What are the colors obtained by mixing equal amounts of two primary colors called?

The colors obtained by mixing equal amounts of two primary colors are called secondary colors. In the traditional red-yellow-blue paint model, red and yellow make orange, yellow and blue make green, and blue and red make purple or violet.

Secondary colors occupy the spaces between primary colors on a traditional color wheel. They are called “secondary” because they are produced by combining primary colors rather than serving as the starting pigments in that model. The equal-mixture idea describes the ideal relationship, although real paints may produce slightly different results because pigments vary in strength and purity.

The term depends on the color system being used. In additive light mixing, the primary colors are red, green, and blue, and the secondary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow. Printing commonly uses cyan, magenta, and yellow as subtractive primaries. Thus, orange, green, and purple are correct for traditional art-color instruction, while other systems use different sets.