THE SYNTAX OF COLOR

Spectral reflectance curves show how much of each color is contained in a hue.  Our eyes only perceive the dominant hue that is reflected when visible light illuminates a color.  However, all of the colors (Violet, Blue, Green, Yellow, Orange and Red) reflect a bit of their hue in every color.  In the world of visible light, the colors we don't see in a hue have an impact on the color we obtain when we mix two hues together.  For example: A significant amount of red is contained in the pigment Ultramarine Blue. When Ultramarine is mixed with a yellow pigment, such as Cadmium Yellow, the red component in the Ultramarine will dull the intensity of the green mixture so it never achieves the chroma that the mixture of Phthalocyanine Blue and Cadmium Yellow displays.  Phathalocyanine Blue has very little red reflectance thus making a more intense mixture. The term used to describe the "hidden" secondary hues that influence a color mixture are called "bias."

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Explore the collection of spectral curves that are provided.  See the bias of the pigments you may be using and how they influence  mixtures that you are making when you paint.

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Note:  More Pigments will be added periodically.