Adapted from Olentangy Liberty High School

Color & Hue:  What's the difference between a Color and a Hue ?  The word Color is a general term. It refers to all the variations we see, even white or gray.  Hue is the term for the pure spectrum colors commonly referred to by the "color names" red, orange, yellow, blue, green, violet - which appear in the hue circle or rainbow.

Value  Value is defined as the relative lightness or darkness of a color.  It is an important tool for the designer/artist, in the way that it defines form and creates spatial illusions.  You can find the values of a color by making its tints and shades.

Tints  Tints are light values that are made by mixing a hue with white.  For example: Pink is a tint of red Light blue is a tint of blue.  A color scheme using tints is soft, youthful and soothing.

Shades  Shades are dark values that are made by mixing a color with black.  Examples: Maroon is a shade of red Navy is a shade of blue.

Let’s Process…  What is the difference between Color and Hue?  What would be an example of Hue?  What does the term Value mean?  What color do you add to get tints? What would be some examples?  What color do you add to get shades? What are some examples?

First Experiment - Tints  Choose a food coloring (Red, Green Blue, Yellow).  Mix it with white (large cup), get it to the darkest intensity you can! (Use ¼ of a jar of frosting)  Fill 8 small cups with the colored icing.  Tint four cups with white frosting.  Shade four cups with chocolate icing.  Place all your values custard cups in order from darkest to lightest.

REFLECTION  How difficult was it to get four different values of color for each experiment?  Did this activity help you see and understand the difference between tints and shades? *When you are done and have shown your value scale to the teacher, you may get graham crackers and eat the frosting tints and shades you have created*

Student Examples: Lesson Taught by: Elizabeth Hummel