What is the term for the lightness or darkness of a color?

The term that refers to the lightness or darkness of a color is value. In color theory, value is an essential aspect of color, as it dictates how light or dark a color appears. This characteristic affects how colors interact with one another and can drastically change the perception of a piece of artwork.

When artists speak of value, they often work with a value scale, which weighs the different shades against a pure white and a pure black, allowing for a clearer understanding of how colors can be manipulated to create depth, contrast, and dimension in their work. Understanding value is foundational for artists in achieving realistic depictions and creating effective compositions.

Other terms like tint, shade, and hue refer to different properties of color. Tint usually describes a color that has been lightened with white, shade refers to a color that has been darkened with black, and hue signifies the actual color itself (such as red, blue, or yellow). While all of these are important concepts in color theory, value specifically focuses on the lightness or darkness aspect.