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Primary Colours

Red, yellow and blue are the primary colours in painting. Mixing them makes secondary colours: orange, green and purple.

๐Ÿ’ก Fun fact

Red + blue makes purple.

All about Primary Colours

Primary colours are the basic colours that cannot be made by mixing other colours. In painting, these are red, yellow and blue. Mixing two primary colours makes a secondary colour: red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and blue and red make purple.

Light works differently from paint. The primary colours of light are red, green and blue, which combine to make white light. Understanding both systems helps artists and designers choose the right colours.

๐ŸŽฎ Try it yourself!

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Real-life uses of Primary Colours

  • Mixing paint to create new shades
  • Designing posters and logos with bright colours
  • Choosing colours for a painting or a model

Frequently asked questions about Primary Colours

What are the primary colours?

In paint: red, yellow and blue. In light: red, green and blue.

What colour do you get by mixing all the paints together?

Mixing all paint colours usually makes a muddy brown or grey, because the pigments absorb most of the light.

What are tertiary colours?

Colours made by mixing a primary colour with a neighbouring secondary colour, such as red-orange.