Colors can be summed up in four main groups. These are as follows:
The three primary colors
These are yellow, red and blue. All other colors come from these three colors. I might add that white is needed due to the pigments. So in reality to make a painting you need four colors.
Primary colors are at their best when placed next to each other. That's why red, blue and white look good and a painting with lots of red in it looks even better. Some artists, including myself, sometimes start a painting using only reds. The reds transfer through the final colors and give warmth to the painting.
Secondary colors
Mix two primary colors together and you get what is called a secondary color. The secondary colors are orange, green and purple. Mixing the primary colors yellow, red and blue together will form the secondary colors.
Tertiary colors
Tertiary colors are made from mixing one primary color and one secondary color together. The combinations of tertiary colors are endless, depending on what proportions are mixed.
Complementary Colors
Complementary Colors are Red and Green, Blue and Orange, Purple and Yellow. These are opposites on the color wheel. They become very rich when used properly. If you have a purple ground, for example, using yellow for accents will make the yellow look brighter. It is similar with red and green, blue and orange.
For more on the subject of color, type in color wheels in your favorite search engine.
Better still, you can purchase one at any good art supply store and they usually come with instructions. There are also many books written on the use of color.
Hope this helps, especially beginners who may have a problem with colors.
