Painters change a color's value and saturation by adding white, black or gray. Each has its own name.
| Add | You get a | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| white | tint | lighter value, lower saturation |
| black | shade | darker value |
| gray | tone | lower saturation (and value moves toward the gray) |
Key idea
Tint = color + white. Shade = color + black. Tone = color + gray. The hue stays; value and saturation change.
Why it works
White reflects all colors of light, so adding it lightens a paint and dilutes its color. Black absorbs light, so it darkens. Gray does a little of both, mostly dulling the color. Pink is a tint of red; maroon is a shade of red; dusty rose is a tone.
Worked example: Name the mixture
Sky blue is made by mixing a lot of white into blue. Is it a tint, a tone or a shade?
- The color added is white.
- Color plus white is a tint.
Answer: A tint of blue.
Common mistake
In everyday talk, "shade" means any version of a color ("a nice shade of green"). In art, a shade is specifically the color plus black. When the paint is lighter than the pure color, it cannot be a shade.
Real paint is not always so tidy. Black mixed into yellow tends to turn it olive green rather than a darker yellow. Many painters darken a color with a darker neighbor or a touch of its complement instead.