Color Theory Facts about the use of color, black, and white in art Tools A B primary colors red, yellow, and blue secondary colors orange, green and violet tertiary colors(for example) yellow orange, blue green, and red violet complementary colors(for example) violet and yellow absence of color black essence of color white tints any color mixed with white tones any color mixed with black triadic color scheme (for example) red, yellow, and blue when you mix complementary colors you get... brown gradation value change from light to dark analogous colors red, red orange, orange, yellow orange, yellow achromatic black and white chromatic full color scale