Hue Plane
A two-dimensional collection of variations of a given hue. Some hue planes are organized according to whiteness and blackness, where colours of increasing whiteness are towards the white point and increasing blackness towards the black point of the hue plane. For example, see the hue planes belonging to the Ostwald and NCS colour models shown below. Such 3D colour models (which are assemblages of hue planes) are symmetric. Other hue planes are organized according to chroma and lightness/value. Because the most vivid colour of each hue family varies in lightness/value, these 3D colour models are asymmetric. For example see the hue planes of the Munsell and RAL colour models shown below.
Top row: Hue planes organized according to whiteness and blackness: Ostwald (left) and NCS (right) models. Bottom row: Hue planes organized according to chroma and lightness/value: Munsell (left) and RAL (right) models.
Find out more:
Check out the Virtual Atlas to see representations of different colour order systems:
Digital hue plane showing ‘Hue Y’ Natural Colour System from the Virtual Atlas. Note the symmetric distribution of the hue plane.
Digital hue Ppane showing ‘Munsell 5Y’ from
the Virtual Atlas. Note the asymmetric distribution of the hue plane.
