The term used to describe colors is “hue.” Hue refers to the pure spectrum colors we see in a rainbow or on a color wheel. It is one of the main properties of color, along with saturation and brightness. Hues are categorized into primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Primary hues are red, yellow, and blue. Mixing two primary hues makes secondary hues orange, green, and purple. Further mixing primary and secondary hues creates tertiary hues like red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple. Hue is extremely important in color theory, design, and art. It helps us distinguish and categorize colors into a logical system. Understanding hue gives us a framework for working with and manipulating color.
Primary Hues
The primary hues are red, yellow, and blue. They are called primary because they cannot be created by mixing other colors and all other hues are derived from them. Here is more information on each primary hue:
Red – Red is associated with heat, energy, passion, aggression, excitement, and action. It has the longest wavelength of visible light. In design, red commands attention and draws the eye. It is bold and dynamic. Red symbolizes love, danger, and power in culture.
Yellow – Yellow is the brightest and lightest hue. It represents happiness, optimism, idealism, inspiration, and summer. Yellow stimulates mental activity and the nerves. It also represents caution, cowardice, and deceit in some contexts. Yellow is energetic and uplifting.
Blue – Blue has calming, peaceful qualities. It represents tranquility, spirituality, contemplation, stability, and depth. Blue has short wavelengths, so it tends to recede in space. It is linked to precision, cleanliness, and productivity. Dark blue conveys sophistication and authority. Light blue feels more soothing and gentle.
Secondary Hues
Secondary hues are created by mixing two primary hues in equal amounts. The secondary hues are orange, green, and purple.
Orange – Orange combines the energy of red with the happiness of yellow. It represents enthusiasm, determination, attraction, creativity, and success. Orange has very high visibility, so it is often used to catch attention. It’s also friendly and inviting.
Green – Green is made from mixing yellow and blue. It represents nature, growth, renewal, health, environment, and money. Green provides balance and harmony. It relieves stress and can improve vision. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. Light green is more peaceful, calm, and hopeful.
Purple – Purple mixes the stability of blue and the energy of red. It represents luxury, ambition, creativity, magic, and imagination. Lighter purples can be romantic, nostalgic, and feminine. Darker purples seem exotic, mystical, and royal. Purple contrasts with yellow on the color wheel.
Tertiary Hues
Tertiary hues are made by mixing a primary and secondary hue, resulting in colors with familiar, descriptive names. The tertiary hues are red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple.
| Tertiary Hue | Description |
|---|---|
| Red-orange | Energetic, festive, enthusiastic |
| Yellow-orange | Sunny, bright, playful |
| Yellow-green | Natural, healthy, balanced |
| Blue-green | Cool, calm, relaxing |
| Blue-purple | Mystical, imaginative, spiritual |
| Red-purple | Dramatic, luxurious, passionate |
As shown in the table, tertiary hues blend the attributes of their parent primary and secondary hues. They have versatile color qualities. For example, blue-green is tranquil like blue and natural like green. Red-orange conveys the excitement of red with the cheer of orange. These blended hues provide nuanced options for color use.
Color Properties
In addition to hue, color has two other main properties: saturation and brightness. Here are definitions of these key terms:
Saturation – The intensity or purity of a hue. Highly saturated colors are vivid and bold. Desaturated colors are muted or grayish.
Brightness – How light or dark a color appears. Colors with high brightness look vibrant. Colors with low brightness are dark or dull.
Tint – A hue lightened by adding white to increase brightness. Pastels are light tints.
Shade – A hue darkened by adding black to decrease brightness.
Tone – A hue with reduced saturation, made by adding gray. Tones are muted, softer colors.
These color properties work together to create millions of color perceptions. We can manipulate hue, saturation, and brightness to achieve precise effects and meet aesthetic goals in any visual field.
Color Systems
Several color systems organize hues into a structured format to codify relationships. Common color systems include:
The color wheel – Arranges hues in a circular format with primary, secondary, and tertiary colors interspersed. Shows color relationships based on hue.
RYB color model – An early color model with red, yellow, and blue as primary hues. Still used by some artists today.
RGB color model – For digital and screen displays. Mixes red, green, and blue light to create colors. Important for digital design.
CMYK color model – Used for print design. Mixes cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks or pigments to create a printed color spectrum.
Pantone Matching System – A proprietary standard for precise color matching across production. Includes over 1,000 solid PMS colors.
