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Color, Value and Hue 
Color is one of the most powerful of elements. It has tremendous expressivequalities. Understanding the uses of color is crucial to effective compositionin design and the fine arts.
The word color is the general term which applies to the whole subject -red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, black and white and all possiblecombinations thereof. Hue is the correct word to use to refer to just the pure spectrum colors. Any given color can be described in terms of its value and hue. In additon, the various physical phenomena and pyschological effects combine to affect our perceptions of a color.
Value and Hue
Value is defined as the relative lightness or darkness of a color. It is an important tool for the designer/artist, in the way that it defines form and creates spatial illusions. Contrast of value separates objects in space, while gradation of value suggests mass and contour of a contiguous surface. In the drawing on the right, value contrast separates the artichoke from the background, and the separate leaves from one another, while gradation suggests the curves of leave surfaces and of the whole form.
Hue also has value. When contrasting hues are made similar in value, the spatial effects are flattened out. The pair of images on the left demonstrate this. In the color image of the fashion model the coat draws our attention through contrast of hue although the skin tones blend with the background(remember the object of the image is to sell the coat, not the model). However, it also seems to be softly blending with a background that seems quite close, and is very similar to the coat in value. The face tends to blend with the background which is similar in both hue and value. In the black and white version, however, the coat virtually disappears, since only value, not hue, are available to distinguish it, and the values are quite similar. However, the strong value contrast of the eyes and hat draw our attention to the face, even though the contours of the face seem to melt into the background. Therefore the black and white version emphasizes the model more than the garment.
To summarize: If values are close, shapes will seem to flatten out, and seem closely connected in space; none will stand out from the others. If values contrast, shapes will appear to separate in space and some will stand out from the others. This works whether the colors are just black, white and gray, or whether hues are involved.
Hue is the term for the pure spectrum colors commonly referred to by the "color names" - red, orange, yellow, blue, green violet - which appear in the hue circle or rainbow. Theoretically all hues can be mixed from three basic hues, known as primaries. When pigment primaries are all mixed together, the theoretical result is black; Therefore pigment mixture is sometimes referred to as subtractive mixture.
The primary colors consist of three hues from which we can theoretically mix all other hues. There are two commonly used definitions of primary colors:
Painters Primaries - red, blue, yellow: This traditional definition of primaries does not in fact mix to clear greens or purples; it is based on 19th century theories.
Printers Primaries - magenta, cyan (turquoise), yellow: This definition of primaries mixes to clear colors across the entire spectrum. It is used as the basis for color printing. The computer screen probably does not give you a true turquoise--the color should be a blue-green-- because of differences between color mixture in pigment and color mixture in light.
In mixing colors hues can be desaturated (reduced in purity, weakened) in one of three ways: mix with white to lighten the value (tint), mix with black to darken the value (shade), or mix with gray or the complement to either lighten or darken the value ( tone).
Light Primaries - red, blue, green. This definition is active when colored light is mixed, as on your computer screen, or when theatrical spotlights overlap on a white wall. Its effects are lessfamiliar than pigment mixture to most people. If all three primaries are mixed,the theoretical result is white light. Therefore Light mixture is sometimesreferred to as additive mixture.
Your computer screen mixes color as light, and therefore follows additive color mixture rules. Therefore it ispossible to check how additive mixture works on your computer screen--try this link to an interactive additive color mixture tool. When you get there, click on the button below the moving primary circles, then see what happens when you slide them around.This means that the depiction of subractive mixture shown here is less than ideal, particularly for the cyan (turquoise) and magenta of the printers primaries.
If you want to see some amazing animations of hue and value relationships, try going to this link, which will also take you to a good descriptive explanation of hues and primaries. Also here is a great interactive test of your ability to distinguish gradations of hue, created by Pantone.
There are many systems for classifying hue, developed so that researchers can measure and define color qualities, and so that designers, industry, and marketing people can communicate color ideas over distance. One example is the Munsell system; another is the Pantone System. However, today the communication of precise color information is mainly done digitally, using spectrophotometers to identify and transmit color information. These digital systems use additive (light) mixture rather than the subtractive (pigment or dye) mixture used in systems like Munsell and Pantone.
