Primary colors:
Magenta, yellow, and blue
These are colors that the painter can not derive from the mixture of any other colors on the palette.
Secondary colors:
Red orange, green, and violet
These are colors that are made from the mixture of two primary colors. Their hue is midway between the two primaries used to mix them.
Intermediate colors (sometimes called tertiary colors):
Orange red, yellow orange, yellow green, blue green, blue violet, and red violet
This group of colors includes any mixture of a primary and secondary color.
Compound colors: Colors that contain all three primaries.
Neutral colors: Specifically black, white, gray, and colors containing
a significant amount of gray.
Earth colors: Naturally occurring pigments that are in a subdued color range.
Tint: A color that has been lightened by the addition of white.
Shade: A color that has been darkened by the addition of black or a dark color.
Tone: A color that has been neutralized be the addition of gray.
The three dimensions of color are hue, chroma, and value.
Hue: The name of a color or it's relative position in the spectrum.
Chroma: The degree of brightness or dullness of a color.
Value: The degree of lightness or darkness of a color.
All images and text on this page: Copyright,
Wes Loper.
None of these images may be reproduced without the permission of the artist.
This page last modified: 11/25/09
Copyright©1996-2007
Wes Loper
Art Design & Sign,
All rights reserved.