Why RGB instead of RYB? — A guide to modern color models

In this article, you’ll learn:

• What is the RGB color model?
• How does the RYB color wheel work, including RYB complementary colors?
• The key differences in RGB vs. RYB.
• Why is RGB instead of RYB used in modern design and technology?

The RGB color model is a method of creating color by mixing light. It's based on the additive theory of color, which means that we perceive color by adding together different amounts of red, green, and blue light. Each of these three channels can shine with an intensity from $0$ (no light at all) to $255$ (full brightness).

When all three are set to $0$, we get black: ⚫. When all are pushed to their maximum values, their combined light appears as pure white: ⚪. Everything in between (and it’s a huge range, about 16.7 million possible colors!) comes from blending the intensities of these three primaries. This is why HTML colors use the familiar rgb(red, green, blue) format: for example, rgb(255, 0, 0) gives bright red 🔴, while rgb(0, 255, 0) produces green 🟢, and rgb(0, 0, 255) yields blue 🔵.

RGB is everywhere because it can create millions of bright, vivid colors and works perfectly with any screen. Its downside is that colors appear differently on each device, and some shades just can’t be reproduced accurately in this model.

The RYB color model is the traditional system used for mixing paints and pigments, built around the primary colors red, yellow, and blue, and rooted in classical color theory. RYB is a subtractive color model, which means that the more pigments you mix, the more light gets absorbed and the darker the mixture becomes. Mixing two primaries produces secondary colors such as orange, green, and purple, while combining all three leads to a deep brown rather than a true black.

Because pigments don't behave as cleanly as light, the RYB model has practical limitations: some mixtures can never become very bright, and different artists may rely on various shades of red, yellow, or blue. Despite this, the RYB color model remains a valuable guide in painting and art education.

RYB color wheel

To observe how traditional pigments interact, the RYB color wheel is an ideal tool. Painters and designers use it to understand how colors mix and relate to one another. In the RYB color model, everything begins with the three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. These are called primary because they cannot be created by mixing other paints: they are the starting point for all other hues on the RYB color wheel.

When you mix two primary colors in roughly equal amounts, you get the RYB secondary colors: orange, green, and purple. Further blending of these hues creates the six tertiary colors, such as red-orange or blue-purple.

The RYB color wheel is also helpful in recognizing RYB complementary colors, which are pairs that sit opposite each other on the wheel. It helps artists identify harmonious color combinations and plan pleasing color schemes in art and design.

RGB and RYB may look similar at first glance, but they come from entirely different worlds of color. As we mentioned, RGB is an additive model used for light — the more red, green, and blue light you add, the brighter the color becomes, with all three at full intensity creating pure white. RYB, on the other hand, is a subtractive model rooted in traditional painting: mixing pigments removes light, causing colors to get darker, and combining all three primaries leads to a deep brown rather than white.

Another key difference is their purpose. RGB is the foundation of digital color, while RYB belongs to the physical world of paints and pigments. Because of this, RGB offers a much broader and brighter color gamut, while RYB mixtures are more limited and often less vibrant.

You can compare the key differences between RGB vs RYB in the table below:

Now that we understand what the RGB color model is and know the core differences in RGB vs. RYB, it's time for the key question: why is it RGB and not RYB? The answer lies in how modern technology creates color. RGB matches the way light behaves and how our eyes perceive it: screens, LEDs, and cameras start black and create color by adding red, green, and blue light. When all three are combined at full intensity, the result is a white light. This idea aligns with human biology, as our retinal cones are most sensitive to red, green, and blue wavelengths.

The RYB color model, in contrast, describes only how physical pigments mix. It is a model used for paints and inks, where pigments absorb specific wavelengths of white light and reflect the rest. That's why mixing RYB primaries makes colors darker, and why the system has a much narrower and less vibrant color range. Even traditional ideas like RYB complementary colors don't translate to digital environments, because pigment-based relationships don't apply to glowing pixels. To switch between other color models, you can also use our color converter.

When comparing RGB vs. RYB, the difference becomes clear: each model serves a different purpose. Screens emit light, not pigment, which is why it's RGB and not RYB present in modern design and technology. In short, why RGB instead of RYB? Because only RGB accurately represents how digital devices produce and display color.