Complements are colors that are opposite one another on the hue circle. When complements are mixed with one another in paint, the resuting muted tones desaturate or dull the hues. Such opposite pairs can also be compared in terms of their relative warmth and coolness. Warm-cool contrast of hue can cause images to appear to advance or recede. In this 15th century painting, for example, the warm reds of the man's doublet and his son's cap reinforce the cues of placement to make these figures seem very close. On the other hand, the cool tones of the sea and sky suggest great distance.
Afterimage is another, more specific definition of complements consisting of astimulus color and its physical opposite generated in the eye byexposure to the stimulus color. Afterimage colors tend to make each other appear more intense, and have vibrating boundaries.
Color Illusions
Some of the effects of color occur only in the eye and brain of the viewer, and are not physical properties of light waves or pigment. These illusions, however, are very powerful, and have enormous impact on our responses to color.
Color Proportion refers to the impact of the relative quantity of a given hue or value used in color compositions. In order to achieve over-all unity, and/or create emphasis, one should make a clear decision as to which colors should be assigned the largest and least areas. The color proportion choice will also affect the impact of the color composition. This can be seen in the set of panels shown here. The very same colors are used in each panel. Yet depending on the choice of dominant color, the feeling of the composition, and even the appearance of each color, is altered.
Simultaneous Contrast is the phenomenon which occurs when a color appears to change when seen against adifferent background. A set of principles were first laid out in the 19thcentury by Chevreul, a dye master for the Gobelin tapestry works, who became animportant color theoretician. His principles state that changes in the hue,value, saturation (purity of hue), and area of a background color will alter the appearance ofthe selected color. The print shown here is made up of wavy bands of colors. Some of the bands extend from the center panel to intrude into areas of contrasting hue in the side panels. These extended bands are in fact the same hue and value throughout, but appear to change from left to right.
If you are interested in further information about how our visual response to color may vary, see this section on optical effects in color.
Optical mixture is the phenomenon which occurs when small particles of different colors are mixed in the eye; this type of mixture differs from pigment mixture in that it is based on light primaries. However,optical mixture differs from light mixture in which the primaries will mix to white, and from pigment mixture, in which the primaries mix to black. In optical mixture there is an averaging of hue and value, resulting in grey. Optical mixture is experienced when observing many textiles, such as this example, a detail from a handwoven tapestry. It can also be seen in natural objects, color television, and printed color pictures.
For a brief video demonstration of optical mixture, try this link.
Market researchers have doneextensive studies exploring the emotional responses of people to color. Some of theseresponses seem to be powerful and fairly universal. However, much of thisinformation is culturally biased. We know that cultural traditions endow colorswith powerful meanings that can differ greatly from place to place. Forexample, in
Europe and the United States, black is the color of mourning. Inmany tropical countries and in East Asia white is the color of death. On theother hand, white is the color worn by American brides, while brides in much ofAsia wear red. Based on research done in the United States and Europe,we know that the following associations are generallyfound to hold in Euro-American societies:
Red is associated with blood, and with feelings that are energetic, exciting, passionate or erotic. Most colors carry both positive and negative implications. The downside of red evokes aggressive feelings, suggesting anger or violence.
Orange is the color offlesh, or the friendly warmth of the hearth fire. The positive implications of this color suggest approachability, informality. The negative side might imply accessibility to the point of suggesting that anyone can approach-- a lack of discrimination or quality.
Yellow is the color ofsunshine. This color is optimistic, upbeat, modern. The energy of yellow can become overwhelming. Therefore yellow is not a color that tends to dominate fashion for long periods of time.
Green In its positive mode, green suggestsnature (plant life, forests), life, stability, restfulness, naturalness. On the other hand, green in some tones or certain contexts (such as green skin) might instead suggest decay (fungus, mold), toxicity, artificiality.
Blue suggestscoolness, distance, spirituality, or perhaps reserved elegance. Some shade of blue is flattering to almost anyone. In its negative mode, we can think of the "blues"-the implication being one of sadness, passivity, alienation, or depression.
Violet is the color offantasy, playfulness, impulsiveness, and dream states. In its negative mode, it can suggest nightmares, or madness.
