ColourColour

Explore primary colours, secondary colours, and harmonious colours. Choices of colour and the relationships between colours have a huge influence on how a piece or art or design looks and feels and the emotions it provokes.

Part of Art and DesignElements of art

Colour

How a work of art or design looks and what we feel about it depends on a number of colour choices:

  • Colour relationship – are there similar, harmonious colours or very different, contrasting colours?
  • Colour temperature – how warm or cool are the colours used?
  • Strength of colour – are pure hues, lighter tints, darker shades or less vibrant tones used?
  • Emotional response – what moods or feelings do the colours suggest?

The colour wheel

The colour wheel helps us understand the relationships between colours. The 12 part, red, yellow and blue (RYB) wheel shown is called a subtractive model. This type of colour wheel is used when discussing art and design works.

The colour wheel yellow, yellow orange, orange, orange red, red, red purple, purple, purple blue, blue, green blue, green, green yellow
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Primary colours

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