What is the chromatic circle and what is it for?

The chromatic circle is a two-dimensional graphic representation, in which the primary colors and the result of their combination are shown, that is, the secondary and tertiary colors; in turn, some may include the various shades and gradients of each color, depending on how the color wheel is used.

The first to develop this color display was Sir Isaac Newton in 1666, followed by Moses Harris and Johann Wolfgang Goethe , who contributed their knowledge in this field to improve the result. In this sense, the chromatic circle is used mainly to understand the combination and relationship between colors; In addition, it is a tool frequently used in graphic design and plastic arts to make combinations and shades of colors, before doing any work (in conclusion, it serves to evaluate how colors look, when combined with others).

What is the function of the color wheel?

The chromatic circle is a tool that presents colors in an orderly and circular way; from the primary ones (blue, yellow and red), through the secondary ones (orange, green and violet) and the tertiary ones (combination of a primary color with a secondary one). In addition, the also known as the color wheel, can contain the various shades of each color, which are obtained by the addition of black and white, which should be noted, they do not appear in the chromatic circle.

This instrument has a wide field of application, as it fulfills the following functions:

Understand the relationship of colors

Through the chromatic circle you can study the relationship of harmony and contrast that exists between colors; thus, harmony refers to the combination or mixture of colors, with modulations of the same tone or of tones that share a common pigment.

On the other hand, there is contrast when the color composition does not have any relation to each other; This generally occurs with opposite colors, that is; that within the chromatic circle are facing each other. In turn, the combination can be created by contrast (for example, black and white), by temperature (warm colors such as yellow and cold colors, such as blue) and by complementarity, this occurs with opposite and contrasting colors such as yellow and the violet or purple.

Ideal for learning to combine colors

The chromatic circle can be used to learn to combine colors in a better way, either in painting, clothing, makeup, among others; According to the arrangement and union of the colors, the combination can be monochromatic, complementary, triadic, tetrad and analogous colors. In this sense, it is known as a monochromatic combination based on a single color and its various shades.

On the other hand, the complementary combination is focused on creating contrast and is obtained using colors that are in opposite places within the chromatic circle. Likewise, triadic and tetrad color combinations are those that have three and four colors respectively. Finally, the one with analogous colors, uses three or more colors that are next to each other on the chromatic circle.

Create more efficient advertising media

Colorimetry is a very important aspect when it comes to marketing or advertising, and it is that various emotions and feelings can be expressed through colors. That is why the chromatic circle is a widely used tool in this area, since, through this and the implementation of design techniques, the appropriate combinations or contrasts can be created to publicize a business, attract clients, and most importantly, obtain greater benefits for the company.

It should be noted that this can be carried out both in traditional marketing (press, television, brochures, advertisements) and in digital marketing (blogs, web pages, social networks, among others).

The most recognized brands worldwide are characterized by designing logos, campaigns and advertisements, where colors play a fundamental role, for example there are many, among which the renowned fast food franchise with an M in color stands out. bright yellow that attracts the little ones; or the brand of soda that uses the red color that stimulates the appetite.

Relevant aspects of the color wheel

This useful tool presents various interesting aspects to study and analyze in order to make better use of it. If you want to have more knowledge about this tool, you must take into account the following:

How to make a color wheel?

To make a color wheel, you start by dividing a circle of the desired size into equal segments; each segment will contain a specific color, taking into account that the chromatic circle can contain 12, 24 or 48 colors. Now, the most important thing is to take into account the arrangement and location that each color must have on the wheel so that it can fulfill its function of harmony and contrast; In this sense, the order to follow to color each color within the circle is as follows:

• Primary colors : yellow, blue and red are the base colors of the chromatic circle, since secondary and tertiary colors are created from them. The union of these three colors should form an equilateral triangle (all sides equal) and an easy way to locate each color is by thinking of a clock; starting with the yellow located at the number 12 of the clock, continuing with the red, located at the number 4 of the clock, finally, the blue color will be arranged in the 8 place on the clock.

• Secondary colors : Once the primary colors are located, the next step is to place the secondary colors. These will be located between the primary colors that are needed to create them; that is, the green color will be between blue and yellow. For its part, the orange color is formed with the mixture of yellow and red; Finally, the violet, purple or purple color will be placed in the middle of the red and blue colors.
• Tertiary colors : to complete the completion of the chromatic circle, tertiary colors are needed, these are the ones that appear as a result of the union of a primary color with a secondary one. As in the previous steps, the three colors must form an equilateral triangle and will be arranged between the colors that compose them.

This is how a chromatic circle is built; It is important to mention that regardless of the number of colors that you want to place in the circle (12, 24 or 48) the basic rules will always be the same, in order to achieve complementary, analogous, contrasting, adjacent, cold and warm colors . Likewise, color circles can also contain color degradations, which are obtained by adding the color white or black, to create the different saturations of the same color and these are placed in the center of the circle, as it reduces its color. size, the colors become lighter or darker until they reach the center of it.

Colors that a color wheel can have

A traditional color wheel will have yellow, blue and red as primary colors, however, there are other color wheel models that vary in intensity, quality, tint and tone, which means that the primary colors are different. These models are as follows:

• Traditional model : it will have blue, red and yellow as primary colors. In turn, the secondary colors are orange, green and purple. While the tertiary colors are red orange, yellow orange or amber, yellowish green, turquoise blue, violet and purple red.

• CMYK Subtractive Model : Unlike the traditional model, this model’s primary colors are yellow, cyan, and magenta. For its part, it has as secondary colors, red, green and blue; and the tertiary ones are orange, yellowish green, turquoise blue, ultramarine blue, purple and crimson.
• Additive RGB model : this last model contains red, green and blue as primary colors. From the combination of these comes yellow, cyan and magenta. And finally, orange, lime, cyan or emerald green, purple and fuchsia.

conclusion

The color wheel is a tool that offers various uses in multiple areas of application; Furthermore, the study of the combinations, contrasts and harmonies of colors play an interesting role in the meaning that these can bring.

Likewise, learning to use this tool represents a safe bet to achieve favorable results in business and in everyday life, since color is found in everything in the world and its impact is transferred to clothing, makeup , decoration, plastic arts, advertising, medicine and many other specialties.