Color Theory Terms

  • Color: is an element of art that is derived from reflected light. You can see color because light waves are reflected from objects to your eyes.
  • Color Spectrum: When light passes through a wedge-shaped glass, called a prism, the beam of white light is bent and separated into bands of color, called the color spectrum. The colors of the spectrum always appear in the same order: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. A rainbow is a natural example of a spectrum.
  • Color Wheel: The color wheel is the color spectrum bent into a circle.
  • Primary: Red, Yellow, Blue. With these colors, you can make all the other colors.
  • Secondary: Orange. Green, Violet. These colors are made by mixing two primary colors.
  • Tertiary/Intermediate: These colors are created by mixing a primary and a secondary color together. Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Red-Violet, Blue-Violet, Blue-Green, Yellow-Green.
  • Warm: Red, Orange, Yellow, Yellow-Orange, Red-Orange, Red-Violet.
  • Cool: Violet, Blue, Green, Blue-Violet, Blue-Green, Yellow-Green.
  • Monochromatic: One color that has many values and intensities, which are made by adding black and white.
  • Hue: Color. Greek for color.
  • Analogous: Three colors that lie next to each other on the color wheel. Red, Red Orange, Orange.
  • Complementary Colors: Opposite each other on the color wheel. Red/Green, Blue/Orange, Yellow/Violet.
  • Value: Darkness or lightness of a hue. Tints and shades.
  • Shade: A color that has been darkened by adding black. Deals with values.
  • Tint: A color that has been lightened by adding white. Deals with values. Pastel colors
  • Tone: A color that has been brightened or dulled by adding gray. Deals with intensity.
  • Pigment: A substance or powder that makes up the color of paint.
  • Opaque: Completely covers the painting ground of underlying layer.
  • Transparent: Allows light and the underlying layers to be seen.
  • Pure: A pure color is similar to the bright, intense colors in a rainbow. Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Violet (ROYGBV)
  • Intensity: Refers to how bright or dull a color is. Pure red would be bright. Deals with tones. Add gray
  • Earth-Tones: Colors associated with the Earth. Ex: Brownish-orange. They are made by mixing a set of complementary colors together.
  • Neutrals: Black, white, and gray are called neutrals. They do not exist in the color spectrum and therefore are technically not colors.
  • 3 Properties of Color—hue (color), value (light/dark; tints/shades), and intensity (bright/dull; tones).