Color wheel

Gradient linear RGB/CMY(K) colorsec
Gradient RGB/CMY color wheel
Seven-color and twelve-color color circles from 1708 (attributed to Claude Boutet)
Wilhelm von Bezold's 1874 Farbentafel

A color wheel or color circle[1] is an abstract illustrative organization of color hues around a circle, which shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc.

Some sources use the terms color wheel and color circle interchangeably;[2][3] however, one term or the other may be more prevalent in certain fields or certain versions as mentioned above. For instance, some reserve the term color wheel for mechanical rotating devices, such as color tops, filter wheels or the Newton disc. Others classify various color wheels as color disc, color chart, and color scale varieties.[4]

  1. ^ Morton, J.L. "Basic Color Theory". Color Matters.
  2. ^ Simon Jennings (2003). Artist's Color Manual: The Complete Guide to Working With Color. Chronicle Books. p. 26. ISBN 0-8118-4143-X. color-wheel color-circle.
  3. ^ Faber Birren (1934). Color Dimensions: Creating New Principles of Color and a Practical Equation in Color Definition. Chicago: The Crimson Press. ISBN 1-4286-5179-9.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ Joseph Anthony Gillet and William James Rolfe (1881). Elements of Natural Philosophy: For the Use of Schools and Academies. New York: Potter, Ainsworth. p. 186. color-disc.