The color wheel is a visual representation of color theory that shows the relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Understanding the color wheel is important for artists, designers, and anyone who works with color.
The basic color wheel uses the primary colors red, yellow, and blue. When two primary colors are mixed together, they make the secondary colors orange, green, and purple. Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary and secondary color that both appear next to each other on the color wheel.
Primary Colors
The primary colors in the color wheel are red, yellow, and blue. These are called primary colors because they cannot be made by mixing other colors together. All other colors are derived from some combination of these 3 hues.
On the color wheel, red, yellow and blue are spaced evenly, 120° apart from each other. This placement allows for the maximum mix of colors.
Secondary Colors
Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors together. The secondary colors are orange, green, and purple.
Orange is made by mixing red and yellow. Green is made by mixing yellow and blue. Purple is made by mixing blue and red.
The secondary colors appear between the primary colors on the color wheel. Mixing two secondary colors together does not make a primary color.
Tertiary Colors
Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with the secondary color next to it on the color wheel. For example:
- Red mixed with purple makes red-purple
- Red mixed with orange makes red-orange
- Yellow mixed with orange makes yellow-orange
- Yellow mixed with green makes yellow-green
- Blue mixed with purple makes blue-purple
- Blue mixed with green makes blue-green
The tertiary colors have more specific names such as vermilion, chartreuse, or magenta. But in general, they are referred to by combining the two color names.
Color Properties
Colors have different properties based on their placement on the color wheel:
- Complementary colors – Colors located opposite each other on the wheel (example: red and green). These create a high contrast.
- Analogous colors – Colors located next to each other on the wheel (example: red, red-orange, orange). These create harmony.
- Triadic colors – Colors spaced evenly around the wheel forming a triangle (example: red, yellow, blue). These are vibrant and balanced.
- Split complementary colors – A color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement (example: red, yellow-green, blue-green). Provides contrast while retaining harmony.
Understanding these color relationships helps artists combine colors in ways that fit their creative vision.
Color Temperature
Another way to categorize colors is by temperature. Some colors appear warm and others cool.
The warm colors are red, orange, and yellow. These are colors of fire and sunlight that give a warm, energetic feeling.
The cool colors are green, blue, and purple. These are colors of water, sky, and foliage that appear more serene and calming.
Green is considered the color right in the middle, providing balance as a bridge between warm and cool colors.
Tints and Shades
Any color can be lightened by adding white to make a tint, or darkened by adding black to make a shade. On the color wheel, tints appear towards the inner circle, while shades appear towards the outer edge.
For example, a tint of orange would be light orange. A shade of orange would be dark orange. The pure orange without white or black added is considered the true color.
Changing a color’s tint and shade creates more variations while keeping the same basic hue. This helps provide additional color options for artists.
Using Grey on the Color Wheel
Grey is seen as a neutral color, located in the center of the color wheel. Pure grey is a mix of equal parts black and white. It lacks the presence of any one color.
Mixing grey with any color on the wheel will dull and darken that color. The grey desaturates the color by bringing it closer to black on the wheel.
For example, mixing grey with red will create a muted dusty red. Doing this with blue will make a hazy blue-grey. Grey mixes cleanly with any hue.
One reason to mix grey with colors is to create “dirty” softened tones. These muted colors can provoke different feelings than bright primary hues. Sometimes a subtle greyish color is preferred over a bold one.
Monochromatic Color Schemes
A monochromatic color scheme only uses variations of a single hue. This provides color unity, with grey used to create shades and tints of that color.
For example, a monochromatic blue color scheme might contain:
- Blue
- Light blue (with added white)
- Dark blue (with added black)
- Grey-blue (with added grey)
This variety of light, medium, and dark blue hues can create an interesting palette while keeping a sense of harmony. The grey helps smooth the transition between tints and shades.
Monochromatic schemes work best when the value (lightness/darkness) of colors is clearly varied. Keeping the scheme from becoming boring or flat.
Complementary Color Scheme with Grey
Pairing complementary colors creates strong visual contrast. Adding grey can help soften this into sophisticated palette.
For example, pairing orange and blue elicits tension between these opposites on the wheel. Using muted greyish tones helps blend them together.
- Orange
- Light greyish blue
- Dark greyish orange
The grey mixed into both colors allows them to co-exist in a more subtle way. The resulting palette feels vibrant yet balanced at the same time.
Split Complementary with Grey
The split complementary scheme uses a color plus the two colors adjacent to its complement. This provides the same visual dynamism as a straight complementary scheme, with less tension.
