brown
Let an agent specify brown precisely and understand it as a dark or desaturated warm hue rather than a spectral colour.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent specify brown precisely and understand it as a dark or desaturated warm hue rather than a spectral colour.
A composite colour of dark orange, red or yellow hues with low lightness, seen in wood, soil and leather, with shades from putty to madder brown.
What it is for: Describing and designing with earthy tones.
It can be specify it in a colour space; mix it from pigments; use it in design; check contrast.
Distinguishing features
Not a spectral colour; a dark orange or red
Depends on context and surround
Common earth pigments
Stout and cork aliases refer to shades
What it looks like
The colour of wood, soil, chocolate and leather.
How it is recognised
Dark warm hues
Named shades such as cork or madder brown
RAL and other system codes
Related models
is a kind of - hue family
is produced by - earth pigments
is related to - hues
is used in - application
In practice
Families and kinds
shades: tan, chocolate, umber, sienna
earth pigments such as umber and sienna
named shades in colour systems
Identifiers
RAL code 8000 series industrial browns
Standards and regulation
WCAG contrast
Failure modes and hazards
Poor contrast of brown text on dark backgrounds
Also called
+6
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.brown
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Specification Which brown.
Values make it precise.
Value
Colour space.
Value
Colour value.
- Which exact brown, in which colour space? measurement
- Which named shade? definition
Nature
Why brown is special.
Nature
Perceptual nature.
- Why is brown not a spectral colour? definition
- How does surround change it? boundary
Pigments Making brown.
Earth pigments dominate.
Earth pigments
Umber, sienna.
Pigment
Pigments.
- Which pigment makes it? definition
- Is it lightfast? measurement
Mixing
From primaries.
Mixing
Mixing.
- How can it be mixed? action
- In which medium? definition
Design Use.
Brown carries meanings.
Meaning
Associations.
Meaning
Associations.
- What does brown suggest in this culture? definition
- Is it tied to a brand? boundary
Contrast
Readability.
Contrast
Contrast.
- Does it have enough contrast? measurement
- Does it meet WCAG? boundary
Names Shade names.
Names vary.
Shades
Named browns.
Shades
Named shades.
- What does a named shade such as cork mean? definition
- Which system defines it? provenance
Translation
Across languages.
Translation
Colour words.
- How do languages divide the brown range? definition
- How should names be translated? action
What the second pass must settle
- Which reference brown should be used?
- How should context-dependence be explained?
- Should earth pigments be separate entries?