What is the purpose of a color wheel in design?

The purpose of a color wheel in design is to illustrate the relationships between colors. It organizes colors in a circular format, allowing designers to see how colors interact with one another, including complementary, analogous, and triadic color schemes. By understanding these relationships, designers can make informed choices about color combinations that will create a desired mood, harmony, or contrast in their work. The color wheel serves as a valuable tool for both novice and experienced designers, making it easier to visualize how colors can be combined effectively.

Adjusting brightness levels pertains more to specific techniques in image editing rather than the foundational concept of color relationships. While the selection of primary colors is a component of color theory, it does not encompass the broader utility of the color wheel. Mixing paints is more of a practical application in art creation rather than what the color wheel specifically addresses in terms of color dynamics and theory.