Is Black considered a color or not?

crayons - colored black?
@modstar (9605)
Philippines
January 23, 2009 12:44pm CST
Some say it's not a color. I think i've heard it somewhere when one has chosen Black as a color but it wasn't not considered because it was said that black is not a color. Which is which? Crayola has Black right?
5 people like this
20 responses
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
24 Jan 09
If we talk about black the way we learn it in Physics, in relation to light, it is not a color. But the absence of light. Therefore, I conclude (I miss this statement.Lol), that in the absence of light, color does not exist. However, white is the presence of all colors. We just need a medium to separate the colors. Sort of like that. Im not the class genius, you know. :-D But if we talk about black as a "color" of a crayon, or paint, or shirt, or any surface, then it's a color AS A TERM or a WORD to say it. Did that help? I kind of made things worse. Lol
2 people like this
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
Although stepterix response is very precise and detailed, i was looking for a simpler one which is as layman as your response. At least there's no prism involved lol!
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
26 Jan 09
I'll take the back! lol!
@Theresaaiza (10487)
• Australia
26 Jan 09
this is so favoritism.:-)
• United States
23 Jan 09
My art teacher taught us that black and white were not colors, and that they were shades. This confused the heck out of me because they're both on color spectrums, and they're both available in mediums such as crayons, markers, paint, colored pencils, and so on.
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
That's true. Those products made it more confusing hehe..
@royal52gens (5488)
• United States
23 Jan 09
I have heard that Black is the absence of color. I have also heard that Black is the combination of all colors. What do you think??
1 person likes this
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
I think black is the combination of all colors. I mean when i mixed all colors even digital colors like in Photoshop, the result is always black.
1 person likes this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
24 Jan 09
Hey modstar! I really don't know how or why anyone would say that Black is not a color! Then is White not a color too? I happen to like the color Black! It is one of my most favorite colors! I wear alot of black because I look good in it! It is the color of my hair sort of, well dark brown! It is considered a color of a crayon since it is in the box of crayons and is counted! So anyone who says that Black is not a color I beg to differ!
1 person likes this
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
I would love to see your photo someday. Btw, are you female? if not, i take it back. lol! I consider black as a color too.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
24 Jan 09
Yes, I am a female! I have no camera yet! Maybe someday!
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
26 Jan 09
I'm looking forward and i have good memory lol!
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
23 Jan 09
In theory color is the result of light rays on the color spectrum.I was taught that black is not a color, that it is the absense of all light waves on the color spectrum. White on the other hand is supposed to be the combination of all colors. Despite all that, black was one of my first Crayola crayons to get used up...lol
1 person likes this
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
Haha, that's true. At least we can mix some colors to come up with black right?
2 people like this
@catdla1 (6005)
• United States
23 Jan 09
That's true! And even if it's not usedby itself, it comes in handy when making the shading of an object in any other color.
1 person likes this
23 Jan 09
Black and white are negatives, not colours, strictly speaking. In the real world, an absolute black or white is not possible - the black we use is a really, really, really dark shade of another colour and white is as close to white as we can get. Scientifically, black is the absence of colour and white is the presence of all colours. There, that didn't make it any clearer at all, did it?
1 person likes this
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
Not quite but you gave one good point about black being the absence of color and white as the presence of all colors.
1 person likes this
@rmuxagirl (7548)
• United States
23 Jan 09
Black is very much a color I mean who says black isn't a color? I Know in terms of science and what not black is the absence or color or is it when all colors are one?
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
For regular people like us i guess it's ok to consider black as a color.
• United States
23 Jan 09
I am of the belief that black and white are not colors. My art teacher year ago, told us that they are not part of the color spectrum but rather independents that aid in the creation of various colors.
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
We are closely coming to a conclusion that black is indeed not a color. Thanks to your art teacher. My art teacher before never even mentioned about it.
@carinio98 (2929)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
well it is considered color... look at your avatar... it is black... and even in the list of color.... youll see a black... and even white it is considered color..... and even color less its considered color cuz you see no color...
