2. The complementary colour of a primary colour
(magenta, cyan blue, or yellow) is the colour you
get by mixing the other two primary colours. So
the complementary colour of magenta is green,
of cyan blue is red, and of yellow is purple.
3. When placed next to each other, complementary colours
make each other appear brighter, more intense. The
shadow of an object will also contain its complementary
colour, for example the shadow of a green apple will
contain some red.
Green Apple, by Debra Sisson
4. The colour triangle makes it easy to remember: the three
primary colours are in the corners. The colour you get by
mixing two primaries is between them (magenta and
yellow make red; magenta and cyan blue make purple;
yellow and cyan blue make green). The complementary
colour of a primary colour is the colour opposite it (green
is the complementary of magenta, red for cyan blue, and
purple for yellow).
5. If you mix complementary colours with one another, you
get a tertiary colour, particularly browns (rather than
grays).
6. Activities
1. The Artist’s Toolkit: Complementary Colours.
(you’ll need earphones to listen to it).
2. Painting with complementary colours:
André Derain.
Boats at Collioure Harbour Charing Cross Bridge
