The Colour Wheel

Colour Theory- The use of colours or a mix of colours to achieve a result of colour/colours that works well within your graphic.

Hue- The attribute of visible light which it is differentiated from, the term is also used to refer to colours that have no tint or shade.

Saturation- Refers to the intensity of colour in an image, as it increases the colours appear purer as it decreases the colours appear to be more washed out or pale.

Value- It is the gradation from light to dark across a form, the higher the value is the darker and more black it appears, and the lower the value is it appears lighter and more white.

Primary colours- Colours that cannot be made however can be used to make any other colour. These three colours are red yellow and blue.

Secondary colours- These colours come from the result of mixing two primary colours together, eg green orange and purple.

Tertiary Colours- The result of mixing equal amounts from the primary colours and secondary colours. Examples of this are teal and violet.

Colour theory is important as it helps us understand what colours work and complement each other and which do not. These colour schemes are necessary to know what should be used to create an aesthetically pleasing piece of art for example red on the green would not be anywhere near as eye-catching on red on top of white. You would want to be aware of the colour wheel and colour theory as it can either help build up your business or by not using it make it look disorganised and unprofessional. An example of this incorrect use would be using red for marketing a baby brand as the colour evokes emotions of anger and danger, a more suitable colour would be white or pink to show purity and cleanliness.