Colour is a complex topic with many nuances. When discussing colour, terms like “primary colours,” “secondary colours,” and “intermediate colours” are commonly used to categorize different colours based on their properties. Intermediate colours specifically refer to colours that are created by mixing primary and secondary colours together in varying proportions.
Primary, Secondary and Intermediate Colours
To understand intermediate colours, it’s helpful to first define primary and secondary colours. The primary colours are red, blue and yellow. These are considered the main colours because all other colours can be created by mixing primaries together in different combinations and proportions.
When two primary colours are mixed together, they create the secondary colours of orange, green and purple. For example, mixing red and yellow makes orange, blue and yellow makes green, and blue and red makes purple. The secondary colours are still quite vibrant, but not as pure as the primary colours.
Intermediate colours are all the colours that lie between the primary and secondary colours on the colour wheel. They are created by mixing a primary colour with a secondary colour adjacent to it on the colour wheel, or by mixing the two primary colours that make up that secondary colour but in different proportions.
Tertiary Colours
Intermediate colours are sometimes also referred to as tertiary colours or even “third colours.” So tertiary and intermediate can be used interchangeably when talking about these in-between colours.
Some common examples of tertiary or intermediate colours include:
- Red-orange
- Yellow-orange
- Yellow-green
- Blue-green
- Blue-purple
- Red-purple
As you can see, the name of each intermediate colour consists of the two primary colours that make it up. For red-orange, red is mixed with orange to tone down the orange and make it less vibrant. For blue-green, blue is mixed with green to give a bluer green shade. The same logic applies to creating all the other intermediate colours.
Mixing Intermediate Colours
It takes experimentation with different mixing ratios to create the range of intermediate colours. For example, here are some ways intermediate colours can be mixed:
- Mix 2 parts red with 1 part yellow to make red-orange
- Mix 1 part yellow with 2 parts red to make a different red-orange
- Mix 1 part blue with 1 part green for a balanced blue-green
- Mix 4 parts purple with 1 part red for a more reddish purple
As you can see, by varying the proportions of the two component colours, many different shades of the intermediate colours can be created.
Properties of Intermediate Colours
In general, intermediate colours:
- Are lower in chroma, intensity and saturation compared to primary and secondary colours
- Are not as vibrant as primary or secondary colours
- Have a muted, softened, shaded or toned down appearance
- Provide gradations between the primary and secondary colours
For example, red-orange will be softer and less intense than pure orange. And blue-green will be muted compared to the very vibrant primary colour green.
Having these intermediate colours adds more diversity to the colour spectrum and allows for nuanced variations between the main colours.
Uses of Intermediate Colours
Intermediate colours have many uses including:
- In art, to create subtle, softened colour transitions
- In interior design, to make colour schemes more cohesive and harmonious
- In fashion, to provide flattering and muted colour combinations
- In gardening and landscaping, to provide colour gradation
- In digital graphic design, web design, etc. to expand the colour palette
Intermediate colours allow the colour spectrum to be filled in with lots of gradating steps between the primary and secondary colours. This creates a rich, diverse palette for use in any visual medium.
Colour Mixing Systems
There are various colour mixing systems or colour models that categorize colours into primaries, secondaries and intermediates based on different theories of how colours interact with light. Some examples include:
- RYB System: Based on pigment colours of red, yellow, blue. Uses intermediates of red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet.
- RGB System: Based on light colours of red, green, blue. Uses intermediates of red-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green-cyan, cyan-blue, blue-magenta, magenta-red.
- CMYK System: Based on print colours of cyan, magenta, yellow, black. Uses intermediates of red, red-orange, orange, yellow-orange, yellow, yellow-green, green, green-cyan, cyan, cyan-blue, blue, blue-magenta, magenta, magenta-red.
While the exact intermediate colours vary a bit based on the system, they all represent the transitional colours between the main hues. Learning colour theory and how to mix paints, dyes, light, etc. helps develop an intuition for intermediate colours.
Intermediate Colours in Nature
In nature, intermediate colours appear where there are transitions between dominant colours. For example:
- A sunrise or sunset sky fades from yellow to orange to red
- Leaves changing in fall progress from yellow to orange to red
- Flower gradients contain yellow to orange to red transitions
- Water gets lighter from blue to green near the shore
- Gems and minerals shift from blue to green to yellow
Nature is full of vivid yet smoothly blended intermediate colours. Capturing these nuanced hues in art, photography and other media allows their beauty to be shared.
Digital Intermediate Colours
On digital screens and in software programs, intermediate colours can be precisely specified down to their RGB or hex color values. Some examples include:
| Colour Name | RGB Value | Hex Value |
|---|---|---|
| Red-Orange | (255, 83, 73) | #FF5349 |
| Yellow-Orange | (255, 174, 66) | #FFAE42 |
| Yellow-Green | (197, 225, 122) | #C5E17A |
| Blue-Green | (8, 183, 152) | #08B798 |
With millions of possible colour values, digital intermediate colours offer precision, consistency and control across different programs and devices.
Intermediate Colours in Logo Design
In logo design, intermediate colours are often used as accent colours to the primary brand colours. Some examples are:
- Starbucks uses green and white with red-orange accents
- Whole Foods uses green and white with yellow-orange accents
- Publix uses green and white with blue-green accents
- Tide uses orange and white with blue-green accents
The intermediate colours add subtle richness while tying into the primary colour palette.
Psychology of Intermediate Colours
Intermediate colours have psychological effects that are generally more subdued than primary or secondary colours:
- Yellow-orange – Inviting, friendly, cheerful
- Yellow-green – Natural, healthy, peaceful
- Blue-green – Soothing, relaxing, healing
- Blue-purple – Mystical, spiritual, calming
- Red-purple – Passionate but introverted, creative
- Red-orange – Energetic but not overstimulating, playful
Using intermediate colours in design, art, architecture and other areas taps into these positive yet mellow associations.
Conclusion
Intermediate colours fill in the transitions between primary and secondary colours with gradients of muted, softened hues. Mixing adjacent colours on the colour wheel in different ratios creates these tertiary colours that add diversity and nuance to the palette. Intermediate colours exhibit properties like lower saturation and chroma compared to primary and secondary colours. They have wide utility across colour-based fields and industries to create cohesive, harmonious and psychologically pleasant designs.