What are the three primary colours?

In the artist's colour wheel, the primary colours are red, yellow and blue. They are called primary because they cannot be produced by mixing other colours together, while every other colour on the wheel can be traced back to them.

What colour do you get when you mix blue and yellow?

Blue and yellow make green. Green is a secondary colour, and on the wheel it sits in the gap directly between blue and yellow — the two primaries that made it.

What is the difference between a tint and a shade?

A tint is a colour with white added to it, making it lighter and softer — blue becomes sky blue. A shade is a colour with black added, making it darker and deeper — blue becomes navy. The underlying colour stays the same; only its lightness changes.

Why are complementary colours important?

Complementary colours are pairs that sit directly opposite each other on the wheel, such as red and green or blue and orange. Placed side by side they make each other look brighter and bolder, which is why they are used for posters, sports kits and anything that needs to stand out.

What is the difference between warm and cool colours?

Cutting the wheel in half separates the warm colours (red, orange, yellow), which suggest sunlight and fire, from the cool colours (green, blue, purple), which suggest water, sky and ice. Artists choose one side or the other to set the mood of a picture.

The Artist's Colour Wheel

Arts Interactive lesson Free to play

The artist's colour wheel is a circular diagram that arranges colours in the order they appear when light is split, so that related colours sit next to each other and opposites sit across from each other. It is built from three primary colours — red, yellow and blue — which cannot be made by mixing any other colours. Mixing two primaries gives a secondary colour: red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, blue and red make purple. Each secondary sits in the gap between the two primaries that made it, and the in-between shades (red-orange, blue-green) are called tertiary colours.

The wheel is useful because its geometry predicts how colours behave together. Splitting it in half separates warm colours (red, orange, yellow) from cool ones (green, blue, purple), which is how artists set a mood. Colours directly opposite each other — red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple — are complementary, and placing them side by side makes both look more intense. Adding white to a colour makes a lighter tint; adding black makes a darker shade. Painters, illustrators, designers and film-makers all use these relationships to choose palettes deliberately rather than by guesswork.

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A wheel made of colour

🎨 The Artist's Colour Wheel Artists have a secret map. It is a circle of colours called the colour wheel. It shows which colours are related, and which colours make each other pop. 🖌️ In this lesson you will mix your own colours, sort warm from cool, and find the pairs that make art shout. Ready? Tap Next.
The three starter colours

Step 1 · The three starters Three colours cannot be made by mixing anything else. Every other colour comes from them. We call them the primary colours: Tap each paint blob to hear what it does. Red Yellow Blue Tap a blob to begin 👆 0 of 3 found 💡 Think of red, yellow and blue as the ingredients. Just like flour, sugar and eggs make many cakes, these three make many colours.
Mix two, make a new one

Step 2 · The mixing lab Mix two primary colours and something brand new appears. These new colours are called secondary colours. Pick two paints, then press Mix! Red Yellow Blue emptypot Mix! 🌀 Wash pot 💧 Choose two colours… Secondary colours discovered: 0 of 3 🟠 The three secondary colours are orange, green and purple. Try to find all three!
Build the wheel

Step 3 · Build the wheel On the wheel, each secondary colour sits between the two primaries that made it. Drag each colour into the right empty gap. (On a tablet: tap the colour, then tap the gap.) Orange Green Purple BetweenRed & Yellow BetweenYellow & Blue BetweenBlue & Red Pick a colour chip to start 🎯
Read the whole wheel

Step 4 · Read the whole wheel Here is the finished wheel. Tap any wedge to find out its name and family. 👆 Tap a colour… 🌈 The colours in between — like red-orange or blue-green — are called tertiary colours. You get them by mixing a primary with the secondary next to it.
Warm and cool

Step 5 · Warm side, cool side Cut the wheel in half and you get two moods. Warm colours feel like sunshine, fire and chilli. Cool colours feel like the sea, ice and shade. Tap a swatch, then tap the bin where it belongs. 🔥 Warm ❄️ Cool 6 swatches to sort. Artists use warm colours to make a painting feel busy and close, and cool colours to make it feel calm and far away.
Opposites make each other pop

Step 6 · Opposites pop! Colours directly opposite on the wheel are called complementary colours. Put them side by side and both look brighter and bolder. A colour is shown on the left. Tap its opposite on the wheel. Red + ? Round 1 of 3
Lighter and darker

Step 7 · Add white, add black You do not only mix colours with colours. Add white to make a lighter tint. Add black to make a darker shade. Pure blue ➕ Add white ➕ Add black ↺ Start over Goal: make a tint (lighter) and a shade (darker). 🖼️ A tint of blue looks like the morning sky. A shade of blue looks like the deep sea at night. Same colour — very different feeling!
You are a colour expert!

🏅 You did it! 🎨 You can now read an artist's colour wheel. Here is everything you learned: 1Primary: red, yellow, blue — the three starters. 2Secondary: orange, green, purple — mix two primaries. 3Tertiary: the in-between colours, like blue-green. 4Warm (red, orange, yellow) vs cool (green, blue, purple). 5Complementary: opposites on the wheel make each other pop. 6Tint = colour + white. Shade = colour + black. Try it at home: take one colour — say blue — and paint five patches, each with a little more white than the last. You have made a colour ladder, just like real artists do! 🌟 Great work,

Frequently asked questions

What are the three primary colours?: In the artist's colour wheel, the primary colours are red, yellow and blue. They are called primary because they cannot be produced by mixing other colours together, while every other colour on the wheel can be traced back to them.
What colour do you get when you mix blue and yellow?: Blue and yellow make green. Green is a secondary colour, and on the wheel it sits in the gap directly between blue and yellow — the two primaries that made it.
What is the difference between a tint and a shade?: A tint is a colour with white added to it, making it lighter and softer — blue becomes sky blue. A shade is a colour with black added, making it darker and deeper — blue becomes navy. The underlying colour stays the same; only its lightness changes.
Why are complementary colours important?: Complementary colours are pairs that sit directly opposite each other on the wheel, such as red and green or blue and orange. Placed side by side they make each other look brighter and bolder, which is why they are used for posters, sports kits and anything that needs to stand out.
What is the difference between warm and cool colours?: Cutting the wheel in half separates the warm colours (red, orange, yellow), which suggest sunlight and fire, from the cool colours (green, blue, purple), which suggest water, sky and ice. Artists choose one side or the other to set the mood of a picture.

The Artist's Colour Wheel

What this Spark covers

Frequently asked questions

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