What is Colour?
Colour is a seen characteristic of light described by a colour name. Specifically, colour is light, and light is composed of many colours—the ones that we can see are the colours of the visual spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, and Violet (Purple).
Objects absorb certain wavelengths and reflect
others back to the viewer. We perceive these wave lengths as colour.
Objects absorb certain wavelengths and reflect
others back to the viewer. We perceive these wave lengths as colour.
Describing Colour
A colour is described in three ways: by its name, how bright or dull it is, and its value or lightness.
Pink, crimson, and brick are all variations of the colour red, each hue is distinct and differentiated by its chroma, intensity, and value.
Pink, crimson, and brick are all variations of the colour red, each hue is distinct and differentiated by its chroma, intensity, and value.
Chroma: How pure a hue is in relation to grey.
Intensity: The brightness or dullness of a hue. You can lower the intensity by adding white or black.
Value: A measure of the amount of light reflected from a hue. Those
hues with a high content of white have a higher value.
Intensity: The brightness or dullness of a hue. You can lower the intensity by adding white or black.
Value: A measure of the amount of light reflected from a hue. Those
hues with a high content of white have a higher value.
Tints, Tones and ShadesTints, Tones are Shade are terms that refer to a variation of a hue.
To create a Tint mix into white. To create a Tone mix with grey. To create a Shade simply add black. |
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Monochrome
Monochromes ("mono" meaning one and "chroma" meaning colour) uses only one hue as a base. Every colour can have a wide variety of shades, tints and tones.
For example, the colour blue can range from a deep prussian to light periwinkle.
Using various shades, tints and tones of a single colour you can create many good looking monochromatic schemes.
For example, the colour blue can range from a deep prussian to light periwinkle.
Using various shades, tints and tones of a single colour you can create many good looking monochromatic schemes.