Wondering whether primary colours are dark and secondary are light? You couldn’t be more wrong! But don’t worry, we’ll answer all your burning questions and help you find the right colour for your project.
Before we delve into what the many shades look like, we need to ask ourselves ‘what are primary and secondary colours?’ Then, what are the primary and secondary colours, and what happens when they mix?
What Are Primary and Secondary Colours?
When two primary colours are mixed together, it becomes a secondary colour. Primary being the first; secondary being the second colour.
What Are the Primary and Secondary Colours?
Primary Colours
Regarding paint, the main primary colours are red, yellow and blue. These colours are natural. Once mixed together, we see them in nature, in the products we buy, building structures, and even our own body.
Scientifically, primary colours are seen based on how light is reflected. These are red, green and blue. If you hold a torch in front of a mirror, you will see these colours reflected instead.
Secondary Colours
There are three main secondary colours: orange, purple and green. These are formed by mixing primary colours. However, when you mix secondary colours together or a secondary with a primary colour, you can create hundreds of shades.
What Happens When You Mix Colours?
Primary Colours
When you mix the three primary colours together, it becomes a new colour. Depending on the amount of colour mixed, the shade changes too. As such, there are many secondary colours that have hundreds of shades. For example:
- Red + Yellow = Orange
- Red + Blue = Purple
- Blue + Yellow = Green
Secondary Colours
The more secondary colours you mix together, the more shades you create. The darker the colour, the darker the shade. The lighter the colour, the lighter the shade.
Technically, every colour and shade in the universe has been made, but perhaps not identified. Some common mixtures include:
- Red + Blue + Yellow = Brown
- White + Red = Pink
- White + Black = Grey
Whereas, more complicated shades include:
- Black + White + Green = Fruit Salad
- Green + Blue + Magenta = Comet
- Yellow + Blue + Red = Cape Palliser
- Black + Cyan + Red = Fuscous Grey
- Yellow + White + Magenta = Mona Lisa
Are Black and White Colours?
It’s important to note, white, black, brown and pink are technically shades and not colours. For example:
- Black is the absence of light
- White is an abundance of light
- Brown is a hue of orange
- Pink is a tint of red
Hundreds of RAL Colours Available at BC Paints
Be it a quick touch-up of your boat or a complete update for your decking, we supply over 10,000 hues. Simply have a look through our charts and pick out your favourite swatches, then contact us to place your order. We ensure a fast delivery, available to everyone across the UK, and discounts on bulk orders.
