Color is a very important aspect of life. Color theory is the study of color. This field incorporates history, psychology and criticism.

A basic knowledge on how colors interact and the impact that they give to people is essential for artists. It is also a big advantage for others. The color theory isn’t applied only to drawing and painting, modern day companies try to select the best color combinations for their products to induce people to buy.

Some people know how to choose colors that subconsciously appeal to people, while some simply do not have that ability and they tend to pick colors that clash and don’t seem to look right together.

The color wheel is a tangible output of the color theory. Colors are not placed on the wheel randomly. It arranges the colors according to their chromatic relationship. Red, Blue and Yellow are primary colors.

The colors red, blue and yellow are placed equidistant from each other in the wheel. These colors are called primary because no matter how much you try to mix colors, you will never get a pure red, blue or yellow.

Instead, other colors are derived from these three. Secondary colors are the colors that one gets after mixing the primary colors together and there are three secondary colors.

Mixing red with blue creates violet. Mixing red with yellow creates orange. Mixing yellow with blue creates green. Mixing colors does not stop there. These secondary colors are mixed with primary colors to have the tertiary colors.

The tertiary colors are red-violet, blue-violet, blue-green, red-orange, yellow-orange, and yellow-green.

Once the colors are in their proper positions, instead of visualizing colors, it’s easier to see what complementary colors and analogous colors are. Complementary colors are colors that are on the opposite of each other on the wheel.

For example, red and green are complementary colors. Or yellow and violet are complementary colors. Using complementary colors puts intensity and vibrancy.

Adjacent colors are colors that are next to each other in the color wheel. It can be said that these colors are related because they share common colors, these colors look in harmony when used. For example, red, orange and yellow are adjacent colors.

These colors are also divided as to whether they are warm colors or cool colors. Red, yellow and oranges are thought of as warm while blue, green and violet are the cool colors. When used in a painting, warm colors tend to pop out while cool colors recede.

It’s alright not to use all these colors. Others do something monochromatic. This means that there is only one color used but to create a complete picture, the tints of the color are used.

Add black to red and you get the color burgundy while adding white to red creates pink. These are different tints of red that can be used for something monochromatic.

Some people spend years in art schools to study color theory because it can become complicated. Experts in this field are sought after. They work in research and help companies pick out the most appropriate colors to boost their products. Others help in interior and exterior designing.

For others, a basic knowledge on color theory will literally add color to your life.