The colors Primary and secondary Are visual perceptions, a visual experience that arises thanks to a physical-chemical visual phenomenon.
Primary colors are the root of all other tones that exist. In paint pigments, pure yellow, pure red, and pure blue are the only tones that can not be created by mixing other colors together.
By mixing the primary colors the secondary colors are obtained.
Yellow + red = ORANGE
Red + Blue = VIOLET or PURPLE
Blue + Yellow = GREEN
When you mix a primary color and its closest secondary in the basic color wheel, new blends called tertiary colors are created.
Yellow + orange = YELLOW-ORANGE
Red + Orange = RED-ORANGE
Red + Violet = RED-VIOLET
Blue + Violet = BLUE-VIOLET
Blue + Green = BLUE-GREEN
Yellow + Green = YELLOW-GREEN
Primary colors
It is called primary colors to those basic colors that can not be obtained by mixing any other, which is why they are considered absolute, unique and unique colors, very different from each other because they lack common shades.
By means of these it is possible to mix a greater range of tones and to create new colors (secondary or tertiary). From these colors the chromatic circle or colored wheel is constructed.
There are several theories that classify primary colors in different ways, such as the traditional one that has always been heard and taught, but in addition to this there is also the modern theory of color which distinguishes between light colors and pigment.
More than a fundamental property of light, primary colors are part of a biological concept based on the physiological response of the human eye to light.
Essentially, since light is a continuous spectrum of wavelengths, the number of existing colors is almost infinite.
However, the normal human eye can only perceive them through three types of receptors called cones, corresponding to the trichromatic theory, so that the waves it appreciates are mostly limited to red lights, green And blue.
Although the maximum sensitivity of the cones does not occur exactly with these colors, they are chosen because they allow to stimulate them in an almost independent way, providing a wide range of colors.
Primary colors of light (RGB model), additive synthesis
Biologically, the human eye has cells called cones, possessing up to three types and each characterized by being sensitive to a particular type of light.
Some detect the red light (about wavelengths of 700-600 nm), others for the green ones (wavelengths of 550 nm) and others for the blue ones (detecting radiations of 450-400 nm).
Now, according to this theory and because of these three types of light captured by the sensitivity of the human eye, the primary colors of light are considered to be red, green and blue.
As an example of the colors produced by light we can find: those of a computer monitor, in the cinema or television, among others. All of them identify as primary colors those belonging to the RGB model.
If two of these colors are mixed, the primary colors of pigmentation are obtained, but only two must be used because the union of these three RGB colors proportional (equal parts) forms the white and the absence of them forms the black, because Black is darkness, the opposite of light.
That is, the model RGB = Red, Green and Blue, would form the primary colors of light because through them they can represent all colors, the sum of these three colors make up the light White and this fusion is called"additive synthesis".
Primary Pigment Colors (CMY Model), Subtractive Synthesis
At the beginning of studies concerning color theories, pigment color was considered as a quality of the object. As research progressed, it was concluded that the pigment colors are formed by the light reflected by certain pigments applied to the surfaces, hence its name.
According to this theory the primary colors are: magenta, cyan and yellow.
The CMY model means = Cyan (C), magenta (M) and Yellow, marillo (Y).
Most of the printing systems use these colors in their inks and, in addition, they are what have been handled traditionally in the painting.
When mixing the three primary colors pigment we should get the black, the darkest color that possesses the least amount of light and by means of this mixture produces the subtractive synthesis.
Traditional primary colors (Model RYB)
It is composed of the following colors: yellow, blue and red.
Traditionally we are taught this, but the truth is that although it is a good approximation, this classification is considered obsolete by science and industry but still remains the one normally taught in most classes, colleges, etc.
This model was the precursor of the CMY model.
Primary psychological colors
Composed of: red, yellow, green and blue.
At first, the theory of the color opposition process of Ewald Hering (1834-1918) contained six psychological colors, considered as primary and these were grouped in pairs of opposites:
- Black and white
- Red and green
- Yellow and blue
Secondary Colours
Secondary colors are based on the visual perception coming from the mixing or visual union of two primary colors in the same proportion.
A) According to the subtractive color model, We can obtain the following combinations:
- Magenta + yellow = red
- Yellow + cyan = green
- Cyan + magenta = blue
- Cyan + magenta + yellow = black
As can be seen in the following graph:
B) According to the additive color model S E consists of the following combinations:
- Red + green = yellow
- Red + blue = magenta
- Green + blue = cyan
By means of the following image you can see how these mixtures occur and their respective results:
C) RYB color model (traditional) S E consists of the following combinations:
- Red + yellow = orange
- Yellow + blue = green
- Blue + red = purple
We can observe these combinations by means of the following graph:
How are the colors perceived?
During the phenomenon of visual perception, the light rays (which travel in a wave form) transmit to the optic nerve the impressions that pass directly to the nervous system Y brain Will be responsible for interpreting them.