Market research on color is also done to establish color trends. Colorforecasting is accomplished by surveying consumer preferences and otherindicators of changes in taste. Color forecasting firms then issue projectionsdefining palettes of colors that can be expected to rise, fall, or maintain popularity incoming seasons. The design industries then develop their new lines with theseprojections in mind. Some major companies employ their own color forecasters to research and project color trends for their industry. On the whole, color trends change more rapidly for fashion than for interior design, probably because changes in home furnishings entail a more serious financial investment.
For additional color forecasting information, try these sites:
Trendstop offers a free trends newsletter if you sign up
Pantone's projections for 2014 apparel
A report on color trends in interiors for 2014 (It's hard to get the advance forecasts for free!)
A directory of websites with information on color trends
For a more in-depth look at the psychological implications of color, check out any of the following:
FAQs
Hue is described with the words we normally think of as describing color: red, purple, blue, etc. Value (lightness) describes overall intensity to how light or dark a color is.It is the only dimension of color that may exist by itself. Chroma (saturation) may be defined as the strength or dominance of the hue.
What is color hue and value? ›
Hue is described with the words we normally think of as describing color: red, purple, blue, etc. Value (lightness) describes overall intensity to how light or dark a color is.It is the only dimension of color that may exist by itself. Chroma (saturation) may be defined as the strength or dominance of the hue.
What are the 3 basic color theories? ›
However, there are three basic categories of color theory that are logical and useful : The color wheel, color harmony, and the context of how colors are used. Color theories create a logical structure for color.
What are the 3 main properties of color? ›
The visible range of reflected light. Color has three properties: hue, value, and intensity (brightness or dullness).
What are the hue values for all colors? ›
Hue
- Red falls between 0 and 60 degrees.
- Yellow falls between 61 and 120 degrees.
- Green falls between 121 and 180 degrees.
- Cyan falls between 181 and 240 degrees.
- Blue falls between 241 and 300 degrees.
- Magenta falls between 301 and 360 degrees.
Green, orange, yellow, and blue — each of these is a hue, a color or a shade that's true. A rainbow shows the melting of one hue into another, from red to violet, and all shades in between. The noun hue means both a color and a shade of a color. Green is a hue, and turquoise is a hue of both green and blue.
What is an example of color value? ›
Value could also be called “lightness.” It refers to how light or dark a color is. Lighter colors have higher values. For example, orange has a higher value than navy blue or dark purple. Black has the lowest value of any hue, and white the highest.
What are the 5 primary colors? ›
François d'Aguilon's notion of the five primary colors (white, yellow, red, blue, black) was influenced by Aristotle's idea of the chromatic colors being made of black and white. The 20th century philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein explored color-related ideas using red, green, blue, and yellow as primary colors.
Is white a color or not? ›
Some consider white to be a colour, because white light comprises all hues on the visible light spectrum. And many do consider black to be a colour, because you combine other pigments to create it on paper. But in a technical sense, black and white are not colours, they're shades. They augment colours.
What does the word hue refer to? ›
ˈhyü : color sense 1. : a particular variety of a color : shade. 3. : an aspect of colors that allows them to be identified as red, yellow, green, blue, or something between any two of these colors.
The properties of color are hue, saturation, brightness and temperature.
What are the 3 components of color? ›
The characteristics of a color are determined by three different elements: hue, chroma and value.
What is the difference between color value and color intensity? ›
Value describes how light or dark a color is. When a color has white added to it, it is a tint and is lighter in value. When a color has black added to it, it is a shade and is darker in value. Intensity (also called chroma or saturation) is the brightness or dullness of a color.
What are the 7 hues? ›
He coined the idea that there are seven colours in a spectrum: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet (ROYGBIV).
What is hue in color code? ›
Hue is a degree on the color wheel from 0 to 360. 0 is red, 120 is green, and 240 is blue. Saturation is a percentage value. 0% means a shade of gray, and 100% is the full color.
How do you determine hue color? ›
Hue refers to the dominant color family. Hue refers to the origin of the colors we can see. Primary and Secondary colors (Yellow, Orange, Red, Violet, Blue, and Green) are considered hues; however, tertiary colors (mixed colors where neither color is dominant) would also be considered hues.
