The black- white color pair is common to all the above theories.Opponent process theory suggests that the most contrasting color pairs are red–green and blue–yellow.In the traditional RYB color model, the complementary color pairs are red– green, yellow– purple, and blue– orange.Modern color theory uses either the RGB additive color model or the CMY subtractive color model, and in these, the complementary pairs are red– cyan, green– magenta, and blue– yellow.Which pairs of colors are considered complementary depends on the color theory one uses: Complementary colors may also be called 'opposite colors'. When placed next to each other, they create the strongest contrast for those two colors. Complementary colors in the opponent process theory.Ĭomplementary colors are pairs of colors which, when combined or mixed, cancel each other out (lose hue) by producing a grayscale color like white or black. Complementary colors in the traditional RYB color model. Complementary colors in the RGB color model.
