Albert H.

Munsell created the Munsell Color Theory in 1915 to identify a color using alphanumerics (letters and numbers) instead of color names. This system eliminates the ambiguity of a color name such as "fuchsia" or "navy blue." The Munsell Color System uses three attributes per color: hue, value and chroma. The color system is used by artists, designers, scientists and others.

Hue
Hue differentiates one color family from another, such as yellow from green. There are five minor and five major hue families. The major families are red, yellow, green, blue and purple. The minor are the halfway colors on a color wheel: orange, green-yellow, blue-green, purple-blue and red-purple. These colors are then further divided.

Value
Value differentiates a light from a dark color. A tint is a light color. A shade is a dark color, or one mixed with black. The amount of sunlight that reflects off a color determines how "light" a color is.

Chroma
Chroma is the intensity of a color. A strong chroma is described as being "saturated" or "bright."

Neutral Colors
Neutral colors--black, gray and white--have neither hue nor chroma. The lightest color is white, which reflects the most sunlight; darkest is black, which reflects none.

Munsell Notation
The alphanumeric names Munsell created use whole numbers followed by letters and fractions. Pure red is 5R 4/14, or 5R for short. This mean 5 red, value 4, chroma 14. Neutrals are listed with an "N." Absolute black is N 0/ and pure white is N 10/.

Combining Colors
The primary colors red, blue and yellow, or 5R, 5B and 5Y, can combine to create all colors. A color wheel is useful to understand the relationships between colors and how they compliment one another. Read more: Munsell Color Theory | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/facts_5294641_munsell-colortheory.html#ixzz1dJgeB4zq http://www.applepainter.com/Forward/