How are intermediate hues created?

Intermediate hues are formed by mixing a primary color with its adjacent secondary color on the color wheel. This process utilizes the relationships between colors to create new tones that are positioned between the primary and secondary colors. For example, combining blue (a primary color) with green (a secondary color that is made from the primary blue and primary yellow) results in the intermediate hue blue-green.

This method highlights the significance of color relationships; each intermediate hue, such as red-orange or yellow-green, emerges precisely from the blending of the respective primary and neighboring secondary colors. The result is a wider spectrum of colors that can be used for various applications in art and design.

In contrast, mixing primary colors together results in secondary colors, and adding white to a secondary hue creates tints, not intermediate hues. Combining complementary colors generates a neutral color or varying shades, rather than an intermediate hue. Thus, the creation of intermediate hues specifically follows the pattern of combining a primary hue with its adjacent secondary hue.