Color Wheel Primer

All About Color 

I don't know about you but I'm often challenged when it comes to knowing what colors go together.  A long time ago I ran across an F.Y.I article by David K. Small.

 Let’s look at the Color Wheel in its simplest form – the Primary Colors, which are 

Yellow, Red and Blue.

The Primary Colors are as far apart as they can be along the Color Wheel. Not one of them is composed of the others. 

When two Primary Colors are combined the result is called a Secondary Color, see below.

The combination of red and yellow is orange, or red and blue is violet, of blue and yellow is green.  Notice that each color on the wheel now has a color directly across from it. 

Colors opposite from one another are called Complementary Colors.

Two opposite (complementary) colors will make a harmonious combination with one or both of the color’s neighbors. Two colors and the complement of the color that falls between them make a pleasing combination. The color found between Violet and Green is Blue. The complement of Blue is Orange. These three colors will work together.

Two colors which contain a similar element will also work together. Blue-Green and Violet will go together since both have the color blue in them. If you select two colors where there is not a middle color between them (an even number of colors) then f9ollow the middle line between them.  A combination of those two opposite colors will work.  Green and Yellow-Orange will work with a very Purple Purple-red for instance.

I hope this helps all of us understand our color options abit easier.

My thanks to David and F.Y.I for providing such a great tutorial