Color theory is the science of colors and how they interact with each other. Understanding color theory is crucial for designers, artists, and anyone interested in creating aesthetically pleasing visuals. In this guide, we'll cover the basics of color theory.

Color Wheel

The color wheel is a circular diagram that represents the relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. It's a fundamental tool for understanding color harmony.

  • Primary Colors: Red, Blue, Yellow
  • Secondary Colors: Orange, Green, Violet (Mix of two primary colors)
  • Tertiary Colors: Red-Orange, Yellow-Orange, Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, Blue-Violet, Red-Violet (Mix of a primary and a secondary color)

Color Harmony

Color harmony refers to the pleasing combination of colors. There are several ways to achieve color harmony:

  • Complementary Colors: Opposite each other on the color wheel (e.g., red and green)
  • Analogous Colors: Adjacent colors on the color wheel (e.g., red and red-orange)
  • Split-Complementary Colors: A color and the two colors adjacent to its complementary (e.g., red and orange, yellow)

Color Psychology

Colors can evoke emotions and convey messages. Understanding color psychology can help you choose the right colors for your projects.

  • Red: Energy, passion, danger
  • Blue: Calmness, trust, stability
  • Green: Health, nature, renewal
  • Yellow: Happiness, optimism, energy

Resources

For further reading on color theory, check out our color theory advanced guide.

Color Wheel