The document discusses the color wheel, which was invented by Sir Isaac Newton in 1666 to explain how colors relate to each other. It begins with three primary colors - red, yellow, and blue. These primary colors are mixed together to form three secondary colors: orange, green, and purple. Finally, the secondary colors are mixed with the primary colors next to them on the wheel to create six tertiary colors, completing the natural color order. The color wheel forms the basis of all color theory.

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Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
The colour circle/wheel
presentation
Unit 230: Creating and applying colour

2. © 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved.
Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
Introduction
• The colour circle was invented by Sir Issac Newton in around 1666
to explain how colours relate to one another. The principle hasn’t
really changed since.
• It is the basis of all colour theory and is the natural order of colour.
• The following slides will explain how the colour wheel is constructed
and introduce you to the six categories contained within it.
• This will enable you to identify and select schemes based on
specific colour types.

3. © 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved.
Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
The colour wheel
• The colour wheel, or colour circle as it is also known, is basically a
continuous combination of colour featuring all of the colours in the
colour spectrum.
• It has been slightly changed and developed over the years but its
principles remain the same.
• It begins with primary colours, which are mixed together to form
secondary colours, which are then mixed again with the primary
colours either side of them to form tertiary colours.

4. © 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved.
Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
Primary colours
• There are three primary colours red, yellow and blue.
• These form the basis of all other pure colours ie colours that do not
contain tints of white and shades of black.
Red Yellow
Blue
• Primary colours cannot be formed by mixing any other colours
together.

5. © 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved.
Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
Secondary colours
The primary colours are mixed together to form three secondary
colours.
+ =
+ =
+ =
red yellow orange
blue
green
purple
yellow
red
blue
230.9

6. © 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved.
Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
Tertiary colours
Tertiary means third in the order and the third stage of this process –
mixing the three secondary colours with the three primary colours –
forms the six tertiary colours. These form the natural order of colour.
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
+ =
yellow yellow-green
blue green-bluegreen
blue purple blue-purple
green
purple red purple-red
red orange red-orange
orange yellow orange-yellow
230.10

7. © 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved.
Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
Conclusion
Colour is all around us and is something that should never be
underestimated as it has a massive impact on our everyday lives.
Consider how the previous slides would have looked without colour.
yellow yellow-green
blue green-bluegreen
blue purple blue-purple
green
purple red purple-red
red orange red-orange
orange yellow orange-yellow

8. © 2013 City and Guilds of London Institute. All rights reserved.
Level 2 Diploma in Painting and Decorating
Any questions?