To accomplish this, a basic understanding of color theory is needed. The color wheel above describes the relationships. The result, when all three primary colors are mixed together, is black. By adding the intermediate colors , the color wheel is completed. Mixing a primary color and a secondary color creates these colors, e.g., orange red.
Color complements are color opposites.
If you look at the wheel above, the blue arrow is directly opposite its complement color, orange. These colors are in extreme contrast to each other, yet they help make each other more active, e.g., a touch of orange will highlight and make your blues more vibrant. A color wheel consists of primary colors, separated by secondary and intermediate colors. Create your own color wheel as practice in mixing pigments. Use the traditional circle or a simple strip of paper - divided into twelve sections.