There are primarily two main types of color wheels used in different contexts:
1. RYB Color Wheel (Red, Yellow, Blue)
- This traditional color wheel is commonly used by artists for mixing paints. It's based on the subtractive color model, where pigments are mixed together. Mixing primary colors (red, yellow, blue) produces secondary colors (orange, green, violet). The RYB model is a historical system and doesn't fully represent how light mixes.
2. RGB Color Wheel (Red, Green, Blue)
- The RGB color wheel is used for digital applications like computer screens and televisions. It's based on the additive color model, where colored lights are combined. Primary colors (red, green, blue) are combined to create other colors. This system accurately reflects how light interacts to produce color.
While the above two are the most fundamental, other variations and categorizations exist depending on the purpose and the method of color representation. For instance, some sources mention different types of color harmonies that can be displayed on a color wheel (like complementary, monochromatic, etc.), but these are applications of the color wheel, not distinct types of wheels themselves. The core distinction remains between the subtractive (RYB) and additive (RGB) models.
