The two basic models are:
ADDITIVE: Colours
of Light
SUBTRACTIVE: Colours
of Pigments
In both the light and pigment systems, there are 3 primary colours
The primaries are different in each model
Light = Red, Green, and Blue (RGB)
LIGHT
Pigment Paints = Red, Blue, and Yellow (RBY) MATTER
A major difference between Additive and Subtractive colours is
how they respond in combination with their other colours.
Light is “additive”
because when one wavelength of light is added to another,
more light is added,
and the resulting colour is a combination of the two lights,
thus brighter and more luminous.
Pigment is “subtractive”
because when one pigment is added to another,
more material is added,
and the resulting colour is a combination of the two pigmented paints,
thus darker and less luminous.
Light reflects more light; pigment absorbs light;
ADDITIVE COLOUR:
Coloured light, mixed with another coloured light, ADDS LIGHT and
creates a brighter colour.
Colours produced from the simultaneous stimulation of two cones
result in the secondary colours, as shown:
3
Primary colours = 8 Basic
colours
B+G+R white
(all light frequencies)
B Blue
G Green
R Red
3 Secondary colours
Green + Red yellow
Blue + Green cyan
Blue + Red magenta*
Bl black
(no light)
* Note that magenta, created through the stimulation of
the red and blue cones, does not naturally appear in the electromagnetic
spectrum.
Note that yellow is visually created through the
simultaneous stimulation of the cones sensitive to red and green frequencies of
light.
This is the ‘least
intuitive’ pairing, and may need to be memorized.
Pigment Model: RBY
The familiar primaries of Red, Blue and Yellow
Combining these primaries, we get pigment’s “secondary colours”:
Red + Blue =
Purple
Blue + Yellow
= Green
Yellow + Red =
Orange
There is also a third model:
Yellow + cyan
+ magenta
light filters or films (additive) (e.g.
theatre lights)
light-absorbing inks or dyes (subtractive)
(e.g., photography)
There is an integral relationship between RGB and CMY models:
·
Combining the RGB primaries results in the CMY
primaries
·
And the CMY primaries are the RGB secondaries.
GREEN + RED YELLOW
BLUE + GREEN CYAN
BLUE + RED MAGENTA
Conversely, in the CMY subtractive trinity links to Light’s primaries:
CYAN + MAGENTA = BLUE
MAGENTA + YELLOW = RED
YELLOW + CYAN = GREEN
There is no direct or symbiotic type relationship between the pigment
subtractive RBY model and either RGB or CMY. Esoterically, this may suggest
pigment or matter is unrelated to the worlds of light, but if a material is
made light-sensitive, there can be
direct relationship.
In the light model, a “complementary pair” are two specific frequencies
that produce white.
There are 3 pairs of light frequencies that produce ‘two-colour’ white:
Yellow + Blue
Magenta + Green
Cyan + Red
If we place these primary and secondary colours of light in a colour
wheel model, we see that the complementary pairs can also be considered
opposites; however, truly the spectrum in a continuum, not a circle or wheel.
(However, the creation of the secondary colour magenta may apparently
“bring the two ends”, red and blue, together.)
Esoterically, the
“complements” normally given are very similar but not exact to the exoteric
science:
Yellow to Indigo (v
blue)
Red (v magenta) to Green
Blue (v blue-green) to Orange
(v red)
In the pigment model, the
following “opposites” suggest a relationship or potential bridge from matter to
light – via the opposites:
Yellow to Purple
(v blue or indigo)
Red to Green
Blue to Orange
The term ‘complementary’ may be most accurate in the Light model
The term ‘opposite’ may be most accurate in the pigment matter model