The word “hue” has a few different meanings and uses. At its core, hue refers to the pure color of an object – the attribute that makes red red, blue blue, yellow yellow, etc. Unlike saturation and brightness, hue represents color in its fundamental form. When discussing color theory or mixing paints, the hue is the basic building block that artists and designers work with.
But hue has some additional meanings beyond just the core color. It can refer to the dominant color or tone of an artwork, scene, or design. We might talk about the warm hues of a sunset painting or the variety of hues in a landscape photo. Hue is also sometimes used as another word for color in phrases like “a wide hue of shades.”
The nuances between these connected meanings can make the precise definition of hue a bit ambiguous. Is hue just the pure color, or does it include all the shades and tones of that color family? Can any color be called a hue? This article will explore the different uses and meanings in depth to find the “best” or clearest meaning for the word hue.
Basic Definition: The Pure Color
At its most basic definition, the hue refers to the pure color we see in the visible spectrum of light. These hues include red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. In technical terms, hue describes the dominant wavelength of light for a specific color.
For example, red has a hue defined by wavelengths around 700 nm. Yellow has a hue defined by 570 nm wavelengths. All the colors we perceive stem from different wavelength hues.
Hue on the Color Wheel
On a color wheel or color triangle, hue refers to the specific family of color defined by its wavelength. For instance, blues, greens, and violets are all different hue groups. Within these hue groups are many shades, tints, and tones. But the hue itself is the core color before any variations.
| Hue Group | Example Colors |
|---|---|
| Reds | Scarlet, crimson, ruby |
| Oranges | Amber, orange, peach |
| Yellows | Gold, lemon, sunshine |
| Greens | Emerald, mint, sage |
| Blues | Navy, aqua, cobalt |
| Violets | Lilac, lavender, plum |
So while light red and dark red have different properties, they both belong to the red hue family. All colors with a reddish wavelength are shades and tints of the red hue.
Hue vs. Shade and Tint
An important distinction when defining hue is its relationship to shade and tint. As mentioned, the hue is the pure core color without variations in brightness or saturation.
Shades are colors with black added to darken the hue. Tints add white to lighten up the original hue. But the underlying hue remains the same. So even though navy blue and baby blue look quite different, they are both shades and tints of the blue hue.
Here are some examples contrasting hue, shade, and tint:
| Hue | Shade | Tint |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | Dark orange | Peach |
| Purple | Indigo | Lavender |
| Green | Forest green | Mint |
These variations in saturation and brightness create the wide spectrum of colors we see. But the hue itself only refers to the pure, unaltered color.
Using Hue in Color Mixing
Understanding hue as the origin color is especially important in color mixing. Pigments like paint or digital color both combine hues to form new colors.
For example, mixing red and yellow pigments will yield orange. The hue shifts from the original red and yellow into a new orange hue. All other mixes work similarly, blending hue families. When no hue dominates, the result is a neutral gray or brown.
So painters, designers, and artists think consciously about balancing hues. Too much of one hue leads to an imbalanced, off-looking color. Mixing complementary hues (those opposite on the color wheel) can create vivid secondary colors. Hue is the essential starting point for intentional, nuanced color blending.
Hue in Color Harmony
Hues also provide the basis for color harmony and schemes. While shades and tints vary a hue’s look, combinations of different hue families bring color schemes to life.
| Color Scheme | Hue Combinations |
|---|---|
| Complementary | Opposite hues like red and green |
| Split Complementary | A hue plus the hues next to its complement |
| Triadic | Three hues equal distances apart on the color wheel |
| Tetradic | Two sets of complementary hues forming a rectangle |
| Analogous | Hues right next to each other like blue, blue-violet, and violet |
Balancing related hues allows artists and designers to create visually appealing combinations. Varying shades and tints adds contrast and interest. But the hue choices make up the core of the color scheme.
Hue vs. Chroma
Another color term related to hue is chroma. While often used interchangeably, chroma and hue have some subtle differences.
As described above, hue represents the pure color wavelength before any variations. Chroma, on the other hand, refers to the colorfulness or intensity of a hue.
For example, a fire engine red has a high chroma while a pale pink has a low chroma. Both, however, are shades of the red hue family. Chroma measures how deeply saturated or vivid a color appears.
In technical applications like video production, hue and chroma differentiate the color source (hue) from the color intensity (chroma). But in general use, the two terms often overlap depending on context.
Using Hue to Describe Color Ranges
Now that we’ve explored the formal color theory definition, we can look at some wider uses of hue in describing colors.
While technically hue only refers to pure color families, we often use it when discussing a wider range of color variations:
– The soft hues of the painting evoke a gentle mood.
– Her hair has hues of copper and gold shining in the light.
– A bright hue of purple grabs your attention on the webpage.
In these examples, hue is used almost interchangeably with color. It describes the dominant color impressions, not just the core color. This matches our everyday impressions – we might think of robin’s egg blue as a blue hue even though technically it’s a tint of blue.
Hue vs. Color
Is there a difference then between hue and color in common usage?
Subtly, hue tends to refer to a limited range of colors belonging to the same family. For instance, all the different blues in a painting would be described collectively as blues hues. The specific blue colors are shades and tints within the blue hue.
Color is a broader term that can encompass any hue. For example:
– The painting uses warm, vivid hues of red, orange, and yellow.
– The painting uses warm, vivid colors.
While hue focuses on clusters of related colors, color includes any hue or combination of hues.
Another difference is that hue can suggest the dominant color impression or tone:
– The website has a clean, white hue.
While the website may use many colors, white is the predominant impression. Describing it as having a “white color” would sound a little strange, but the “hue of white” makes sense.
So in everyday descriptions, hue is best understood as the main color impressions, tones, and ranges within a composition or object. Color is the umbrella term for all hues and color combinations.
Hue vs. Chroma vs. Value
To bring together the full terminology:
– Hue refers to the pure color (red, orange, etc.)
– Chroma/Saturation refers to the color intensity and richness
– Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color
– Shade and Tint modify hue by changing value
So hue represents the core color, while chroma, value, shade, and tint transform that color in different ways. Artists and designers skillfully balance all these elements to achieve the perfect color.
Conclusion
At its technical core, hue refers to the primary wavelengths of visible color light. Reds, blues, oranges, and all other pure colors are unique hues defined by their dominant wavelength.
But hue also has wider meanings in color theory and everyday descriptions. It can encompass the main color impressions in an object or scene. Referring to a “green hue” may indicate many shades and tints of green. Hue also plays a central role in color schemes by providing the base color that is then modified, combined, and harmonized.
So in summary, the “best” way to understand hue is:
– As a pure color in technical contexts like color models
– As the predominant color impressions and ranges in a composition or object
– As the core color that creates shades, tints, and color harmony
While it has some subtle distinctions from color, chroma, value, and other terms, hue communicates the essential character of color across fields like art, design, physics, and our everyday perceptions. Mastering hue gives us the power to see, mix, and apply color effectively.