Color Theory Basics

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Primary Colors

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Secondary Colors

Quiz

For Teachers

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You've seen the color wheel before right?

This is a simple version of the color wheel

This basic color wheel is made up of primary colors and secondary colors.

There are

3Primary Colors

What is a primary color?

Primary colors are a group of colors which

are used to make most other colors.

You can not mix colors to make primary

colors.

Red is a Primary Color

Tomatoes are red

Firetrucks are red

Cherries are red

Yellow is a Primary Color

The sun is yellow

Lemons are yellow

School busses are yellow

Blue is aPrimary Color

Blueberries are blue

The sky is blue

The ocean is blue

Quick!Which object should beRed?

What color is the sun?

There are

3Secondary Colors!

Orange is aSecondary Color

Orange is made by mixing red and yellow

Orange

Oranges are orange

Pumpkins are orange

Carrots are orange

So orange is a Secondary Color made by mixing red and yellow.

Purple is a Secondary Color

Purple is made by mixing red and blue

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Purple

Eggplants are purple

Violets are purple

So purple is a Secondary Color made by mixing red

and blue

Green is aSecondary Color

Green is made by mixing yellow and blue

Green

Grass is green

Limes are green

Clovers are green

So green is a secondary color

made by mixing yellow and blue

Help me out!

When I want green, what colors do I mix?

Blue and Red

Red and Yellow

Yellow and Blue

Complementary Colors

A complementary color is a color that lies on the opposite side of a color on the color wheel

Let’s see some examples

ExampleRed is a complementary color of green.

And green is a complementary color of red.

ExampleBlue is a complementary color of orange.

And orange is a complementary color of blue.

Can you guess what color is complementary to yellow?

Hint: look at the color wheel!

red

purple

orange

Let’s see what you have learned!Feel free to go back to a

lesson if you’re having trouble.

When I mix red and blue what do I get?

When I mix red and yellow, what color do I get?

What color does blue and yellow make?

Red is a….

Primary color

Secondary color

Purple is a…

Primary color

Secondary color

Orange is the complementary color of…

Red

PurpleBlue

Which object is usually green?

Red is the complementary color of…

Blue

Green

Orange

The three primary colors are…

Red, Blue and Purple

Orange, Green, and Purple

Yellow, Blue and Red

The three secondary colors are…

Orange, Green, and Purple

Blue, Red, and Yellow

Red, Green, and Orange

You did it!

Target Audience

Objectives

Standards

Resources

Learner Environment

Learner Environment

• This activity can be done as a small (2-5) group activity, an individual activity with the student alone at the computer, or a student with an adult as a helper.

• This can be done in the classroom, computer lab, or at home for a homework project.

Target Audience

• 1st and/or 2nd graders

• Middle class to lower class

• Boys and girls

• Urban/ suburban/ rural

• Some previous knowledge of the color wheel

Objectives

• Students will successfully be able to identify primary, secondary, complementary colors with 100% accuracy.

• Students will be able to identify which primary colors make up secondary colors with 100% accuracy.

Standards

• 2.7 Students apply the elements and principles and discriminate various lines, shapes, forms, textures, colors, and space. They identify two and three-dimensional works of art, visual characteristics of media, and utilize appropriate media and processes in artwork, demonstrating safe and proper use of materials.

• 2.8 Students identify connections between visual art and other disciplines, and they create artwork using content and sign systems from other subject areas.

Resources

http://www.itsjust4me.com/usermods/elmosworld.htm

http://www.sodahead.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Grover.JPG

http://www.cinnamonhearts.com/Cherries04.htm

http://photo-dict.faqs.org/phrase/399/lemon.html

http://www.thewritingnut.com/blog-challenge/az-day-25-yellow-symbolisms/

http://www.baltimoreeats.com/article.php?id=19

http://www.dawgsports.com/2007/6/26/0124/02387

http://cenvironment.blogspot.com/2010/07/final-recommendations-of-ocean-policy.html

http://nailartstamp.com/My_Homepage_Files/products.htm