The color wheel was developed in 1666 by Sir Isaac Newton, and depicts a sequential arrangement of the color spectrum, as represented by six basic colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. The hues or tones that connect the colors on the wheel are mixtures or gradients of the corresponding colors. Variations on the six-color wheel comprise primary colors, secondary colors, or tertiary colors.
Primary colors are red, yellow and blue, and are so called because they cannot be created by mixing any other colors. They are derived from original pigments. Secondary colors are green, purple and orange, and are created from mixtures of the primary colors. Tertiary colors are yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, red-purple, red-orange and yellow-orange. Tertiary colors are formed by mixing a secondary with a primary color, hence the hyphenated, or two-word, names.
Complementary colors are colors that are located directly across from each other on a color wheel. Despite their name, they rarely complement each other; rather, the name refers to the contrast and vibrant hue they create when they are used together. Analogous colors create little contrast, as they are located next to each other on the color wheel. They look better when used together, and tend to create a serene or matching effect.
Warm colors are those that tend to be soothing, such as orange, yellow and red; cool colors are green, blue and violet. Neutral colors, such as taupe, brown and gray, tend to be dull and are not used to contrast with other colors. The term "color value" refers to how much black is in a given color; brightness is concerned with how much white is in a color. A shade is created by adding black, and a tint is created by adding white. Saturation has to do with how much pigment a given color contains; if it is desaturated, much of the pigment has been removed, rendering it pale or dull. Likewise, intensity refers to how bright or dull a color or hue is.
Color harmony, like it sounds, refers to the use of colors that are harmonious in appearance. According to J. L. Morton's article, "Color Theory," "The human brain will reject under-stimulating information" (see References at the end of this article). Therefore, if the colors used are too bland, the person viewing them will not find them engaging. If they are too visually stimulating, the viewer will reject the chaos. Color harmony, then, is also about creating a sense of visual appeal and interest.
In print and online media, the terms RGB, CMYK, and Pantone colors are the basis for color development and production. RGB stands for red, green, blue, and is the format used by computer and television monitors, and other light-producing sources. CMYK is a color scheme based on pigment, and is used for print media. CMYK stands for cyan, yellow, magenta, black, colors that can be combined to produce almost any color. CMYK color production is not as accurate as RGB. The Pantone Matching System (PMS color) refers to colors created by Pantone, a corporation that creates individual pigments for color purity.
While some artists prefer to make use of tints, tones, shades and hues, or some combination thereof, the Fauves were a group of artists who rejected traditional color practice and theory, and whose members included Henri Matisse, Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, and Paul Gaugin. Fauvism centered on color as the focal point and subject of their art, so that considerations of line and form were sometimes abandoned. In today's media-saturated culture, color theory continues to prevail.