by Lynda Mc Donald

Created on: July 15, 2009   Last Updated: July 23, 2009

The following information can be used from both an artistic and marketing point of view.

In traditional color theory the primary colors; red, blue and yellow are the three color pigments that cannot be formed by any other combination of colors. They are very visually strong colors and when they are used together their contrast can create a sense of urgency, which is why they are often used as colours for superheroes costumes and fast food chains.

The secondary colors; green, orange and purple are formed from mixing the primary colors.
Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green are the tertiary colors and are formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color.
Color harmony is when colors are placed near each other in a manner that is pleasing to the eye. 'It engages the viewer and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience'. When an image is not harmonious it can be very displeasing to the viewer.

Color Harmony Formulas:

Analogous Colors

"Analogous colors are any three colors, which are side-by-side on a 12 part color wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colors predominates."

Complementary Colors

Complementary colors are any two colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel. These colors are very contrasting to each other.

What Colors Mean

Red: Red is a very visually strong color and is usually associated with blood and fire, which sometimes implies violence, danger or power. It is also associated with love lust and passion. Variations of red such as pink or light red suggest femininity, sensitivity, love and friendship

Yellow: Yellow is known to represent warmth, joy, intellect and energy. Many people would associate it with spring and it is known to give a sense of refreshment. Scientific tests have shown that yellow stimulates mental activity. In some cultures yellow represents cowardice; thus the term 'yellow bellied'. Yellow also represents citrus fruits and other healthy food.

Pale yellow can sometimes denote sickness and decay.

Orange: Orange is also associated with warmth but not with the aggressiveness that red implies. It represents enthusiasm, creativity, determination and success. Orange apparently increases oxygen supply to the brain, which produces an invigorating effect, and stimulates mental activity.

Orange is very eye-catching which makes it very successful in advertising. Like yellow, orange is associated with citrus fruits and

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