Which colors are considered the primary colors in traditional color theory?

• A. Green, Orange, and Purple
• B. Black, White, and Gray
• C. Red, Yellow, and Blue
• D. Pink, Teal, and Brown

Answer: (C)

In traditional pigment color theory used in painting, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue because these colors cannot be produced by mixing other colors, and all other hues are created by mixing them in various amounts. Green, orange, and purple are secondary colors, formed by mixing pairs of primaries (yellow+blue makes green, red+yellow makes orange, red+blue makes purple). Black, white, and gray are neutrals and do not represent hue on the color wheel, so they aren’t primaries. Pink, teal, and brown are derived by adding white to red (pink), mixing blue and green to make teal, or dulling/mixing colors to create brown; none of these are primary pigments. It’s also good to note that when talking about color theory for light instead of pigments, the primaries are red, green, and blue, which shows how the system depends on the medium.