@carinio98 (2929)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
sleep now man... i kinda like to goo on for now... its just too early for me...
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
Your response is so colorful! hehe.. Time to sleep bro, it's 1am.
1 person likes this
• United States
23 Jan 09
hi modstar...i never liked it when i heard one of my teachers in school explain how black and white were not colors. but i don't care about the explanation. i consider them colors. i know a young lady whose favorite color is black. am i to tell her NO you CAN'T choose black because it isn't a color? as a color black does not exist. you have to choose a real color whether you like it or not. if you choose black you live in an imaginary world that doesn't exist. of course not. i say like the color black too.
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
I also happened to be in that kind of situation too where i wasn't allowed to choose black. lol! It gave me a face.
@mobhomeir (7558)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
I guess everything what you see in your naked eyes has color. Only air has no color for me..
• United States
24 Jan 09
hi mob....what an excellent point that air has not color.
1 person likes this
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
Air and a kind of cutex has a color. They're colorless hehe.. Just playing mob!
1 person likes this
@mobhomeir (7558)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
heheheh your're right I just forgot
@ladynetz (968)
• Canada
23 Jan 09
For us, humans, is a colour because we define it as a colour. A normal colour has shades.Black and white don't have a shade.It's either black or white.But even the light is not white.It's just how we define it. In reality, black absorbs everything, is a lack of colou, and white has in it all the colours.All you have to do is look at the light, the "white" light through a prism and see how it's dividing itself in the colours of the rainbow. Did it help a little bit?Really hope so.
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
I really don't know how prism works but your explanation is clear enough.
@Zezloler (497)
• United Arab Emirates
23 Jan 09
Black is the absence of colour or light. Technically, it's not a colour, but I consider it one anyway because I think it would sound silly if everyone considered it in its own sort of league and didn't speak of it as a colour as many do now. It's a similar sort of thing, I think, with weight and kilograms. Weight is force, but it's not measured in Newtons even though it should be. Some things are just scientifically different from what we consider them to be. xD
@modstar (9605)
• Philippines
23 Jan 09
Same here. I consider black as a color. If it's not then i don't know what to call that object called "black".
@Seriana (11)
• United States
25 Aug 10
I have this arguement with friends all the time- good naturedly of course. We get into a debate on if Black is a Color or a Shade. My response? You can't wear a shade, you wear a color. You color.. with a color. Technically, black is the absense of color, but we aren't talking about shadows here so I still stand by my statement.
@lovesummer (1162)
• Malaysia
24 Jan 09
why is it not considered a color? then i think green is not a color then cause you can mix them up from blue and yellow. hehe!
@aseretdd (13730)
• Philippines
24 Jan 09
This art lesson is one that is stuck vividly in my mind... my teacher then emphasized that black and white are not colors... they are shades... from lightest which is white to darkest which is black... But for kids... these two are always considered as colors because they will always be present in the set of crayons, water color, and even pastels...
@Annmac (949)
23 Jan 09
Black is the colour of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light. Although black is sometimes described as an "achromatic", or hueless, colour, in practice it can be considered a colour, as in expressions like "black cat" or "black paint". I found this description in my art book!
• United States
23 Jan 09
I was always taught going through school and all that balack and white were not colors. But rather they were considered shades. I was also tolds that they were not part of the color spectrum but independants. Also that black is the absents of color while white is the presants of all colors. I hope this helps you and didn;t confuse you anymore.
@onlydia (2808)
• United States
24 Jan 09
Well in the land of making faceplates for stoves and dishwashers. Black is a color and so is white. But did you know in order to sell more they add more red ink to there white and less blue. It is all a puzzle to me. I like brown my self and that is the one color we don't have at my job. You have a great day. So yes Black is a color. Your friend onlydia
@aisaellis22 (6445)
• United States
24 Jan 09
Hello modstar! Of course, black is considered a color. Every color here on earth whether it's white or black is a color. That's why it's called black because it's a color.