Gray Neutrals: How to Reveal the Color Parent…

Every single color has a parent. 

Neutrals are no different.

Neutrals are essentially colors that have reduced amounts of hue and chroma to them. (To create color, we need hue, value and chroma.) 

Neutrals can be either light, medium or dark so value plays an important role.

So how do you find out a neutral’s true hue??

Below I show all the color parents (the true hue) and their associated muted colors. (We mute a color by adding gray.)

Many of these can be considered neutrals, especially Orange, Yellow, Yellow-Green and Blue-Violet.

Muted Neutrals and Their Color Parents

Today, I want to explore the gray neutrals.

I recreated the color wheel below with the mid-range of each hue (5 on the Munsell notation) shown in a 5 value (medium-dark).

You’ll noticed that Blue (B) and Blue-Violet (BV) are the closest to what we consider a cool gray.

Orange (YR) and Yellow (Y) provide us the warmest grays.

neutrals_grays

In the video below, I provide you some tips for how to uncover the color parent of a gray without doing a DNA test. 😂

All gray neutrals are not alike!  You’ll have all types of values and different color parents.

KEY TIP:

When working with neutrals, pair them with colors and neutrals that have the same color parent. This will create a harmonious energy in your home or with your outfit.

Below, I show the grays that were featured in the video with their color parent of the same value.

Examples of Gray and Their Parents

Sidenote: I didn’t use the Red-Violet (RV) sample but the Target tank could have easily been aligned with it as well.

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Arden Reece

Arden Reece

I’m an award-winning former brand marketer and personal stylist turned Intuitive Color Translator. I’ve created a method and system to reveal your true colors, connect you with your powerful presence and position you in the world as a powerful, creative force. I support creative entrepreneurs and intuitive leaders to embody the heart and soul of color and get ColorFluent. And I help gifted folks to make sense of the magical aspects of color so that they can work with it in doing what their soul came here to do. Get started in working with me by taking my assessment.
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