Exploring Color Theory Through the Color Wheel

OVERVIEW:

In this week's art lesson, we will learn about the discovery of the color wheel by Sir Isaac Newton in the 1600s. Newton discovered that white light is made up of many colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet - the colors of the rainbow. To show how these colors connect, he arranged them into a circle. This became the very first color wheel, a tool that has guided artists for centuries.

We will see that colors are not random- they have an order and a system.

The primary colors (red, yellow, blue) are the building blocks of all other colors.

When we mix two primaries, we get secondary colors (orange, green, purple).

We will also add the tertiary colors (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple), which are created by mixing one primary color with a neighboring secondary color. Altogether, these twelve colors form the full traditional color wheel.

In-Class Project:

Using colored pencils, students will create their own 12-part color wheel.

1. Students will begin with a blank color wheel worksheet.
2. They will color in the primary colors (red, yellow, blue) evenly spaced around the circle.
3. They will then add the secondary colors (orange, green, purple) between the primaries.
4. Finally, they will fill in the tertiary colors (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, red-purple) in the spaces between each primary and secondary.
5. Once the wheel is complete, students will label each color.

The goal will be to understand how colors build from one another and how all twelve work together to form a system of harmony.

Optional Questions for Parents to Ask at Home

• Why are the primary colors called “primary”?
• What happens when two primary colors are mixed together?
• What do we get when we mix a primary with a secondary?
• How many colors are in the full traditional color wheel?
• Which colors do you enjoy using the most, and why?