Color is an important part of art. When we look at a painting or drawing, one of the first things we notice is the colors the artist used. Understanding color can help young artists make better choices when creating their own art. One important concept for kids to learn about color is hue. So what exactly is a hue in art? Let’s find out!
What is Color?
Before we dive into hue specifically, it helps to understand what color is in general. Color comes from light. When light shines on an object, some of the wavelengths of light are absorbed by the object and some wavelengths bounce off. Our eyes detect these bounced wavelengths as color.
For example, a lemon appears yellow because it absorbs all the wavelengths of light except yellow. The yellow wavelengths get reflected off the lemon for our eyes to see.
There are millions of possible colors that can be seen by the human eye. But we can break down all these colors into three main categories:
Primary Colors
The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. These colors can’t be created by mixing other colors, but all other colors can be mixed from the primary colors. This makes them the basic building blocks of color.
Secondary Colors
When you mix two primary colors together, you get a secondary color. The secondary colors are green (yellow + blue), orange (red + yellow), and purple (red + blue).
Tertiary Colors
Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color next to it on the color wheel. For example, red (primary) mixed with orange (secondary) makes red-orange.
So those are the basics of how color works. Now let’s focus specifically on hue and what it means in art.
What is Hue?
Hue refers to the name of a color—whether it is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, etc. It describes the dominant wavelength of light that our eyes perceive. The hue is what allows us to distinguish one color from another.
For example, both lemon yellow and canary yellow are hues of yellow. They have the same yellow hue, but different values (how light or dark they are) and intensities (how bright or dull they are).
Some common color hue families are:
| Hue Family | Example Colors |
|---|---|
| Reds | Scarlet, crimson, ruby, cherry |
| Oranges | Clementine, pumpkin, amber |
| Yellows | Lemon, sunflower, saffron, gold |
| Greens | Lime, emerald, mint, sage |
| Blues | Sapphire, sky, cobalt, periwinkle |
| Purples | Lavender, lilac, plum, violet |
So in summary, the hue describes the actual color we see—it’s how we distinguish red from green from blue. Value and intensity then describe different variations within that hue.
Primary Hues vs Secondary Hues
As we learned earlier, the primary hues are red, yellow, and blue. No other colors can be mixed to create the primary hues.
The secondary hues – orange, green, and purple – are created by mixing two primary hues. For example, mixing red and yellow makes orange.
This distinction is important in art. The primary hues are seen as the purest and brightest forms of color. The secondary hues tend to be a little duller and muddier since they are created by mixing primaries.
Understanding primary versus secondary hues helps artists select more vibrant colors for their art. Or it can help them dull a color down if needed by mixing in a secondary hue.
Color Wheels Show Hue Relationships
A color wheel is a useful tool for understanding hue relationships in color theory. The standard color wheel consists of 12 main hues – the 3 primary hues, 3 secondary hues, and 6 tertiary hues.
The color wheel arranges these hues in a circle to show how they relate to one another. Here is a basic color wheel showing just the primary and secondary hues:
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On the color wheel, hue families are located next to each other if they share a primary color. For example, red and orange contain red, so they are adjacent. Yellow and green share yellow, so they are next to each other.
This wheel shows important color relationships at a glance. Complementary colors (opposites on the wheel) create high contrast. Analogous colors (next to each other) create harmony.
As an artist explores how to use color hue effectively, referring to a color wheel is invaluable.
Hue in Color Mixing
Understanding hue is especially important when mixing colors. If you combine two colors with very different hues, you will end up with a brownish, dull color. But if you mix colors with similar hues, you retain the vibrancy.
For example, mixing a red hue like crimson with an orange hue like carrot orange will turn muddy. But mixing a red like cadmium red with an orange-leaning red like vermilion retains brightness. The hues are close enough on the color wheel to mix while keeping pure color.
When painting, artists will often pre-mix several variations of one hue on their palette. This allows them to add vibrancy and interest while still keeping control of the color harmonies. Hue is a useful guide for mixing color.
