Secondary Colors.

Let’s talk about the secondary colors, these are so-called for which are obtained by mixing the primary colors together.

It is the same procedure for the side in cmyk(color printing) which are obtained by mixing the primary cmyk.

¿How do I get the Secondary Colors?

Here I show you how we can obtain, are obtained by mixing the primary colors, that is to say if you mix red and yellow leaves, the color orange, blue, and yellow leaves color green, the red and blue gives purple color, this is how you get the secondary colors.

Interactive colors - Press them and verify the combinations listed on this page.

Secondary colors CMYK

The secondary colors in the CMYK model is formed by mixing the primary colors cmyk. These are derivatives of the colors cyan, magenta, yellow, and black(k):

  1. Red.
  2. Blue.
  3. Green.

¿What Are the Secondary Colors in Art vs. Light?

In the world of color theory, secondary colors play an essential role in both art and light, but they differ in how they’re created.

Secondary Colors in Art:

In traditional art (like painting or mixing pigments), secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors. The primary colors in art are red, yellow, and blue. When you mix these in different combinations, you get three secondary colors:

  • Orange (mixing red and yellow)
  • Green (mixing blue and yellow)
  • Purple (or Violet) (mixing red and blue)

These secondary colors are key when creating a wide range of hues in your artwork.

Secondary Colors in Light:

In the additive color model (like light or screens), the primary colors are red, green, and blue. When you mix these colors, you get different secondary colors:

  • Cyan (mixing green and blue)
  • Magenta (mixing red and blue)
  • Yellow (mixing red and green)

The secondary colors of light are crucial for understanding how screens and lighting systems mix colors to create images.

Table: Secondary Colors and Their Primary Color Combinations

Here’s a handy table showing more than 60 secondary colors, both in art and light, and the primary colors they come from. The color codes are in hexadecimal format, perfect for web design and digital art.

Secondary ColorPrimary Colors UsedHexadecimal Color Code
OrangeRed + Yellow#FFA500
GreenBlue + Yellow#008000
PurpleRed + Blue#800080
CyanGreen + Blue#00FFFF
MagentaRed + Blue#FF00FF
YellowRed + Green#FFFF00
AmberRed + Yellow#FFBF00
ChartreuseYellow + Green#7FFF00
Spring GreenGreen + Blue#00FF7F
VioletBlue + Red#8A2BE2
TealBlue + Green#008080
LavenderRed + Blue#E6E6FA
LimeGreen + Yellow#00FF00
AquamarineBlue + Green#7FFFD4
FuchsiaRed + Blue#FF00FF
IndigoBlue + Red#4B0082
TurquoiseBlue + Green#40E0D0
RoseRed + Violet#FF007F
OliveYellow + Green#808000
PeriwinkleBlue + Violet#CCCCFF
PeachYellow + Red#FFDAB9
Sea GreenGreen + Blue#2E8B57
CrimsonRed + Violet#DC143C
GoldenrodYellow + Red#DAA520
Mint GreenGreen + Blue#98FF98
CoralRed + Yellow#FF7F50
Sky BlueBlue + Green#87CEEB
MagentaRed + Blue#FF00FF
BurgundyRed + Violet#800020
PlumRed + Blue#8E4585
SaffronYellow + Red#F4C430
Lime GreenGreen + Yellow#32CD32
Royal BlueBlue + Violet#4169E1
Sunset OrangeRed + Yellow#FF4500
Golden YellowYellow + Red#FFD700
Moss GreenGreen + Yellow#8A9A5B
MaroonRed + Blue#800000
Apple GreenGreen + Yellow#8DB600
Cobalt BlueBlue + Violet#0047AB
Lime YellowYellow + Green#D3E700
CeruleanBlue + Green#007BA7
Lavender PinkRed + Violet#F1C6D0
MauveRed + Violet#E0B0FF
CarmineRed + Violet#960018
Periwinkle BlueBlue + Violet#CCCCFF
Fluorescent PinkRed + Blue#FF1493
MustardYellow + Red#FFDB58
SalmonRed + Orange#FA8072
Turquoise BlueBlue + Green#00CED1
Mauve TaupeRed + Violet#915F6D
Dusty RoseRed + Violet#D4A6C8
PistachioGreen + Yellow#93C572
RaspberryRed + Violet#E30B5C
CeriseRed + Violet#DE3163
TangerineRed + Yellow#FF9500
BasilGreen + Yellow#4CBB17
Saffron YellowYellow + Red#F4C430
CantaloupeOrange + Yellow#FFD39B
Tea RoseRed + Violet#F4C2C2
ApricotOrange + Yellow#FBCEB1
Coral PinkRed + Orange#F88379
Light LilacBlue + Violet#B9AEDC
AlmondYellow + Red#EFDECD
SeafoamGreen + Blue#93E9B4

These are just some of the secondary colors you can create by mixing primary colors in art or light. The hexadecimal codes are essential for digital work, and this list helps you choose the right secondary color to match your project needs!

Who are interested in learning about these colors?

In practice, when working in graphic design and illustration, as well as students who leave work and research, the understanding of how to interact with these colors not only in terms of mixing, but also in its emotional impact and visual that is crucial to achieve an effective design and attractive. It should be noted that to achieve these colors, they should be combined in equal portions, or very similar, to avoid shade.

Issue resolution

Derived from the combination of the primary and 3 are the same as the secondary colors. Remember to always test your combinations in screens calibrated and when it is possible to perform tests of printing, as colors can look different in digital and physical. I explore the world of color is an exciting part of the creative process in the day-to-day!