Color is all around us and it conveys all sorts of messages but before you jump to that there are a few basics that you need to know.
Primary Colors Red, yellow, blue, plus black and white. These are your primary colors from these all other colors can be created.
Secondary colors, these are the colors created from mixing two of the primary colors.
Tertiary colors, these are the colors created by mixing one of the secondary colors with it’s nearest primary color.
By understanding the color wheel and how each of the colors is created you can begin to understand and use color more effectively.
Color harmony, colors that go together well. These will be colors that are next door to each other on the color wheel. Such as blue and green. In reference to clothes these colors match each other. Instinctively most of us know which colors go together when we dress ourselves every morning.
Color complements, colors that set each other off, they complement each other. These are colors that are opposite on the color wheel. Such as blue and orange.
Now you have the basics and can begin to understand why different colors work together.
Copyright 2004 Kelly Paal Kelly Paal is a Freelance Nature and Landscape Photographer, exhibiting nationally and internationally. She owns her own business Kelly Paal Photography (
www.kellypaalphotography.com ). She has an educational background in photography, business, and commercial art. She enjoys applying graphic design and photography principles to her web design.
