You create secondary colors by mixing equal parts of two primary colors, and intermediate (or tertiary) colors by mixing a primary color with a neighboring secondary color.
Here's a breakdown:
Secondary Colors
Secondary colors are created by combining two primary colors in equal amounts:
- Orange: Red + Yellow
- Green: Blue + Yellow
- Violet/Purple: Red + Blue
Intermediate (Tertiary) Colors
Intermediate, also known as tertiary, colors are made by mixing a primary color with an adjacent secondary color. Essentially, you're adding more of one primary color to a secondary color than the other. The name usually reflects the combination of the primary and secondary color:
- Red-Orange: Red + Orange (more red than yellow)
- Yellow-Orange: Yellow + Orange (more yellow than red)
- Yellow-Green: Yellow + Green (more yellow than blue)
- Blue-Green: Blue + Green (more blue than yellow)
- Blue-Violet: Blue + Violet (more blue than red)
- Red-Violet: Red + Violet (more red than blue)
Example
Let's say you've already created orange by mixing red and yellow. To make red-orange, you would add more red to the orange mixture. Conversely, to create yellow-orange, you would add more yellow to the same orange base.
