RYB • CMY(K) • RGB
scroll down to see all 3 color wheels
Instructor Carole R. Brown
The RYB
Color Wheel
The RYB Color Wheel is based on the 3 primary colors:
Red, Yellow & Blue
RYB Color Wheel is a Subtractive Color Mode.
The sample color wheel is colored in with the medium crayons.
Crayons are made from solid based pigments with a binder of paraffin wax.
Paraffin wax is made
of a by-product of petroleum or crude oil distillation. Other ingredients may include synthetic resins and oil such as palm oil.
The CMY(K)
Color Wheel
The CMY(K) Color Wheel is based on the 3 primary colors:
Cyan, Magenta and Yellow
The letter “K” stands for Key Color which is Black. CMYK is used in the process color printing (4
CMY(K) Color Wheel is a Subtractive Color Mode.
Using the CMYK Color Slider Panel, one can select the exact formula for the Primary and Secondary colors.
The Value range is achieved by adding
Tints (+ White)
Tones (+ Grey)
Shades (+ Black)
You can view the options for selecting Value ranges for both RGB & CMY(K) color wheels: in the Toolbar > click on the foreground square.
The Color Picker Panel will open and you can readily select tints, tones & shades.
Be sure the Shades of each hue has no white or gray – only Black
The RGB
Color Wheel
The RGB Color Wheel is based on the 3 primary colors: Red, Green and Blue (also called Indigo)
RGB Color Wheel is a Additive Color Mode.
In the RGB Color Picker Panel, the best way to select Values levels for the RGB Color Wheel is to use Only Web Colors.
Formulas for
RGB Values
Tints, Tones & Shades
See chart below
RGB Color Wheel
Samples are for:
• Primary Colors
based on Green and
• Secondary Colors
based on Cyan.
