The chromatic rose is an illustrative abstract organization of the color tones around a circle, which shows the relationship between the colors. It is also known as a chromatic circle, color wheel or color wheel (in English).
In this the three primary colors and their relationship with the secondary colors are represented through transitions between all the colors.
This representation, either in a degraded or staggered manner, is compatible with additive and subtractive color models.
In a staggered representation the color rose can have variations of 6, 12, 24 or 48 steps, even more, based on the actual availability of colors in paint and stains.
It is worth highlighting the difference between additive and subtractive models. Although both are compatible with chromatic rose, they are totally incompatible with each other, since the way in which the color is applied is completely different.
Additive model
Also known as an additive color system or lighting system, part of the color of lights.
Consequently, it applies exclusively to lights: projectors, photography, television or LCD screens, among other elements. It is completely incompatible with the subtractive system.
In the additive model, the starting point is darkness, represented by the color black, and light is what generates the change.
After separating white light using a prism, the most basic result is the three primary colors of light: red, green and blue.
From these "colors of light" any other tonality can be generated, combining to a greater or lesser degree two or three of these colors in different intensities.
It is also known as the RGB system (red-green-blue, for red-green-blue in English) and can be appreciated by looking closely at a pixel on the screen of a computer, mobile device or television.
Subtractive model
In the subtractive synthesis of color, one starts from a substrate (canvas, paper or any base on which to paint) as if it were white. The combination of the three perfect basic colors should result in black.
If the well-known yellow-blue-red were used as primaries, and mixed in equal quantities, the result would not be a black color but a dark brown.
To obtain a true black color, the colors cyan, magenta and yellow (cyan-magenta-yellow in English) must be combined.
Hence the famous CMYK that is talked about in printers and design programs that refers to the colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black (K for black, black in English).
Implications for the color wheel
The differences between the CMYK (subtractive) and RGB (additive) models are summarized in two different color circles for use on substrates, such as print or paint; and on screens, such as televisions, projectors, among others.
Not only are the primary colors for each model different, but changing the intensity of each primary color will result in something different.
Greater intensity of colors in the RGB model results in the color white, while greater intensity of colors in the CMYK model results in black.
The basic principle of the chromatic rose - showing the primary colors and the degradations or steps between them - remains active for either of the two cases.
Whichever color model is used, the chromatic rose will display the complementary color on the opposite side of the circle and the analogous colors on the sides of each selected color.
References
- Color Systems - RGB & CMYK colormatters.com
- RGB vs Pantone PMS vs CMYK vs HEX a quick guide to color lauraj.co
- Wikipedia - Chromatic Circle en.wikipedia.org
- Chromaflo - Chromatic Circle - chromaflo.com
- Drawing and Puntuira - Chromatic Rose drawingypintura.cl
- Cruxcreative - Rgb Vs Cmyk: When to Use Which and Why cruxcreative.com