For example, pairing red with yellow-green and blue-green gives contrast while retaining harmony:
- Red
- Greyish yellow-green
- Greyish blue-green
Using muted greyish versions of these colors creates softness. The red stands out while complementing the adjacent colors.
Analogous Color Scheme with Grey
The analogous scheme uses colors located next to each other on the wheel. This creates harmony, but can be unexciting without enough contrast.
Adding grey can help create the needed contrast in an analogous palette. For example:
- Yellow
- Yellow-green
- Greyish green
The greyish green provides subtle contrast next to the yellow and yellow-green. Keeping them from blending together into sameness.
Triadic Color Scheme with Grey
The triadic scheme uses evenly spaced colors on the wheel. This creates a vibrant look with strong visual balance.
Adding grey to one color can provide useful contrast while retaining the vibrancy. For example:
- Red
- Yellow
- Greyish blue
The greyish blue allows the red and yellow to sparkle, while introducing contrast through darker and lighter tones.
Tetradic (Double Complementary) Scheme with Grey
The tetradic scheme combines two sets of complementary colors. This scheme offers great tension and contrast.
Grey can help unite the four colors together into a cohesive palette. For example:
- Red
- Greyish green
- Greyish orange
- Blue
The two sets of complements are bridged together with grey. Allowing their shared properties to become more apparent.
Greying Down Bright Colors
Adding grey is one way to subtly mute and darken colors. This transforms bright primaries into more neutral versions.
Some reasons to grey down colors:
- To make them appear darker without using black
- To reduce the colorfulness and intensity
- To make a color scheme feel cohesive
- To create a vintage, faded, or retro look
Grey mixes cleanly with every hue, allowing the original color to still show through in a subdued way.
Changing Value and Saturation with Grey
On the color wheel, using grey impacts both saturation (purity of color) and value (lightness).
Adding grey reduces saturation, making the color less intense. At the same time, using grey darkens the color by decreasing its value.
This dual effect of desaturation and darkening helps tone down colors in a subtle way. The original hue is still visible, just more understated.
Lightening Tones with Grey
While grey generally darkens colors, adding white along with grey can have a lightening effect.
Mixing a small amount of white into the grey prevents it from darkening the color too much. This results in a lighter, desaturated version of the hue.
For example, a light greyish yellow will appear softened without becoming darker. The yellow remains light, just not as intense.
Grey vs. Black and White
There are differences when using grey to darken colors compared to using black or white:
- Black heavily darkens and obscures a color.
- Grey moderately darkens while letting the original color show through.
- White lightens and reduces saturation, but allows the hue to remain visible.
Grey provides a middle ground – not as bold as black or as stark as white. It’s ideal for subtly transforming a color.
Psychology of Grey Colors
Grey has unique psychological associations compared to more dramatic colors:
- Neutrality – Grey is unbiased and impartial.
- Sophistication – Refined and elegant.
- Melancholy – Can denote sadness and depression.
- Boredom – When overused, can appear monotonous.
- Elegant – Polished and mature.
- Formal – Serious and professional.
Different shades of grey affect the mood in distinct ways. A warm light grey reads happier than a cool dark grey.
Color Wheel Lessons
Some key lessons the color wheel teaches about mixing grey colors:
- Grey dampens hues while retaining their character
- Dark muted colors receding, light muted colors come forward
- Use grey to create cohesive color schemes
- Add grey to make adjacent colors flow together
- Mix grey into any color to transform its feel and mood
Uses for Grey in Design
Grey is versatile color for graphic design. Some examples of using shades of grey include:
- Using dark greys for typography to appear refined and polished.
- Applying grey as background color to help brighter colors in the foreground pop out.
- Muting colors with grey to create an elegant, formal, or vintage aesthetic.
- Adding grey to color schemes to create cohesive blending between hues.
- Mixing slightly lighter grey with a hue to maintain its visibility.
Grey works excellently as a background color behind richer colors. It brings unity and enhances legibility.
Conclusion
On the color wheel, grey is seen as neutral and calm. Adding grey to colors provides a tool for subtly transforming their appearance.
By desaturating and darkening other hues, grey can make them appear more sophisticated, vintage, or retro. Light greys softly tone down colors without making them completely muted.
Understanding grey’s relationship to all colors helps unlock new color combinations. The entire wheel shifts when even one color is modified with grey added.
Grey unifies disjointed palettes by tying diverse hues together. It bridges between complementary colors that might otherwise clash. With skillful use, grey acts as a harmonizing and transforming color.