Hue in Color Schemes
Knowledge of hue also helps artists select effective color schemes. Color schemes use specific hue relationships to achieve certain visual effects. Here are some examples:
Complementary Scheme
Combines opposite hues on the color wheel like red and green or yellow and purple. This creates high contrast.
Analogous Scheme
Combines hues side-by-side on the color wheel like orange, yellow-orange, and yellow. This creates harmony and vibrancy.
Triadic Scheme
Combines hues evenly spaced around the color wheel like red, yellow, and blue. This balances the color contrast.
Tetradic (Double Complementary) Scheme
Combines two sets of complementary hues like yellow and purple paired with red and green. This allows vivid color with balance.
Artists combine their knowledge of hue relationships and color theory to select schemes that work for their creative goal. Understanding hue is key to effective use of color.
Hue in Nature
Nature provides great inspiration for working with hue. Notice how flowers, plants, minerals, animals, and landscapes display rich and varied hues.
For example, the subtle transitions within a sunset sky showcase red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple hues. Looking carefully at nature helps refine an artist’s eye for hue as well as color in general.
Some natural subjects that exhibit beautiful hue variations:
- Flower petals
- Gemstones
- Butterfly and moth wings
- Rock striations
- Autumn leaves
- Peacock feathers
- Rainbows
Take a nature walk with a pad of paints or colored pencils. Try mixing the colors you see and identifying the hue families. This makes excellent art practice!
Hue in Drawing vs. Painting
How hue is used differs somewhat between drawing and painting. With drawing, hue range is limited by the available media. Colored pencils and markers provide hue options for drawing, but not as many as paint offers.
Painting allows full use of hue with virtually limitless mixing potential between primary colors. Paint also tends to display hue more vividly than drawing media.
But both drawing and painting rely on the same color theory principles. Understanding hue lets artists, whether painters ordrawers, use color more intentionally for the effects they want.
Hue in Art History
Many significant art movements had distinctive approaches to hue that reflected their time period and philosophies. Here are a few major examples:
| Movement | Hue Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Impressionism | Used pure vivid hues in color mixtures, inspired by nature |
| Fauvism | Emphasized strong, non-naturalistic hues for emotional impact |
| Expressionism | Used symbolic, sometimes disharmonious hues to convey inner experience |
| Pop Art | Embraced bold, flat primary hues from commercial culture |
Studying art history displays the power of hue and how artists have wielded color to reflect society and culture. It offers tremendous inspiration for young artists’ own creative color choices.
Hue Activities for Kids
The best way for kids to learn about hue is through hands-on color mixing activities. Here are some fun projects to try:
Mix Primary Hues
Use red, blue, and yellow paint or food coloring. Mix the primaries together two at a time and observe the secondaries you can create.
Make Color Wheels
Create personal color wheels by painting stripes of primary and secondary hues. Cut into circles and assemble with brass fasteners.
Mix Tertiary Hues
Start with one primary like red. Slowly mix in other primaries and secondaries to see the range of tertiary hues possible.
Paint Color Swatches
Make swatch cards showing different hue variations within one color family like blues or greens.
Blend Analogous Hues
On paper or canvas, lightly blend analogous hues like orange to yellow. Notice how the gradation retains vibrancy.
Paint Color Palettes
Make color palette paintings using different hue schemes like complementary, triadic, or tetradic.
Hands-on play with mixing hue helps kids understand color relationships. They can then apply what they learn to make creative color choices in their own artwork.
Conclusion
Hue is a foundational concept for mastering color in art. It refers specifically to the name of the color rather than properties like lightness or saturation. Understanding hue allows artists to mix colors more effectively, choose intentional color schemes, and develop their own creative voice with color. Exploring hue through dedicated practice and studying masterworks gives young artists skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Whether drawing, painting, or sculpting, knowledge of hue empowers kids to use color with sophistication well beyond their years.