color theory

monochromatic

A tonality that uses only one color and its shades and tints.

neutral colors

Colors that are not found in the color wheel, such as black, gray, white, brown and tan.

cool colors

Colors that suggest water and the forest. Blues, greens, violets and blue-reds.

secondary colors

Orange, green, and violet. Created by combining two primary colors

color scheme

The choice of specific hues to create an overall effect, for example, "earth tones" or "bold primaries."

color wheel

a circle in which the primary, secondary, and intermediate hues are arranged in orderly intervals.

hue

another word for color

intermediate colors

colors created by mixing a primary and a secondary color. For example yellow-green, blue-green, etc.

complementary colors

colors located directly opposite each other on the color wheel, for example, yellow and violet

warm colors

colors of fire and the sun. Red, orange, yellow

analogous colors

colors that are side by side on the color wheel. Example: yellow-orange, orange, red-orange.

shade

created when black is added to a color

tint

created when white is added to a color, for example, red and white make pink.

optical color

how true colors combine or look different according to their surroundings, type of lighting or distance from the viewer.

paint ingredients

pigment, binder and solvent

primary colors

red, yellow and blue. Three colors that can be used to make any other color.

intensity

the brightness or dullness of a color.

color spectrum

the distribution of colors produced when light is dispersed by a prism

value

the relative lightness or darkness of a color, for example beige is lighter than brown.

color

visual sensation when light is reflected off of a surface and seen by the eye