A secondary color is a color that is created by mixing two primary colors together in equal amounts. The three secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. Let’s break this down into a simple, easy to understand definition:
The Primary Colors
The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These are colors that cannot be created by mixing other colors together. In color theory, primary colors are the 3 pigment colors that cannot be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues.
Mixing Primary Colors
When you mix two primary colors together, you get a new color called a secondary color. For example:
- Red + Yellow = Orange
- Yellow + Blue = Green
- Blue + Red = Purple
So the three secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. They are called secondary colors because they are created by combining two primary colors.
Easy Definition
Putting this together into an easy, simple definition:
A secondary color is a color made by mixing two primary colors in equal amounts. The three secondary colors are green, orange, and purple.
Color Wheel
This is easiest to visualize on a color wheel. A basic color wheel shows the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) equally spaced around the circle. The secondary colors (green, orange, purple) fall between the primaries:
| Red | Orange | Yellow |
| Purple | Blue | Green |
Mixing Paint vs. Light
It’s important to note that the secondary colors are created by mixing paint pigments. When working with light or digital colors on a screen, the secondary colors are created by mixing light wavelengths, not physical pigments.
So in lighting or digital arts, the secondary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow. This is because red + green light makes yellow, blue + green light makes cyan, and blue + red light makes magenta.
But with traditional paints and pigments, the secondary colors are green, orange, and purple, created by physically mixing the two primary color paints.
Tertiary Colors
You can take mixing a step further by mixing a primary and a secondary color. The colors created are called tertiary colors. For example:
- Red + Purple = Red-Purple
- Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange
- Blue + Green = Blue-Green
Tertiary colors have more complex names like red-violet, yellow-orange, blue-green because they are combinations of a primary and secondary color.
Why Secondary Colors Matter
Understanding primary, secondary, and tertiary colors is important for artists, designers, and anyone who works with color. Here are some key reasons secondary colors are important:
- Color theory – The basics of color relationships and color mixing
- Painting – Knowing how to mix secondary colors by blending two primary paint colors
- Digital design – Applying secondary colors effectively in graphic design, web design, etc.
- Lighting – Using secondary colors in stage lighting, photography, film, and theater
- Art education – Teaching foundational color theory to students
Secondary colors are integral to applying color theory and using color effectively across all visual arts and design fields.
Real World Examples
Here are some real world examples that use secondary colors:
- Purple – Eggplant, plums, violets, lavender, magenta, lilac, indigo, grape, amethyst, orchid
- Green – Grass, leaves, limes, emeralds, mint, jade, sage, olives
- Orange – Carrots, pumpkins, apricots, peaches, oranges, tigers, fire, autumn leaves
Secondary colors are found everywhere in nature, foods, flowers, animals, and everyday objects around us.
Uses in Design
In design, contrasting secondary colors are often paired together to create vibrant, eye-catching combinations. Some examples include:
- Purple + Orange
- Green + Magenta
- Cyan + Orange
- Purple + Yellow
These secondary color combinations grab viewers’ attention and create bold, dynamic designs. Using a split complementary color scheme (a variation on complementary colors) is a popular way to work secondary colors into design and photography.
Conclusion
In summary, the simple definition of a secondary color is:
A secondary color is created by mixing two primary colors together in equal amounts. The 3 secondary colors are green, orange, and purple.
This basic color concept is essential to working with color effectively across art, design, lighting, publishing, marketing, and many other fields. Understanding primary, secondary, and tertiary colors provides a foundation in color theory that opens up endless coloring possibilities.