NextPrevious

Art Principles and History

Form and Style

What is the color wheel?

The color wheel is a system of organizing identifiable hues in a way that helps artists understand the relationship between colors. The color wheel is shaped like a ring, and is made up of twelve hues. Primary, secondary, and tertiary colors are identified on the wheel. Colors placed on directly opposite sides of the wheel are considered complimentary. According to the color wheel, yellow and violet are complimentary colors. Artists use complimentary colors to create vivid, aesthetically powerful images.



Close

This is a web preview of the "The Handy Art History Answer Book" app. Many features only work on your mobile device. If you like what you see, we hope you will consider buying. Get the App