Luminosity

When it comes to color, all colors have associated tints and shades.

Let's revisit the color wheel from our last lesson:

In this color wheel, the most vibrant colors are on the outer ring. As our eyes drift inward, we see that the colors gradually become lighter. This phenomenon is known as a shift in value, or the lightness or darkness of a color. This shift is also called luminosity.

How this translates into real-world situations is when mixing colors on a canvas. To increase the value or increase the luminosity of a color, white is added. This is called a tint.

Conversely, to decrease the value or decrease the luminosity of a color, black is added. This is called a shade.

Which of these colors could be a Tint?

• Pink
• Burgundy

Let's consider the poll above. How might you mix these colors with paint?