question about color theory

[gib65]

Take a look at this image, produced by me in Photoshop:

 

 

I began with the two lower circles. The are red (left) and yellow (right) at 50% opacity. At their intersection, they produce orange. Then I took another circle and placed it overtop (purple) again at 50% opacity to produced red (well, kinda pink - considering the opacity) at the intersection of it and the previous intersection.

 

Now my question is this: how does one explain the re-emergence of red (or pink?) when red was used to begin with. That is, if we go with the theory that red is one of the primary colors (so it is fundamental), then it shouldn't be possible to re-create it as a composite of other colors. Yet, it seems like it has been re-created from orange and purple. Of course, I had to use yellow as well, which isn't a primary color, but theoretically it's a mix of red and green which are primary.

 

I'm not claiming to have disprooven the RGB theory of color, I'm just asking how this is explained. Is it a matter of composite colors cancelling out (so the purple circle and derived orange intersection cancel each other out (partially) leaving behind that portion corresponding to the original red)? But then why did the original red and yellow combine in an additive manner in the first intersection?

[MrMongoose]

Purple=red+blue

Intersection colour=purple+red+yellow=red+red+blue+yellow

red+blue+yellow=black

Interersection colour= black+red=dark red

 

Just guessing.

[NeonBlack]

Purple (violette) and yellow are "complementary" colors.

That is, they kind of cancel each other out and make kind of a dark neutral shade.

Try the same thing with other complements.

they are:

red-green

orange-blue

yellow-violette

[gib65]

Purple=red+blue

Intersection colour=purple+red+yellow=red+red+blue+yellow

red+blue+yellow=black

Interersection colour= black+red=dark red

 

Just guessing.

 

I think you just invented a new branch of mathematics.

[MrMongoose]

Thats one to tell the grandchildren.