Color Wheel

Welcome to my page about the Color Wheel. There are only three colors in the entire spectrum. We only see three colors.

I know I know you are probably disagreeing right now, but it is true.

We can see those three colors mixed together, and our eye is then fooled into seeing another color.

That is why someone somewhere invented the Color Wheel in order to explain it.

We are going to do the exact experiment with those three colors - called by the way the Primary colors. Here is one I colored!

The Primary Colors

The above graphic shows the Primary colors of Blue on top, Red to the right, and yellow to the left.

Those are the Primary colors and the only ones that truly do exist. I still have to think about that, and I remember when I first heard it I was stunned.

What about all the other colors?

Then there is white and black - which are not really colors, they are lightness and darkness giving things a three dimensional look.

The next wheel will show you that when a primary color is leaked over to another part of the color wheel changes.

It starts to make another color, notice in the wheel that it is not blended yet, just blended with white.

Here is what happens

Okay here we go I will explain what you are seeing on the Color Wheel.

First if you need some Colors to do the work here...

So get ready and read on...

On each side of the solid color I have shown that color leaking over. With the red we have light red on the pie shapes on each side moving towards the other colors.

With the yellow we have the pie shapes on each side moving towards the other colors.

With the blue we have the pie shapes on each side moving towards the other colors.

This is how color changes in nature. The light reflects the color and it moves, or changes.

Now if we do this again, and each color again moves, this time stronger to one side than the other we start to see different colors emerging.

So let's say the blue moves,spreading one pie slice towards the red (heavier blue), and then a little less (lighter blue) to the next pie slice.

Blue does the same thing towards the yellow.

Now the red also moves one pie slice towards the blue (heavier red, and then a little less to the next pie slice (lighter red). Red does the same thing towards the yellow.

At the same time the yellow is moving one pie slice towards the blue (heavier yellow) and then the next a little less (lighter yellow), and the yellow is also moving towards the red.

Whew this is complicated.

The picture makes it clearer. Try and see how each color is seeping into the two pie slices beside it.

Blended

Notice the changes?

Notice that the blue going towards the yellow starts to make different shades of green.

The blue going towards the red starts to make different shades of purple - towards a deep wine color.

The red mixed with the yellow starts to create oranges. So we are left with the concept, and you can do this with paint even easier.

• BLUE AND YELLOW---MAKE GREEN
• YELLOW AND RED-------MAKE ORANGE
• RED AND BLUE---------MAKE PURPLE

Try it yourself

So go ahead and color to your heart's content.

If you are the really adventuress type you can continue splitting the pie pieces even further.