Yellow bananas and purple grapes
Complementary color schemes are popular in design because they grab people’s attention and stand out. Marketers sometimes use complementary colors for business logos or web design for this reason.
Color Properties
Colors have properties other than just their hue. Specifically, colors have:
- Hue – The pure color (red, orange, etc.)
- Saturation – The intensity or purity of the color
- Brightness – How light or dark the color is
For example, a bright red has high saturation and brightness. A muted pink has low saturation and brightness compared to red. A color’s properties affects how it looks and feels.
Color Meanings and Psychology
Different colors also evoke different psychological responses in people. Here are some examples:
- Red – Energy, passion, aggression
- Orange – Cheerfulness, creativity
- Yellow – Happiness, optimism
- Green – Growth, peace, health
- Blue – Stability, professionalism
- Purple – Luxury, spirituality
Designers and marketers will often select colors to elicit specific emotions in the audience. Colors also have cultural symbolism attached to them.
Using Color in Design
Here are some tips for using color effectively in design:
- Use color schemes – complementary, analogous, triadic
- Use 60-30-10 rule – Dominant color for 60%, Secondary 30%, Accent 10%
- Watch contrast between foreground and background
- Understand color meanings and psychology
- Use colors to create visual hierarchy
- Use colors consistently across platforms
Effective use of color can make a design more aesthetically pleasing, easier to use, and get the desired reaction from viewers. Poor color choices can detract from the user experience.
Conclusion
In summary, the secondary colors are orange, green and purple. They are called secondary colors because they are created by mixing two primary colors (red, yellow, blue). The secondary colors make up the middle ring of the color wheel.
Complementary colors are color pairs opposite each other on the wheel, which create strong visual contrast when used together. Colors have hue, saturation and brightness as their properties.
Different colors evoke different psychological responses in people. Designers use color schemes and color psychology to elicit desired reactions from audiences. When used effectively, color is a powerful design tool.
I hope this overview has helped explain what secondary colors are, as well as other key color relationships and principles. Let me know if you have any other questions!
