Facts About The Lime Green Color
The colour lime green was first given its name because of its similar appearance to the coloration of limes, the citrus fruit. It is between the shades of yellow and green. Although it is located in-between the two, it is always much closer to yellow. For this reason it is also considered a warmer hue than a cooler one. Its a tertiary shade that can be paired with fuschia for the most contrast or to any others for a more subtle effect.
There are three main categories of color: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Every color is made by combinations of three primary ones: red, blue, and yellow. A secondary color is made by combining two primary ones. Such colors include orange, a combination of yellow and red and the color violet, made by adding red to blue.
Tertiary colors are the results of combining primary with secondary shades. Red-orange is an example of this, made with red and orange. Lime green is an additional example, formed when green, a secondary color, is mixed with yellow, a primary one.
Each of the two elements combined to create secondary or tertiary colors may be added in different amounts for slight shade variations. For example, purple created with more red than blue will appear brighter than a purple made with more blue. Similarly, for lime green, brighter shades are created with the more yellow they contain. Some mixes may have twelve parts yellow and are very bright. Others may have a slightly lower ratio of ten to one instead, and be slightly less radiant. However, combinations must always have more yellow.
A color wheel contains both warm and cool shades. Those considered warm are yellow, orange, red, and all colors in-between. The other colors, including blue, purple and violet are considered cool. Lime contains both types, being a combination of blue with yellow. Blue is considered colder but yellow is warm. However, because yellow is present in much higher quantities its composition is mostly warm.
Color wheels make it quite easy to determine colors for contrast. If colors are complements of each other, they are opposites in color. An easy way to see this on a wheel is to look at colors located directly opposite each other. The complement of lime is a reddish blue fuschia. These two show a stark contrast if shown along side each other. Other complementary colors are orange and blue.
If less contrast is desired, colors may be combined that have a more similar shade. Orange may be paired with a red-orange or a yellow-orange. These are all very similar in appearance. Yellow or blue-green can be combined with lime for a similar harmonious effect. This combination type has a lot less contrast, as the colors concerned are all related and on one side of the color wheel.
The color lime green is composed of a secondary and a primary one, and is therefore considered tertiary. Its a mixture of cool and warm colors, but is warmer because it has more yellow. Its complementary shade is fuschia, present directly opposite it on a color wheel. Therefore these two colors have the highest contrast to each other than to any other color. More harmonious shades with less of a contrast would be any located adjacent to each other within the color spectrum.
Check out our article to learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the colour lime green.
June 9, 2011 | Posted by Dave Shuttle
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