The Colour Wheel
⭐ MasteredThe colour wheel arranges colours in a circle. Opposite colours are complementary, like blue and orange, and they look bright side by side.
Red and green are complementary colours.
All about The Colour Wheel
The colour wheel arranges colours in a circle to show how they relate to each other. Primary colours sit at equal points, secondary colours are between them and tertiary colours fill the gaps. Artists use the wheel to plan palettes that look balanced.
Complementary colours sit opposite each other on the wheel, such as blue and orange, or red and green. When placed side by side, they look especially bright and strong. Analogous colours are next to each other and create calm, harmonious designs.
🎮 Try it yourself!
Loading…
Real-life uses of The Colour Wheel
- Planning a painting with harmonious colours
- Choosing colour schemes for a bedroom or website
- Making a pattern look bright and eye-catching
Frequently asked questions about The Colour Wheel
What are complementary colours?
Pairs of colours opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green.
What are analogous colours?
Colours that sit next to each other on the wheel, such as blue, blue-green and green.
Who created the first colour wheel?
Isaac Newton developed an early circular arrangement of colours in the 1600s, and later artists built on his ideas.