Color arithmetic (ConceptTopic, 7)
From Compile Worlds
Color arithmetic is a system that seems to baffle many people, even though it is extremely logical.
It goes like this:
| -> Light -> | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty | Primary | Secondary | Full |
| Black | Red Green Blue |
Cyan Magenta Yellow |
White |
| Full | Secondary | Primary | Empty |
| <- Pigments <- | |||
You can easily read off the chart that, for example, magenta is a primary color of pigments.
When combining two primary colors to make a secondary color, you move in the direction of the arrows, and choose the color that is not on lines you already chosen. So when dealing with light, red (line 1) + green (line 2) makes yellow (line 3); when dealing with pigments, cyan (line 1) + yellow (line 3) makes green (line 2).

