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New Contributor
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎01-19-2011

Absence of color and all color

Just wonder why no one corrects Isaac when he says that black is all color and white is the absence of color. It is the opposite. I've heard him say this twice, at least! White is light, and light is what makes color. Without light there would be no color. Poor benighted designer. Black is the absence of color. Of course, you can say that black requires pigments to create, say, black paint. But since all colors are in light itself, a prism breaking the light into parts creates a rainbow. My brain hurts.

New Contributor
Posts: 2
Registered: ‎08-16-2011

Re: Absence of color and all color

Noticed that, too. As a designer, he should know that.

Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

Black is the absence of light. Color does not exist without light. So black is the absence of color.

White is a balance of color in light. The colors impinge and overlay upon each other in such perfection that a wonderful composite emerges. We call the composite: white.

When you see white, you see all the colors in balance.

Mixing paint or pigments can lead you to the wrong conclusion, that black is the presence of all colors. That's incorrect.

A pigment's color is determined by which frequencies of light it absorbs and by which it reflects. If you mix two pigments, the usual result is to increase the absorbed part of the spectrum (which you don't see) and to decrease the reflected part (which you see).

Each time you add another pigment to the mixture, you remove another bit of the spectrum from the reflected light. That's why mixing differently colored pigments just makes the mixture darker (blacker) than each pigment was separately. The "color" of a mix of pigments is merely the reduced part of the spectrum of incident light that isn't being absorbed. That is, the mixture is absorbing MORE colors, so you see LESS colors.

Eventually, a mix of pigments absorbs all the light impinging on it, leaving NONE to be reflected, which causes the mixture to appear black. Once again, you can logically figure out that white is a balance of color, whereas black is the absence of light (and hence of color).

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,752
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

In cats, white is the absence of color.

It's God's job to judge the terrorists. It's our mission to arrange the meeting. U.S. Marines
Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,820
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

This art work by Mary Corse is all white. She works with white and light.

Super Contributor
Posts: 1,102
Registered: ‎03-26-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

  1. In the visible spectrum, white reflects light and is a presence of all colors, but black absorbs light and is an absence of color. Black can be defined as the visual impression experienced when no visible light reaches the eye.
    wikipedia
Super Contributor
Posts: 1,102
Registered: ‎03-26-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

On 9/29/2014 shoekitty said:

This art work by Mary Corse is all white. She works with white and light.

It's upside down.

Occasional Contributor
Posts: 5
Registered: ‎07-11-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

Yes Issac is right when he says white is the absence of color. Because you can't mix anything to get white. First year of art school teaches you that. I don't usually post a reply just look for advice on things but needed to get things straight as far as a designer is concerned.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,397
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

Sorry, but Isaac is absolutely right. I'm surprised he knows that much about the science of color.
New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Honored Contributor
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Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Absence of color and all color

On 9/29/2014 ical said:
  1. In the visible spectrum, white reflects light and is a presence of all colors, but black absorbs light and is an absence of color. Black can be defined as the visual impression experienced when no visible light reaches the eye.
    wikipedia


Ical

You are so right, thank you.

1. Black is the absence of color (and is therefore not a color)

Explanation:
When there is no light, everything is black. Test this out by going into a photographic dark room. There are no photons of light. In other words, there are no photons of colors.

2. White is the blending of all colors and is a color.

Explanation:
Light appears colorless or white. Sunlight is white light that is composed of all the colors of the spectrum. A rainbow is proof. You can't see the colors of sunlight except when atmospheric conditions bend the light rays and create a rainbow. You can also use a prism to demonstrate this.

Fact: The sum of all the colors of light add up to white. This is additive color