Which is an example of complementary colors?

• A. Blue and Yellow
• B. Red and Green
• C. Purple and Orange
• D. Black and White

Answer: (B)

Complementary colors are pairs that sit opposite each other on a standard color wheel. They provide strong contrast and, when used together in painting, can make each color look more vibrant. On the traditional artist’s color wheel (red, yellow, blue as primaries), the opposite pairs are red with green, blue with orange, and yellow with purple. Red and green are opposite, so they are a classic example of complementary colors.

Blue and Yellow aren’t opposite in that wheel, even though they mix to a bright green in pigment, which shows they aren’t complements. Purple and Orange aren’t opposite either. Black and White aren’t hues on the wheel, so they aren’t complementary colors.