From Marion Boddy-Evans,
Your Guide to Painting.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

Definition:

Two colours on opposite sides of the color wheel, which when placed next to each other make both appear brighter. The complementary color of a primary color (red, blue, and yellow) is the colour you get by mixing the other two (red + blue = purple; blue + yellow = green; red + yellow = orange). So the complementary color for red is green, for blue it's orange, and for yellow it's purple.

See Also:

• Color Theory Lesson: Complementary Colors