Difference between Primary and Secondary Colors
Color theory comprises a series of rules according to which the combination of some colors (light or pigment) gives rise to others. There are several color models and each one has its own definition of what are the primary colors and what are the secondary (in addition to the tertiary). There is, for example, Isaac Newton’s model, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s, CMY (cyan, magenta and yellow), CMYK (CMY + key, black) and RGB, among others. The traditional model, in which the primary colors are red, yellow and blue; and the secondary orange, green and violet, despite being the most popular, is already considered obsolete by science and the arts. Therefore, on this occasion, the RGB model will be taken as a reference.
Primary colors |
Secondary colours |
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|---|---|---|
| Definition | Primary colors are basic colors, this means that they cannot be produced by mixing other colors. These are the basis of the construction of the color wheel. From the mixture of every two primary colors, a secondary color results. It is worth mentioning that almost all models have three colors as primary. | On the other hand, a secondary color is the result of mixing two primary colors in equal proportions. Each secondary color is considered complementary to the primary color that did not participate in its creation. The secondary colors together with the primary colors make up a six-color color wheel. |
| Which are? | Red, green and blue. The acronym RGB comes from the English red, green and blue . This model is also known as RVA in Spanish. | Cyan, magenta and yellow |