Does hue mean pure color? ›
A hue is essentially the three primary colours (red, blue, and yellow) as well as the three secondary colours (orange, green, and purple). These colours are pure, meaning that white or black have not been mixed in with them.
Why is color value important? ›
Artists are able to create the illusion of light using different color and tonal values. Value defines how light or dark a given color or hue can be. Values are best understood when visualized as a scale or gradient, from dark to light. The more tonal variants in an image, the lower the contrast.
What is the value of a color? ›
The Value' (also called lightness or luminosity) of a color is a measure of how light or dark a color is while its hue is held constant. The lightness of an object depends on the reflectance of that object.
What is difference between hue and color? ›
COLOR is the general term we use to describe every hue, tint, tone or shade we see. White, Black and Gray are often referred to as a color. A HUE refers to the dominant Color Family of the specific color we're looking at. White, Black and Grey are never referred to as a Hue.
With modern browsers supporting the full spectrum of 24-bit color, there are 16,777,216 different color possibilities.
What are the 4 pure colors? ›
Primary Colors: The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These colors are considered pure because they cannot be made from any other colors. Secondary Colors: The secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. These colors are made by mixing two primary colors together.
What are the 6 basics colors? ›
Why are there only six fundamental colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet? There are an infinite number of fundamental colors, if by "fundamental" you mean "spectral". Spectral colors are also known loosely as rainbow colors.
What two colors make blue? ›
However, there are two colors that you can mix to make blue. Once you have created your true blue color, then you can begin creating any blue hue that you can imagine. So, what are the two colors you can mix to make blue? Mix cyan (greenish-blue) with magenta (purplish-red), to create true blue.
Is grey considered a color? ›
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed of black and white. It is the color of a cloud-covered sky, of ash and of lead.
What color makes black? ›
To make pure black, mix blue, magenta, and yellow in equal parts. You can test this out on your sketch pad; put a dab of the three paints on your pad and mix colors with a paint brush or palette knife until achieving a rich black. 3. Experiment with mixing as needed.
What frequency is black? ›
Just like the color black is the absence of light, black noise is the absence of sound, with zero power at all frequencies.
Is black A hue? ›
Black, white and gray are not considered a Hue and are not a part of the color wheel; they are defined as neutral colors. A Hue contains no added black, white, or gray.
What hue is blue? ›
Information about Blue / #0000FF
Blue has a hue angle of 240 degrees, a saturation of 100% and a lightness of 50%.
Is Pink A hue? ›
Pink is a light red hue and is typically associated with love and romance. It is often described as a feminine color, perhaps due to associations people form during early childhood.
Yellow is usually identified as an Inspirational leadership style who leads through relationships. They invest in their people and inspire action.
What color represents power? ›
Black # Black is the strongest of the neutral colors. On the positive side, it's commonly associated with power, elegance, and formality. On the negative side, it can be associated with evil, death, and mystery.
What color represents strength? ›
RED: High Energy and Strength
Red, like most warm colors, has an invigorating and exciting visual effect and is one of the top colors that represent strength.
Which best defines color? ›
colour, also spelled color, the aspect of any object that may be described in terms of hue, lightness, and saturation. In physics, colour is associated specifically with electromagnetic radiation of a certain range of wavelengths visible to the human eye.
What are the quality of color? ›
Color quality is a function of the spectral output of a light source, the spectral absorbance/reflectance of an object, and the sensitivity of the eye's cone photoreceptors to different wavelengths of light, which we perceive as color.
What are the qualities of color? ›
Color itself has three primary qualities: Hue, Chroma, and Value, also known as Hue, Saturation and Lightness.
How do you neutralize hue? ›
When a color is too bright and needs to be toned down, or you want to create a shadow, mix a small amount of the color opposite on the color wheel to “neutralize” the color. For example, add a small amount of ultramarine blue to cadmium orange to take a little of the fire out of the orange.
What are 3 warm colors? ›
Warm colors include red, orange, and yellow, and variations of those three colors. Red and yellow are both primary colors, with orange falling in the middle.
What is hue vs value vs intensity? ›
Precisely, HUE is the name of a color. VALUE is the lightness or darkness of a color. INTENSITY is the strength or purity of a color.
