the three color spaces below represent theories of color that allow creators to negotiate and curate hues for a variety of media and visuals. they define the relationships among colors that are invaluable to a deep understanding of schemes, atmospheres, and the creative process.
ryb color space is the earliest theory of color and is a subtractive color method. the primary colors of this theory are red, yellow, and blue. it is rooted in the mixing of pigments for painting. when mixing pigments, certain light wavelengths are "subtracted" or absorbed to yield a new color. a mixture of all colors would produce black, which is a subtraction of all wavelengths because all the visible wavelengths are absorbed in the pigment. read more about ryb color theory here.
cmyk color space is primarily used for printing. it is also a subtractive color method like ryb because the inks behave similarly to pigments in absorbing light to yield colors. the primary colors of this theory are cyan, magenta, and yellow.
rgb color space is used for screens, with red, green, and blue as the primary colors. it is an additive color method, meaning that certain light wavelengths are "added" to a black pixel to produce a new color. the combination of all frequencies yields white light. because rgb color theory is rooted in the addition of light, rather than the subtraction / absorption of light, it is also representative of the psychological perception of color. the combination of all the wavelengths in the visible light spectrum produces white light, and the retina contains three types of light sensitive neurons called cones that detect red, green, and blue wavelengths. stimulation of the cones, among other processes in the eye, optic nerve, and occipital lobe, allow us to perceive the entire visible spectrum of light.