The first exposure most people have to the Primary Color Wheel
is when they are in elementary school. Only if they move on to
study art and art history will they find they have the opportunity
to explore the first color wheel that was produced. Sir Isaac
Newton invented the first color wheel and based his wheel on different
color beams created by the sun and the second color wheel made
by Johann Wolfgang Goeth who based his wheel on psychology. The
most accurate color wheel is the one that is established with
the three primary colors as the conventional guide.
The primary colors are red, yellow and blue with the secondary
colors being orange, purple and green. When looking at a BASIC
Color Wheel, the colors that are directly opposite from one another
are called complimentary colors. The color wheel is the basis
for many elementary school lesson plans and a number of ways can
be used to teach children about color theory and the basic principles
involved in using color with the help of the 12 point color wheel.
Teachers can use crayons, paint, a color chart, dye, wax color
and a variety of creative art mediums in order to mix, paint,
and create assorted colored using the color wheel as a guide.
Taught To Elementary Students
New ways of introducing children to primary colors and the color
wheel includes software lessons that allow children to explore
how color works including basic elements of design, code color,
different types of color wheels including RGB based color, mixing
ideas and much more. Although these concepts might sound too advanced
for young children, choosing software by browsing software reviews
that recommend certain products for children can lead parents
and children to purchasing the right type of learning tools. Many
times lesson plans on software based color programs rely heavily
on examples and creative play that includes cut and paste projects.
Another way for both children and adults to be exposed to the
differences in color wheels is to use creative computer programs
like photoshop where charts and guides are readily available to
use for creative ideas. Harmony is also very important in how
color works and what makes certain color combinations pleasing
to the eye. Balance is also important and allowing something to
be put together without harmony or balance can create a disorderly
or dull. Using experimentation is the most common way that people
learn about color without even thinking about it. When choosing
wall paint or wood dye, what is accepted by the eye and what the
eye rejects is a visual learning experience in color. In the end,
the colors that are pleasing to the eye are colors that likely
work together on the color wheel.