Color properties are the building blocks of visual design. Hue, value, and saturation define how we perceive and describe colors. Understanding these attributes helps artists and designers create harmonious color schemes and evoke specific moods.

Tints, shades, and tones allow for endless color variations. By adding white, black, or gray to a hue, we can adjust its lightness, darkness, or intensity. This flexibility enables creators to fine-tune their color choices for maximum impact in their work.

Color Attributes

Hue, Chroma, and Saturation

• Hue refers to the name of a color (red, blue, green)
• Hue is determined by the dominant wavelength of light reflected or transmitted by an object
• Chroma describes the purity or intensity of a hue
  • High chroma colors appear vivid and saturated (cadmium red)
  • Low chroma colors appear grayish and muted (brick red)
• Saturation measures the degree to which a hue differs from a neutral gray of the same value
  • Highly saturated colors are pure and intense (lemon yellow)
  • Desaturated colors are dull and grayish (mustard yellow)

Value and Lightness

• Value describes the relative lightness or darkness of a color
  • Light values are closer to white (pastel pink)
  • Dark values are closer to black (navy blue)
• Value is independent of hue
  • Colors of different hues can have the same value (medium blue and medium green)
• Lightness refers to the perceived brightness of a color
  • Affected by the color's surroundings and lighting conditions
  • A light value color can appear darker in dim lighting

Color Variations

Tints

• A tint is a hue with white added to it
• Tinting a color increases its value and makes it lighter
• Tints are often described as pastel colors (pink, lavender, mint green)
• The more white added, the lighter and less saturated the tint becomes

Shades

• A shade is a hue with black added to it
• Shading a color decreases its value and makes it darker
• Shades are often described as deep or dark colors (maroon, forest green, navy blue)
• The more black added, the darker and less saturated the shade becomes

Tones

• A tone is a hue with gray added to it
• Toning a color decreases its chroma and makes it duller
• Tones are often described as muted, subdued or grayish colors (sage green, slate blue, mauve)
• The more gray added, the lower the chroma and saturation of the tone
  • A pure gray tone has no discernible hue

Color Temperature

Warm and Cool Colors

• Color temperature refers to the perceived warmth or coolness of a hue
• Warm colors are associated with fire, sun and heat (red, orange, yellow)
  • Warm colors appear to advance or come forward in a composition
• Cool colors are associated with water, sky and foliage (blue, green, violet)
  • Cool colors appear to recede or move back in a composition
• Some hues are relatively neutral in temperature (magenta, teal, olive green)

Psychological Effects

• Warm colors are often described as energetic, passionate and attention-grabbing
  • Frequently used in designs to stimulate appetite or encourage action
• Cool colors are often described as calming, soothing and professional
  • Frequently used in designs to convey trust, security and cleanliness
• Color temperature can influence the mood and message of a visual design
  • A warm color scheme feels intimate and inviting (restaurant logo)
  • A cool color scheme feels formal and trustworthy (bank website)