Basically, the primary colors are those that can not be created by mixing other colors and the secondary ones are those that result from the mixtures between two primary colors.
There are also the so-called"tertiary colors"that result from mixing a secondary color with a primary color. Finally, we can find the"quaternary colors"that result from the mixture of two tertiary colors.
At present, several color models can be distinguished with their corresponding primary colors depending on the context that it applies and the theory on which it is based.
The term"primary colors"is a basic concept of color theory and its origin goes back to what is Isaac Newton In his book Opticks (1704).
When talking about colors, it is important to specify and distinguish between light colors or pigment colors (materials).
There are different types of light and these depend on its wavelength. This is why we have infrared light, ultraviolet light or visible light spectrum, the latter is the only one visible by the human eye and is between 380 and 770 nanometers.
If there is no light, there is no color and as proof of this, by drastically reducing the light source of any site you can notice that the previously bright colors have now turned gray, this happens because the human eye can not distinguish Colors in poor lighting conditions.
When we stop having light, we will stop having color until the human eye sees nothing, it will come to the black that instead of being a color as such rather the total absence of light.
Trichromatic Theory
There are several color models that are used to identify primary colors. Despite this, models that include only three primary colors predominate and this is due to a specific reason.
The trichromatic theory reveals that human vision has three types of receptors (three independent channels) that respond to specific wavelengths of light, that is, they can only receive 3 primary colors and that makes us trichromatic.
Abnormal trichromatism
In this case, the affected person in fact has three types of cones but with some defects and for this reason confuses one color with another.
This type of problem is common in Colorblind Which, despite having the three types of cones, come to perceive the altered colors. There are also dichromatic colorblinds.
Within this group of abnormal trichromatism can also be found other conditions such as protanomaly, deuteranomaly and tritanomaly, the latter is very rare.
Other Chromatics
There are several species known as tetrachromatic, they have four different color receptors so they could have four primary colors.
Humans can only see up to 400 nm (violet), but tetracromatics can even see part of the ultraviolet, up to approximately 300 nm.
This fourth color would be a pure spectral magenta which, unlike magenta, we can observe with the human eye, being a mixture of red and blue.
There are reports that some women born to be tetracromatic have an extra receptor for yellow.
Most mammals only have two types of receptors and therefore are dichromatic, with the possibility of seeing only two primary colors.
Lack of color
Isaac Newton (1641-1727) around the year 1666 obtained the first evidence that color does not exist.
He was locked in a dark piece and decided to experiment by letting a small beam of white light through a hole. He blocked that light with a small crystal (a prism with a triangular base) and perceived that as the light passed through the glass, the ray of light decomposed, thus giving rise to the six colors of the spectrum reflected in the wall where the original beam of light fell. Colors were: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
Thanks to this experiment, he noticed that the white light was always present, everywhere and is formed by small pieces of light of six colors. The moment that light strikes a body, it absorbs some of the pieces and reflects others.
After this process originates is when we immediately perceive and can actually see the colors reflected through our eyes.
When analyzing this experiment it was possible to conclude that in reality the color is in the light, in other words, the light is color.
The color is a sensation that we perceive thanks to the capacity of our sight to transmit and to process those feelings to the brain.
Then, according to this experiment, the color is nothing more than the white light that breaks down through a crystal.
Warm and cold colors
The cold colors: blue, green and purple or purple, range from yellowish green to violet. They transmit cold sensations, associated with ice, winter, water and moon. They are also known by the name of passive colors.
This denomination was created by the German psychologist Wilhelm Wundt, father of the structuralism , That through a study managed to determine the sensations that a human could experience before certain colors.
On the other hand, the warm colors are all those that project a feeling of heat, are related to the sun, fire, passion, energy and blood. These colors are: yellow, orange and red.
More specifically, warm colors range from reds, oranges to yellows. The more red it is, the more warmth it will transmit. They are also known by the name of active colors.
Color Scales
It is possible to find several color scales for the display of different shades depending on the attributes of the color.
- Chromatic scale : Mix the pure colors with white or black to be able to change its tone, saturation (color intensity) and value (luminosity).
- Achromatic scale : Refers to a scale of grays that goes from white, passing through different shades of gray, until reaching the black color.
- Monochrome Scale : Consists of the variation of the same color by adding more or less amount of white, gray or black.
This is subdivided into:
- Monochrome saturation scale : White is added to a color to get more or less intensity.
- Monochrome luminosity scale : Black is added to a color to make it more or less bright.
- Monochrome Value Scale : Very similar to the previous one, but instead of adding black, the gray color is added.
References
- Calvo Ivanovic, Ingrid. "Typology of color".
- Lasso, Sara. "The primary colors, what and what they are".
- SalPér, Viridiana (2014). "What are the primary, secondary and tertiary colors".
- Westland, Stephen (2001). "What is trichrome theory?"
- Vol. "The Colors: Primary, Secondary and Secondary".
- "The theory of color: What is color? What are the modes of color?"