Whether you are a fine artist working with traditional paints, an ADOBE professional, or a publishing house – it’s all about working your way around different color models. But sometimes – knowing your way around color models can be tricky as they all use different primary colors, and work on different scientific principles.
Lucky for you – in this Chart, we break down the three most common color models used by artists & designers – CMYK (for ink-based painting), RGB (for digital screens), and RYB (for traditional artworks).
In doing so, we use graphics tools such as color wheels, venn diagrams, hex codes, and color variations columns to explain the key workings of these models, and how they differ from each other.
Now let’s discuss each feature of our Chart in more detail:
Color Wheel
For each model, we use a color wheel to organize colors around a circle, while showing the relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
In the CMYK model, our primary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow. When you mix equal parts of these, you create secondary colors (Blue, Red and Green) which can then be mixed to create 6 tertiary colors to create additional shades within the wheel.
Adding black to any color (primary, secondary or tertiary ) will create shades and deepen the overall color. To learn more about CMYK color mixing, download our free Chart here.
Now, in an RGB model, Red, Green, and Blue are the primary colors which create Yellow, Cyan and Magenta when mixed. Tertiary Colors are formed when you mix primary and secondary colors, filling out the RGB color wheel with more hues.
Be aware that adding different proportions of each primary color will give different color outputs.
For instance, mixing two parts red to one part green creates orange, and mixing two parts green to one part red creates chartreuse (See chart for color reference).
Last up, we have the RYB color wheel also known as the artistic color wheel, where we use Yellow instead of Green as the third primary color, and secondary colors are created by blending two primary colors (say, Red + Yellow = Orange).
As shown in the color wheel, tertiary colors are formed by mixing primary and secondary colors – filling the RYB wheel with additional colors.
Understanding how color temperature works is important for photographers and filmmakers, who use it to balance light and color. While warmer colors add vibrancy and energy to designs, often evoking a sense of warmth; cool colors create a more calm and relaxed vibe, often used to create soothing designs.
Color Circles
This feature in our Chart shows the venn diagrams of the three primary color sets for each color model.
As you can see, in the CMYK model, the color circles intersect to create a black region. This is because CMYK is a subtractive color model where pigments produce color using reflected light. As shown, black is the final end product when you mix all three primary colors.
This diagram shows how CMYK adds depth and shadow to printed images by reducing reflected light to create darker tones as new colors are created by removing wavelengths from light, and when more ink (or pigment) is added, the color becomes darker.
This working principle is totally reversed in case of an RGB model which uses an additive mixing model based on the properties of light. By adding varying amounts of red, green, and blue light together, you are able to create the full range of colors while mixing equal parts of these three colored lights creates white light (as illustrated by the white area in the image below).
In an RYB model, when all three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) are mixed in equal amounts, the result is a dark brown color – as shown in the venn diagram below.
Color Spectrum
In addition to our circular wheels, our Chart also includes a color spectrum for each color model to give you a better sense of how colors transition from one to the next. These color spectrums are extremely useful tools for color matching, color location, and color pattern matching.
For CMYK, the spectrum starts and ends with Cyan, showing the full color cycle you can achieve with CMYK inks.
The RGB spectrum starts and ends with Red, cycling through all RGB colors to complete a full color loop.
Lastly, the RYB spectrum begins and ends with Red, covering all RYB colors in a smooth transition.
Do note that the order of colors in an RYB spectrum is unique, starting from Red, moving through Orange, Yellow, Dark Green, Dark Blue, Purple, Dark Red, and back to Red. This contrasts with the RGB spectrum, where colors transition differently.
Hex Codes
For those who are new to digital designs, hex code is a 6-digit code used to identify colors through a combination of numbers and letters. This allows us to represent the colors we see everyday in a format that a computer can interpret and display.
Our Chart provides the Hex codes for all primary, secondary and tertiary color sets of all three color models for easy reference and identification.
For example, the hex code for Yellow is #FFFF00 in all three color models; this uniformity allows you to easily convert your desired color from one model or medium to another.
Color Lines
When you are working with colors, you often need to find the exact color shade that matches your design goals.
To make your color selection easier, our Chart also includes color lines for each color model to show you the full range of shades you can work with for each set of primary colors.
For the CMYK model the colored lines transition from full saturation (100) to lightness (0), making it easier for you to see how each color lightens when less ink is applied.
RGB-colored lines range from full intensity (100) to complete darkness (0), showing how each color lightens or darkens when you adjust brightness levels.
RYB-colored lines transition from fully saturated colors (100) to lighter shades (0), allowing a visual reference for lightened versions of each hue.
Color Variation Columns
This unique feature of our Chart is useful if you want to explore the different versions or impacts of a certain color. For each color model, these 6 columns show variations in tint, tone, saturation, chroma, value, and grayscale.
Here’s a quick overview of what these terms mean:
Shade is when you add black to a color. When creating a darker shade, begin with the color itself, and add black one drop at a time.
Tone is what you are left with if you mix a color with gray. Being a neutral color, gray is equal parts black and white. Adding gray to your base hue will make it less intense and vibrant.
Tint is the lighter version of a pure color made by adding white. In this case, when white is added to red, we end up with a soft pastel pink.
Hue speaks to the origin of a color, and is independent of a color’s intensity or lightness. The Primary and Secondary colors (Yellow, Orange, Red, Violet, Blue, and Green) are considered hues
Chroma speaks to how vivid or dull a color is. A high-chroma color has no black, white, or gray in it. Chroma: Refers to the purity of a color, with high chroma indicating vibrant colors and low chroma indicating more muted shades.
Value is directly linked to the amount of light a color reflects. In other words, it speaks to how light or dark a color is. For example, black has a low value, while white has a high value
In the case of CMYK, knowing how color values change creates a better understanding of how you can adjust CMYK colors in printing. In RGB, it helps you visualize how RGB colors change on screens while in an RYB model, it shows how colors can be adjusted in traditional art contexts.
Why Is This Chart Useful?
To sum up, this chart is a great tool for professionals and students who want to learn how to work with multiple color models. To help you practice, a blank version of the chart has also been provided to help you refine your own design or artistic skills.
Don’t forget to pin this article to one of your Pinterest boards for easy future reference!
Our professionally designed Tri-Model Color Wheel Chart: CMYK, RGB & RYB is just a click away, and downloadable in PDF and ADOBE formats.
Please note that combinations and schemes shown in these charts may vary significantly based on the medium used (e.g., watercolor, acrylic, digital) and the color model (e.g., CMYK, RGB, HSL).
In addition, display settings (such as night mode and resolution) can also affect color appearance. To avoid errors, always test colors in your specific context for more accurate results.
