Color Wheel
Visualize color relationships, explore harmonious color combinations, and learn color theory with our interactive color wheel.
The color wheel is a visual representation of the color spectrum, arranged in a circle. It helps designers understand color relationships and create harmonious color schemes.
Primary Colors
Red, blue, and yellow. These cannot be created by mixing other colors.
Secondary Colors
Green, orange, and purple. Created by mixing primary colors.
Tertiary Colors
Colors created by mixing primary and secondary colors, like red-orange or blue-green.
Color Psychology
Colors evoke emotions: red (passion), blue (trust), yellow (optimism), green (growth), etc.
Complementary
How it works: Uses two colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel (180° apart).
Why it's effective: Creates maximum contrast and visual impact. The colors make each other appear more vibrant when placed together. Perfect for creating focal points and drawing attention.
Best for: Call-to-action buttons, logos, high-contrast designs, and when you need elements to stand out dramatically.
Sample Palettes:
Analogous
How it works: Uses three colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel (within 30° of each other).
Why it's effective: Creates a harmonious, pleasing, and serene feeling. These colors naturally blend well together as they share common undertones, making them easy on the eyes.
Best for: Backgrounds, nature-inspired designs, gradients, and creating calm, cohesive atmospheres in web design.
Sample Palettes:
Triadic
How it works: Uses three colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel (120° apart), forming an equilateral triangle.
Why it's effective: Offers strong visual contrast while maintaining harmony and balance. Provides vibrant color schemes that are still pleasing to the eye.
Best for: Playful designs, children's content, creative projects, and when you want a vibrant yet balanced color scheme.
Sample Palettes:
Tetradic (Square)
How it works: Uses four colors that are evenly spaced around the color wheel (90° apart), forming a square pattern.
Why it's effective: Provides the richest color palette with maximum variety while maintaining balance. Offers two complementary color pairs that work together harmoniously.
Best for: Complex designs, data visualizations, infographics, and projects that need a diverse yet cohesive color palette.
Sample Palettes:
Split Complementary
How it works: Uses one base color and the two colors adjacent to its complement (150° and 210° from the base color).
Why it's effective: Provides strong visual contrast like complementary colors but with less tension. Offers more nuance and sophistication than pure complementary schemes.
Best for: Professional designs, branding, and when you want contrast without the intensity of pure complementary colors.
Sample Palettes:
Monochromatic
How it works: Uses different shades, tints, and tones of a single color by varying the lightness and saturation.
Why it's effective: Creates a clean, elegant, and cohesive look that's impossible to get wrong. Provides subtle contrast through value differences while maintaining perfect harmony.
Best for: Minimalist designs, professional websites, photography portfolios, and creating sophisticated, timeless aesthetics.
Sample Palettes:
💡 Pro Tip
When using any harmony type, consider using one color as the dominant color (60%), another as secondary (30%), and the remaining colors as accents (10%). This creates visual hierarchy and prevents color overload.