Compliments to outside ring, it's contrasting color.
*TIP- You can find it exactly on the other side of the wheel!
COLOR FACTS
COLOR - Color is simply defined as the visual sensation of the eye by light rays (reflected light). The main facts about color are it's hue, intensity, tone, and temperature.
HUE - The shade or tint of a color. Can be a theme, like "greenish" or "yellowish" blue. Also can be a subject like "sky blue" or "cherry red".
INTENSITY - The amount of pigment or saturation of the color.
TONE - The quality of a color due to value (lightness and brightness) and intensity (saturation). Can also be used to denote a "warm" or "cold" tone.
TEMPERATURE - Colors can have a warm or cool effect. Think of fire, and the colors within a flame... Red, Orange, and Yellow are warm in nature. Now think of the sea, Blue, Green, and Violet. These are the colors that are traditionally warm or cool. These same colors can also be the opposite! Think of the sea around a tropical island on a hot summers day, the blues are brighter and hotter in nature, as are the greens and violets. Now think of a sunset where the reds are bluish (violet), the oranges may also be cool and muted. A traditional artist's pallet consists of a warm and cool of each primary, sometimes of secondaries, as well as a warm and cool of both white and black.
TRADITIONAL PALLETTHE TRUTH ABOUT BLACK AND WHITE- You may have heard that black and white are not actually colors, and this is true! They are colors in the sense that you can find objects or artist's colors that are named "black" or "white". This is because white and black are being used as adjectives to describe the color. But they are not colors! What they are is what is seen when all the colors of the spectrum reflect off an object (white) or when all the colors are absorbed (black). The absence or presence of white light. Everything in between that we see are colors (measurements of what colors are reflecting).
Titanium White - Cool
Zinc White, Chinese White - Warm
Lamp Black - Cool
Ivory Black - Warm
Lemon Yellow - Cool
Cadmium Yellow - Warm
Cadmium Red - Warm
Alizarin Crimson - Cool
Cobalt Blue - Warm
Ultramarine Blue - Cool
In order to make white, we either use a product made from pigment that reflects all colors or we leave an area it's original white. To mix black, we add all 3 primaries (blue, red, and yellow) in their purest (most intense) form. This may seem the opposite of what white and black really are, but think of an object that appears black, (remember why it is black? the object is absorbing all the colors and does not reflect any light) you need all the colors mixed together to create that black! Confused? Luckily we can just use a black pigment (which is already all the colors mixed).
Other color facts include:
Complimentary or Contrasting Colors - Colors found on the opposite side of the colorwheel. When these colors are placed close together they feel "energized" or look like they "clash". Using a lot of contrasting colors in equal amounts can cause the vision to become very busy or electric. Using a lot of a color's compliment will cause it to pop out or show up more intensely. Using just a little of a compliment will highlight that area (but it will be the compliment that pops out). When using equal amounts, each color will fight the eye to be seen. This can cause discomfort to the eyes, but can also create a mood of struggle which made be desired.
Fluorescent Color - Also known as psychedelic colors, contain minerals or chemicals that cause the color to glow brightly. Best seen with a black light.
Key - The character of a color. Colors that are light and bright are high-key and those that are dark are low-key.
Monochrome - Or monochromatic, of or having one color. One color but all or some of it's values. Black and white photos are monochromatic. ( see shade and value below )
Muted Colors - Colors mixed with small amounts of it's compliment, or a neutral color, will appear slightly smoky or dirty. Muting a color will push it back in to the background or cause the color to appear aged or sunbleached if lightened in intensity.
Pigment - A substance used for coloring derived from sources such as minerals, animals, vegetables, or chemicals.
Prismatic Color - Pure and intense colors.
Shade - Lightness or darkness of a color. Think of colors in and out of the shade of the sun and how they can change. This is caused by the lack or addition of certain colors in the spectrum of light rays hitting the object or area. Usually (but not always!) shadows are "cool" and have a green, blue, or violet cast to them. An object that is in full sun will appear "warm" and glowing. You may hear someone talk about a certain "shade of blue", well, that's just a way of saying it is blue, but is different due to the amount or lack of shading. Indoor lighting unlike the sun, it is not pure "white light" (all the colors of the light spectrum) and tends to be warmer (reddish or orangish). Think of a photograph you have seen that was taken indoors without a flash bulb or white lighting, they look amber (reddish gold) in color. Most professional artists purchase special lighting that is whiter in nature, and some will only work in natural sunlight.
Tint - A color that has been mixed with white to lighten it. Pastels are tints. Such as baby pink, baby blue, mint green, lilac, and etc.
Value - Pigment or color measured by lightness/brightness or darkness.
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