Are you a bit of a Michelangelo? Or do you aspire to be just like him one day? Well, one way to start is by learning how to mix paint colours. It might sound simple, but it can get a bit complicated. Shall we take a closer look?

Have you ever sat and wondered how designers and artists find the perfect colour combination? They don’t just suck it out of thin air. They use colour theory.

Let’s start off by explaining what colour theory is. Colour theory is the science and art of using colour. It explains how humans perceive colour; and the visual effects of how colours mix, match or contrast with each other. 

The colour wheel invented in 1666 by a guy we should all know called Isaac Newton. He mapped the colour spectrum onto a circle to make it easier for all of us to understand. The colour wheel is the heart of colour theory, because it shows the relationship between colours. Some are best friends and others don’t mesh together so great.

Colours that look good together are called a ‘colour harmony’. Artists/designers use these to create a particular look or feel. You can use a colour wheel to find colour harmonies by using the basic rules of colour combinations. Colur combinations determine the positions of different colours in order to find colours that mesh together nicely vs colours that don’t.

There are 12 main colours on the colour wheel. The colour wheel can be divided into 3 colours: primary, secondary and tertiary.

PRIMARY COLOURS

Red, blue and yellow are called primary colours.

Unlike secondary, tertiary colours, primary paint colours cannot be “made” by mixing.

These colours give origin to the rest of the colours you see on the colour wheel – so they’re like the VIPs of paint! You can’t have a party and not invite them, know what we mean?

SECONDARY COLOURS

There are also three secondary paint colours on a colour wheel. They are created when you combine two primary colours in equal amounts.

Examples:

red + blue = violet

blue + yellow = green

yellow + red = orange

Did you notice how the secondary colours are positioned on the paint colour mixing chart – right between the three primary colours?

INTERMEDIATE PAINT COLOURS

The remaining six colours you see on a typical colour wheel are called intermediate paint colours. They are made when you mix primary colours with a secondary colour positioned directly next to a primary colour. 

Examples:

yellow + orange = yellow-orange

orange + red = red-orange

red + violet = violet-red

violet + blue = blue-violet

blue + green = green-blue

green + yellow = yellow-green

You’ll notice on the colour wheel; the intermediate colours are placed between the primary and secondary colours.

Then you get Tertiary and Quaternary colours. These aren’t show on a colour wheel. Probably so as to not confuse everyone and keep things simple.

Tertiary paint colours

The third level of mixing paint colours produces tertiary colours. They are formed when 2 secondary colours are combined.

Example:

• green + orange = brown
• orange + violet = brick
• violet + green = slate

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Quaternary paint colours

There is also a fourth level of mixing paint colours, which is also not shown on a regular colour wheel. When 2 tertiary colours are mixed, quaternary paint colours are formed. These colours are the most complex and interesting of all – they add depth and sophistication to paint colour schemes.

Wow can you believe we are 4 levels into colour mixing and this is only the tip of the iceberg?

Stay tuned for the next instalment as we go even further into how to mix paint colours.

Resource: 

https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tertiary_color