Custom Search

Now that you have an understanding of the outer ring of the color wheel, it is time to go into more specifics.

Every color has three attributes: Hue, Value and Intensity. Once you can identify these attributes of color, you can successfully mix colors on your palette. First let's define what these terms mean.

Hue

The name of a color starts by identifying which of the twelve colors on the color wheel corresponds most closely to it, irregardless of how light or dark, or bright or dull it is.

Value

This is determined by how dark or light the color is. You can establish this by comparing it to a gray scale. There is one on the front side of a standard color wheel. There are other sources of gray scale to use, also, or you can create your own from the computer.

The key is to use the same scale for each color so you don't get mixed readings. Some scales have #1 as white, while others have #1 as black.

Some other words you might find describing Value include:

• TINT which is the color plus white, or
• SHADE which is the color plus black
• LUMINANCE
• LUMINOSITY

Intensity

Intensity takes a look at how bright or dull a color is. The brightest intensity would be the pure color from the color wheel while the dullest would be where you can't even discern what the color is other then it looks like gray. Other words used to describr intensity are:

• SATURATION
• CHROMA
• CHROMATICITY

So now you have established the hue, value and intensity of a color you want to use. What do you do next?

• Select the color you identified from the color wheel.
• Add white to bring it to the value that you established.
• Dull it down with its complementary color to bring it to the intensity you are looking for.

Just remember, though, sometimes you won't add any white but only a complement or visa versa, because of the value and intensity you establish for the color you are making.

Now it is time for you to test out the theory explained here. It is only through actually doing it, that you will become more at ease with mixing colors.