The rods allow our eyes to pick up small bits of light and are the type of cells that are the most numerous on the retina. The cones are responsible for the color and clarity of an object, and are found in heavy concentration at the center part of the retina. For that reason the best color and clarity of an object can be seen when the object is directly in front of the eye. As the object moves more to the side of our eyes, into our peripheral vision, the clarity and the amount of color we can see is diminished. However, because of its lack of specific concentration, peripheral vision allows us to see even the smallest amount of light and motion.
Paint pigments mix differently than light.
The type of color mixing familiar to most artists is that done not with lights but with paints, or pigments. Each color of paint can be thought of as a filter that removes all of the light frequencies except the one meeting the eye. Red, yellow, and blue, being the primary colors of paint, are the most common. Mixing primary pigments with other colors results in darker colors as more of the light energy is absorbed. The absorbed energy becomes heat and that is why, for instance, white cars are cooler than black ones.