Hue: the light wave reflected back from a particular surface (the color of a color)[chroma] - these are arranged on various color wheels
Value: the darkness or lightness of a particular hue (all colors can be translated into a grey value, as in b/w photography) colors in their saturated state translate in the following grey values:
yellow 10%
green 50%
orange 30%
blue 70%
red 50%
violet 85%
Saturation: (sometimes called intensity) how close a color is to its primary state (purity) - tint = hues with black - colors can also have their saturation reduced by adding the compliment.
Temperature: the warmth or coolnesss of a color [how much yellow or blue is in a given color] - cold colors seem smaller and further away from the observer - warm colors seem larger and closer to the observer - connotations of warm and cool:
Cool
Warm
shadow
sun
transparent
opaque
sedative
stimulant
airy
earthy
far
near
light
heavy
wet
dry
red increases heart & respiration rate - blue decreases heart & respiration rate
Complementary Contrast: hue opposites [three pairs made up of one primary and one secondary each directly across its opposite on the color wheel] complements are always made up of one primary and one secondary hue which in turn is produced from the other two primaries - complements mixed together in equal proportions from the same muddy grey-brown regardless of the complementary pair used - the eye has a hard time focusing on the edge between to two compliments
Simultaneous Contrast: a color always makes its' neighbors seem like its' hue opposite - an after image is always the compliment of the color causing the effect.
Extension: the ability of a color to attract our attention (its visual weight) - colors listed in order of visual, weight most to least.