What are the 12 hue colors? ›
The color theory posters cover:
- Primary Colors: red, yellow, and blue. ...
- Secondary Colors: green, orange, and purple. ...
- Tertiary Colors: Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green. ...
- Warm Colors are made with orange, red, yellow, and combinations of these.
Since at least the 17th century there has been the idea that there are four simple and perceptually pure “unique” hues: red, yellow, green, and blue, and that all other hues are perceived as mixtures of these four hues.
What color has the highest energy? ›
Your brain interprets the various energies of visible light as different colors, ranging from red to violet. Red has the lowest energy and violet the highest.
Is hue how dark or light a color is? ›
As is discussed on the “Elements: Value” page, value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. It indicates the quantity of light reflected. When referring to pigments, dark values with black added are called “shades” of the given hue name. Light values with white pigment added are called “tints” of the hue name.
What is hue vs RGB? ›
Hue specifies the angle of the color on the RGB color circle. A 0° hue results in red, 120° results in green, and 240° results in blue. Saturation controls the amount of color used. A color with 100% saturation will be the purest color possible, while 0% saturation yields grayscale.
What is the maximum color hue? ›
The theoretical range for Hue is an angle, normalized to be greater than or equal to 0° and strictly less than 360°. The upper value of the range is not reached because Hue is cyclical, so a value of 360° is equivalent to 0°.
What is the color value? ›
The Value' (also called lightness or luminosity) of a color is a measure of how light or dark a color is while its hue is held constant. The lightness of an object depends on the reflectance of that object.
How is hue different from value? ›
Hue is simply the name of a color. There are three primary hues; red, yellow, and blue. Mixtures of these three colors will result in every other hue. VALUE Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a hue.
What does value mean in color? ›
Value refers to a color's lightness or darkness as compared to white or black. Yellow is lighter in value, or closer to white, than dark blue. Sometimes it is difficult to determine the value of middle toned colors like orange and green.
What is the main difference between hue and color? ›
The difference between hue and color is that the hue only defines the root color; red, green, purple, orange etc. whereas color has more information than only the root color. It also contains saturation and value. For example, chartreuse is a color, but green is the hue of chartreuse.
How do you calculate color value? ›
Each level is measured by the range of decimal numbers from 0 to 255 (256 levels for each color). For example, if a color has zero Blue, it will be a mixture of Red and Green. This means we can generate 256 x 256 x 256 = 16.777. 216 different colors with this model.
There are two types of color measurement devices: colorimeters and spectrophotometers. A colorimeter “sees” color like the human eye and can determine a color's location in color space by quantifying the values of red, green, and blue.
What is the meaning of hue in color? ›
Hue literally means colour. When it is used in a colour name, it indicates that a modern pigment has been used instead of the traditional one. For example, Cadmium Red Pale Hue is a “colour of cadmium red pale”.
Why is hue important? ›
Hue distinguishes one color family from another: red from blue, green from yellow, purple from orange. We often use “color” as shorthand for “hue” but they are two different things. Every color has its own formula of hue, value, and chroma.
Do all hues have the same value? ›
The different colors will have different tonal values. A scale which shows the sequence in tonal values of colors ( from White to Gray to Black) is called the GRAY SCALE. The tonal value of each color can be further affected by adding either black or white.
Which is more important color or value? ›
Color is more important. In realistic work the viewer must take his clues from the values depicted in the painting in order to understand the form of the subject For example we believe that the ball below is round because we can see the value changes from the light side to the shadow side.
How does hue affect color? ›
Hue represents the color being displayed, as found on a red-green-blue scale, color wheel or grayscale. The intensity of the primary colors or gray displayed grows with increased brightness, but the color itself does not change. Changing to different color values makes no difference.
Which colors is not a hue? ›
Black, white and gray are not considered a Hue and are not a part of the color wheel; they are defined as neutral colors. A Hue contains no added black, white, or gray.
What uses one color or hue? ›
Monochromatic. The easiest formula for harmony is monochromatic because it only uses one color or hue. To create a monochromatic color scheme, pick a spot on the color wheel, then use your knowledge of saturation and value to create variations.
