A colour wheel is a great investment and must-have for scrapbookers and designers alike. It allows us to create so many different colour combinations. If you have a colour wheel take a good look at it and learn to use it.

The colour wheel is separated into three categories: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

The three primary colours are Red, Yellow and Blue. These three colours are the base for all other colours.

By mixing two primary colours, three secondary colours are created:  Red + Yellow=Orange, Yellow and Blue= Green, Blue and Red=Violet.

The six tertiary colours are made by combining a primary and an adjacent secondary colour. These colours are Red/Orange, Red/Violet, Yellow/Green, Yellow/Orange, Blue/Green and Blue/Violet.

Colour Combinations

Complementary - The colour directly opposite the starting colour on the wheel. For example: Red is opposite to Green, Yellow is opposite to Violet and Blue is opposite to Orange.

The Primary colour is opposite a Secondary colour.

Split Complementary - The two colours either side of the complementary colour and the starting colour. For example: Red (starting colour), Violet and Yellow/Green.

Diad - Two colours that are two colours apart on the colour wheel. For example: Red and Orange or Yellow and Green or Blue and Violet.

Triad - Using every fourth colour on the colour wheel. For example: Red, Yellow or Blue.

Monochromatic - Using the one colour in any value.

Warm colours - Reds, Oranges and yellows.

Cool Colours - Greens, Blues and Violets.

Hues - Another name for colour.

Shade - Darking a colour by adding black.

Tint - Lightening a colour by adding white.

Tone - Darkening a colour by adding grey.

Value - The lightness or darkness of a colour.

References:

If you would like to have any of your designs included in our resource centre, please email them to us at [email protected] (please make sure all files are .jpg or .gif).