Final answer:
A tertiary color is formed by mixing equal parts of a secondary color with its neighboring primary color on the color wheel. Examples include red-orange or yellow-green. The modern color wheel visually represents these relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
Step-by-step explanation:
A color achieved by mixing equal parts of a secondary color and its neighboring primary color on the color wheel is a tertiary color. These colors are the result of mixing colors from the different levels of the color wheel. The secondary colors are orange, green, and violet, which are derived from mixtures of the primary colors red, yellow, and blue.
When you combine a secondary color with its adjacent primary color, you get a tertiary color. Examples of tertiary colors are red-orange or yellow-green, depending on which primary color was mixed with the secondary color. The exploration of color blends such as this is a key part of color theory.
Color theory also discusses concepts like complementary colors, which are found opposite each other on the color wheel and have a high contrast when placed side by side, and analogous colors, which are next to one another on the wheel and blend smoothly when combined.
The modern color wheel is an essential tool for understanding how colors interact and is organized into primary, secondary, and tertiary colors, along with various tints and shades.