Colors directly across from one another on the color wheel are known as what?

• A. Monochromatic
• B. Complementary
• C. Analogous
• D. Split-Complementary

Answer: (B)

Complementary colors are the colors that sit directly opposite each other on the color wheel. This opposite position gives the strongest contrast when they’re used together, which is why they’re great for making elements stand out in a design or piece of art. On the traditional wheel, red is opposite green, blue opposite orange, and yellow opposite purple. When paired side by side, they appear highly vibrant; when mixed in pigments, they tend to neutralize toward gray or brown, while in light they combine to white. This direct opposition is what defines complementary colors.

The other options describe different relationships: monochromatic means variations of a single hue, analogous refers to colors next to each other on the wheel, and split-complementary uses a color plus the two colors adjacent to its opposite.