NCS Color System – A logical model based on six perceptually uniform hue circles and saturation/blackness mixing. Allows accurate color specification.
These systems all aim to organize color into a standard, universal language. They provide frameworks for managing color consistency across materials and mediums.
Color Meanings and Symbolism
In addition to their visual characteristics, colors carry symbolic associations, meanings, and emotional impacts. Here are some common color meanings in Western cultures:
Red – Love, passion, danger, excitement, energy
Orange – Enthusiasm, creativity, vibrance, balance
Yellow – Happiness, hope, optimism, idealism
Green – Nature, growth, renewal, health, harmony
Blue – Calm, peaceful, trust, professionalism, stability
Purple – Luxury, ambition, creativity, mystery, wisdom
Black – Power, sophistication, formality, grief, evil
White – Purity, cleanliness, simplicity, innocence
Gray – Neutrality, maturity, modesty, sadness
Of course, color meanings can vary across cultures. But these associations give useful guidelines for color choices. We can leverage colors’ natural symbolism for effective communication in design.
Color Psychology and Human Responses
In addition to learned associations, humans can have innate psychological and physiological responses to different hues. Here are some examples:
- Red increases heart rate, respiration, and appetite.
- Blue causes the brain to release calming chemicals.
- Yellow boosts mental activity and optimism.
- Green relieves anxiety and improves vision.
- Purple encourages imagination and spirituality.
- Orange improves social communication and enthusiasm.
Studying how colors impact emotions and the mind allows strategic use in design, marketing, architecture, and more fields. Color psychology is a nuanced area still being actively researched. But there are well-established patterns of color responses that designers routinely leverage for aesthetic appeal and functional benefits.
Uses of Color
Understanding the terminology for hues and color properties allows effective application across many domains. Here are some key uses of color:
Design – Colors are fundamental in visual communication and design in print, packaging, digital media, environments, and every design discipline. Designers meticulously choose colors to create aesthetically pleasing, functional designs that align to project goals.
Fashion – Color is integral to clothing, accessories, cosmetics, and style. Colors are selected to coordinate, complement, represent brands, align to trends, appeal to target demographics, and serve other strategic aims.
Marketing – Color plays a crucial role in brand identity, logos, advertisements, signage, websites, and other marketing materials. Color choices are focused on standing out, conveying branding, and prompting emotional responses.
Architecture – Colors are specified thoughtfully in architectural projects to enhance spaces, create moods, highlight design features, incorporate branding, and make environments more livable and enjoyable.
Art – Artists use color for expression, emotion, harmony, contrast, symbolism, political aims, abstraction, realism, and creative impact. Color conveys style and substance in all fine art.
These examples demonstrate how integral thoughtful color selection is for visual communication and expression in fields across society. Mastering color terminology provides a vital foundation for this work.
Learning and Practicing Color
Here are some recommendations for actively learning about color:
– Read color theory books and articles to deepen terminology knowledge. Important concepts to learn include hue, saturation, brightness, color schemes, color mixing, and more.
– Study hue, saturation, and brightness scales to understand these core color properties. Notice their interplay in creating diverse colors.
– Refer to color models like the color wheel and RGB/CMYK models to grasp color relationships. Learn to mix hues according to principles.
– Experiment mixing paints, dyes, inks, and other physical pigments to watch colors interact in reality.
– Use digital tools like Adobe Color and Pantone Studio to build color palettes and schemes digitally.
– Analyze the color choices in masterworks across disciplines to reverse engineer impactful color use.
– Observe colors analytically in everyday environments, nature, and designs to refine color analysis skills.
– Practice describing colors accurately using precise terminology for hue, saturation, brightness, and other qualities.
A strong grasp of color takes regular study, analysis, experimentation, and descriptive practice. But mastery of color terminology and principles empowers diverse creative and professional pursuits requiring visual excellence and strategic color use.
Conclusion
In summary, the essential terminology used to describe color includes:
– Hue – The pure color, described by primary, secondary, and tertiary names
– Saturation – Intensity or purity of the hue
– Brightness – How light or dark the color is
– Tint – Hue lightened with white
– Shade – Hue darkened with black
– Tone – Hue muted by adding gray
These main terms allow detailed, nuanced descriptions of color perceptions across infinite variations. Color has powerful impacts on human psychology and physiology. Mastering color language and principles enables thoughtful selection for designs across all visual fields that strategically leverage color appeal and communication.