Three traditional primaries
Red
Yellow
Blue
RYB teaching starts with red, yellow and blue. It is not the only primary system for every material.
COLOUR · HARMONY · CREATE
Colour Harmony Techniques
Explore the colour wheel, colour harmonies, value, chroma and relative temperature through diagrams and short tables, then try a small colour study.
Interactive colour wheelColour diagramsColour studies
01 / COLOUR HARMONY TECHNIQUES
Colour Harmony Techniques
| Techniques | Try this | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Analogous and Complementary | Use traditional RYB for analogous or complementary pairs. | Do not treat screen RGB as pigment mixing. |
| Dominant and Supporting | Set one dominant hue, then add limited supporting hues. | Avoid giving every colour equal emphasis. |
| Value | Compare lightness and darkness before adjusting colour. | Do not change hue while ignoring value. |
Swipe the table sideways on mobile ↔
Read the wheel, then give your colours clear roles
Choose a hue, then a harmony. The connecting lines and highlighted positions update together.
- 1Red
- 2Red-orange
- 3Orange
- 4Yellow-orange
- 5Yellow
- 6Yellow-green
- 7Green
- 8Blue-green
- 9Blue
- 10Blue-violet
- 11Violet
- 12Red-violet
Selected base hue Blue
Complementary
Choose opposite positions: blue/orange or red/green.
Blue
Orange
Let one colour lead; use its opposite sparingly to highlight a focal point.
Strong contrast does not require equal areas. Test actual paints before assuming they neutralise.
Colour roles: try this practice balance
Main 60%Support 30%Accent 10%
60/30/10 is a starting exercise, not a rule. In a two-hue scheme, neutral space can take the third role.
This is a traditional 12-hue RYB teaching diagram. Equal sectors are not equal perceptual colour steps. Screen swatches are approximations, not paint recipes.
Primary, secondary and intermediate: how is the wheel arranged?
Three secondary hues
Orange
Green
Violet
Traditional examples: red + yellow → orange; yellow + blue → green; blue + red → violet. Actual intensity depends on the paints.
Six intermediate hues
Red-orange
Yellow-orange
Yellow-green
Blue-green
Blue-violet
Red-violet
These sit between a primary and its neighbouring secondary, such as red-orange, yellow-green and blue-violet. They are not fixed mixing ratios.
Five harmonies: positions suggest combinations, value creates clarity
| Harmony | Wheel positions / examples | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Complementary | Choose opposite positions: blue/orange or red/green. | Let one colour lead; use its opposite sparingly to highlight a focal point. |
| Analogous | Choose neighbouring hues, such as yellow-green, green and blue-green. | Use gentle transitions; preserve readable forms through differences in value. |
| Split-complementary | Use a base hue plus the neighbours of its opposite: blue, red-orange and yellow-orange. | Keep contrast with an extra variation; choose one dominant colour. |
| Triadic | Choose three equally spaced hues, such as red, yellow and blue. | Create a lively palette; soften some colours so the subject stands out. |
| Monochromatic | Keep one hue and vary its lightness and intensity. | Study light, volume and depth by organising light, middle and dark values. |
Swipe the table sideways on mobile ↔
Beyond hue: compare value and chroma
Hue: which colour family?
Red
Yellow
Blue
Red, yellow and blue name hues. Moving around the wheel changes hue.
Value: how light or dark?
Blue can be light, medium or dark. Organise values before details and colour refinements.
Chroma: how vivid or muted?
Mute some colours to strengthen the focal point. Muted does not necessarily mean dark.
These light/dark and muted swatches are screen examples, not measured colour coordinates or predictions of paint mixtures.
Temperature is relative, not a permanent label
Compare two reds
Red-orange
Red-violet
In this example, orange-leaning red is warmer than violet-leaning red.
Compare two greens
Yellow-green
Blue-green
Side by side, yellow-green usually feels warmer than blue-green.
Temperature in a composition
- Use relative temperature to support depth, together with value and edges.
- The same colour can feel different beside another neighbour. Compare small studies first.
Use the wheel for relationships; test paint mixtures separately
| Colour system | Principle / approach | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Screen RGB | An additive light system; combining light can make it brighter. | Do not use it as a direct paint recipe. |
| Physical paint | Pigments absorb and reflect light; mixing may reduce intensity. | Test pigments, transparency and ground colour. Not every red/green pair must mix to grey. |
| Swatch before painting | Mix small amounts; compare light, middle and dark, then check the dry result. | Watercolour can use water and paper white; check changes when adding white to acrylic or oil. |
Swipe the table sideways on mobile ↔
- Choose a base hue
- Choose a harmony
- Test value and chroma
- Plan colour roles in a small study
Use paints and mediums according to product instructions, with ventilation. Art materials are not for skin or food utensils.