Painters have three very special colors: red, yellow and blue. They are called the primary colors. "Primary" means "first."
Key idea
In paint, the primary colors are red, yellow and blue.
Why it works
With red, yellow and blue paint, you can mix many other colors, like orange, green and purple. That is why painters call them the first colors.
Worked example: Let's look
Is green a primary color in paint?
- The primaries are red, yellow and blue.
- Green is not one of them.
- Green can be mixed from yellow and blue.
Answer: No.
Common mistake
Many children think green is a primary color in paint. Green paint can be mixed from yellow and blue, so it is not a primary.
For the grown-up. This course uses the painter's traditional primaries (red, yellow, blue), which work well for children's paints. Printers use cyan, magenta and yellow, and screens use red, green and blue light; the Color and Design course explains all three.