Primary colours

Value is the lightness or darkness of a colour when compared with others. In the traditional red-yellow-blue set, blue is generally perceived as having the darkest value, so option B is correct. Yellow is normally the lightest, while red tends to occupy a middle position. Orange is a secondary colour produced by mixing red and yellow, so it is not a traditional primary colour in this question.

The governing concept is visual adaptation and opponent-colour response. After the eyes stare at red for a long period, the red-sensitive response becomes temporarily fatigued. When the gaze shifts to a white surface, the less-adapted opposing response can be noticed as a greenish or cyan-like afterimage. Therefore option A is correct; the original red and nearby warm colours are not the expected opponent effect.

The governing concept is the difference between perception and material. Colour is the visual experience produced when the eye and brain interpret light, whereas a pigment is a physical substance that absorbs some wavelengths and reflects others. Therefore, option A is correct. Options B, C and D confuse an observed sensation with the material or light causing it.

The governing concept is the educational use of a traditional colour model. Red, yellow and blue provide a simple classroom framework for showing that pairs of basic painting colours can be combined to introduce orange, green and violet. This model is not the technical basis of screens or precise process printing. Therefore option A is correct; B, C and D refer to different systems or instruments.

The governing concept is subtractive colour mixing with inks. Cyan, magenta and yellow selectively absorb red, green and blue portions of white light, leaving the desired reflected colour; modern printing commonly adds black as K in CMYK to deepen shadows and improve text. Thus option C gives the basic three-colour model. RGB is for emitted light, and the other sets are not printing primaries.

The governing concept is the role of a colour within a defined system. A primary colour is treated as a basic component that is not produced by mixing other colours within that same model; the exact set differs for pigments, inks and light. Brightness, warmth and position on a wheel do not define primacy. Therefore option B is correct, while A, C and D describe unrelated properties.

Unity means that the parts of a composition appear related and work together as one visual whole. Repeating the primary colours in planned locations creates connections, while controlling their proportions establishes a clear dominant, supporting, and accent relationship. Adding unrelated colours everywhere or isolating the primaries weakens cohesion, and thicker outlines alone do not organise colour relationships. Therefore option B is the most effective method for producing unity in a primary-colour scheme.

The governing concept is value contrast: readable lettering must differ sufficiently in lightness or darkness from its background. Checking the text and background in greyscale is a useful practical test because it removes hue distraction and reveals whether the values are too close. Option A is correct; merely counting colour names, weighing a brush, or making every colour equally bright does not directly test legibility.

Readability depends strongly on value contrast, not simply on whether two hues are different. Red and blue can have similar lightness or darkness, so their edges may appear weak, especially at small sizes or in busy designs. Option A is correct. The claim that neither is primary is false in common colour systems, while blue is not always invisible and red can have considerable intensity.

The governing concept is additive colour mixing. A digital display creates colours by emitting red, green, and blue light at controlled intensities; combining these channels produces a wide range of colours, including white when all are strong. Thus B is correct. Watercolour, earth pigments, and the traditional painter’s wheel use reflected pigment and are not based on RGB light primaries.

The governing concept is complementary neutralisation. Red is opposite green on the colour wheel, so adding a small amount of red reduces green’s saturation or intensity and moves it toward a duller neutral colour. Thus, option A is correct. Yellow or blue shifts green toward another hue, while white lightens it but does not specifically neutralise its intensity.

The governing concept is complementary colour neutralisation. Yellow is opposite violet on the colour wheel, so a small quantity of yellow reduces violet’s saturation and makes it less intense. Therefore, option A is correct. Green is not the direct complement named here, while blue or red usually strengthens or shifts violet rather than neutralising it. Too much yellow can make the mixture muddy.

The governing concept is complementary contrast and neutralisation. Blue is opposite orange on the colour wheel, so adding a small amount of blue lowers orange’s saturation and makes it less vivid. Hence, option C is correct. Red or yellow generally makes orange warmer or stronger, while white creates a tint by lightening it rather than directly neutralising its colour intensity.

The governing concept is controlled colour mixing. Orange is produced by combining red and yellow, and changing their proportions shifts the mixture toward a redder or yellower orange. A sample strip records these ratios and makes comparison and selection easier, so option A is correct. Applying one orange removes variation; repeated blue addition changes the hue toward a duller neutral; black and white alter value, not orange hue.

The governing concept is relative colour temperature in a mixed hue. Blue is conventionally classified as a cool colour, while yellow is generally warmer. Green lies between them, so increasing the blue proportion shifts green toward blue-green and makes its visual temperature cooler. Option B is correct. It does not become redder or completely neutral, and adding blue cannot make the mixture warmer unless a different contextual comparison is being made.

The governing concept is the advancing and receding effect of colour. Warm, bright and relatively saturated hues attract attention and tend to appear nearer, so bright warm orange makes a foreground object advance visually. Therefore, option B is correct. Greyed orange and neutral brown are subdued, while very light blue is cool and more suitable for atmospheric distance.

The governing concept is controlled neutralisation using a complementary colour. Blue is opposite orange on the colour wheel, so adding a very small amount of blue reduces orange’s chroma or intensity while allowing orange to remain recognisable. A large amount could make the mixture brown or neutral. Black mainly darkens, white lightens, and extra red shifts the hue rather than gently muting it. Therefore, option B is best.

The governing concept is the relationship between complementary colours. Opposite colours on the colour wheel tend to neutralise one another when mixed; a small addition can therefore reduce the brightness or intensity of the base poster colour and produce a muted tone. Option A is correct. The mixture does not always become white, automatically become transparent, or acquire a metallic appearance.

A balanced colour scheme depends on unity, controlled variety, and clear visual emphasis. Using a limited group of main colours prevents the poster from becoming confusing, while lighter and darker values create contrast and depth. Option A can make every area compete for attention, and using only black removes colour variety. Equal quantities of all colours do not necessarily create harmony. Therefore, limited colours with planned values make option B the best answer.

The governing concept of stencil printing is preventing paint from being forced beneath the stencil edge. A small amount of relatively controlled paint, applied with light vertical dabbing or pressure, deposits colour without pushing it sideways. Option B therefore gives the correct method. Watery paint, a loose stencil, or moving the brush under the edge creates paths for bleeding and produces blurred outlines. Keeping the stencil stable is also important.