State Board Nail Tech Practice Exam

What are orange, green, and violet known as in color theory?

1. Primary colors

2. Complementary colors

3. Secondary colors

4. Tertiary colors

The correct answer is: Secondary colors

In color theory, orange, green, and violet are recognized as secondary colors. They are created by mixing primary colors in equal amounts. Specifically, orange is formed by blending red and yellow, green comes from mixing blue and yellow, and violet results from the combination of blue and red. The identification of these colors as secondary emphasizes their foundational role in color mixing, bridging the gap between the primary colors and the more complex hues that can be created with additional mixing. While primary colors are the fundamental colors that cannot be created by mixing other colors, and complementary colors refer to pairs of colors that, when combined, cancel each other out to produce a grayscale color (like black or white), the concept of tertiary colors involves mixing a primary color with a secondary color. Therefore, understanding these classifications helps in mastering color mixing and application in various artistic and design contexts.