Electric blue (color)

Last updated
Electric blue
 
A-Tube.jpg
Gtk-dialog-info.svg    Color coordinates
Hex triplet #7DF9FF
sRGB B (r, g, b)(125, 249, 255)
HSV (h, s, v)(183°, 51%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(91, 55, 197°)
Source[Unsourced]
ISCC–NBS descriptor Brilliant bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Electric blue is a color whose definition varies but is often considered close to cyan, and which is a representation of the color of lightning, an electric spark, and the color of ionized argon gas; it was originally named after the ionized air glow produced during electrical discharges, though its meaning has broadened to include shades of blue that are metaphorically "electric" by virtue of being "intense" or particularly "vibrant". Electric arcs can cause a variety of color emissions depending on the gases involved, but blue and purple are typical colors produced in the troposphere where oxygen and nitrogen dominate.

Contents

The first recorded use of electric blue as a color name in English was in 1845. [1] [2] The color electric blue (the version shown below as medium electric blue) was in vogue in the 1890s. [3]

Variations of electric blue

Deep electric blue (French electric blue)

Electric Blue
 
Gtk-dialog-info.svg    Color coordinates
Hex triplet #2C75FF
sRGB B (r, g, b)(44, 117, 255)
HSV (h, s, v)(219°, 83%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(52, 120, 259°)
Source Pourpre.com
ISCC–NBS descriptor Vivid blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The deep tone of electric blue displayed adjacent is the color called bleu électrique in the Pourpre.com color list, a color list widely popular in France.[ citation needed ]

Iridescent electric blue

Iridescent electric blue
 
Gtk-dialog-info.svg    Color coordinates
Hex triplet #3137FD
sRGB B (r, g, b)(49, 55, 253)
HSV (h, s, v)(238°, 81%, 99%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(39, 133, 266°)
Source www.art-paints.com
ISCC–NBS descriptor Vivid blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This shade of electric blue reflects the kind which is only metaphorically "electric". Its iridescence is also metaphoric.

Medium electric blue

Medium Electric Blue
 
Gtk-dialog-info.svg    Color coordinates
Hex triplet #035096
sRGB B (r, g, b)(3, 80, 150)
HSV (h, s, v)(209°, 98%, 59%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(34, 64, 253°)
SourceMaerz and Paul [4]
ISCC–NBS descriptor Deep blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color displayed adjacent, titled medium electric blue, is the electric blue which "had an immense vogue in the latter 19th century". [3] Its source is a textile sample from the 1890s. [5] [6]

Today, this tone remains typical of "electric blue" fabrics in the mass market.

Dark electric blue

Dark Electric Blue
 
Gtk-dialog-info.svg    Color coordinates
Hex triplet #536878
sRGB B (r, g, b)(83, 104, 120)
HSV (h, s, v)(206°, 31%, 47%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)(43, 19, 234°)
Source ISCC-NBS
ISCC–NBS descriptor Grayish blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Dark electric blue is a dark cyan color that is the color called electric blue, formalized as a color in the ISCC–NBS system in 1955. [7]

The normalized color coordinates for dark electric blue are identical to Payne's grey, which was first recorded as a color name in English in 1835. [8]

In nature

Crustaceans

The electric blue crayfish is a species of freshwater crayfish endemic to Florida.

Reptiles

The electric blue gecko was first discovered by biologist William in the 1950s. [9]

In the arts

Literature

Miss. Hunter, in the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches", was required to wear an electric blue dress. It first published in the UK in The Strand Magazine , in June 1892.

Comics

In a 1998 retelling of the original 1963 story of Superman Red/Superman Blue, Superman is temporarily deprived of the solar energy which his body needs. To compensate, he harnesses electricity. [10] This eventually forces him to adopt a blue and white suit to prevent the energy from dispersing. He retained most of his abilities but lost his heat-vision and used electric attacks instead. Some fans refer to this version of Superman as "Electric Blue Superman". [11]

Music

David Bowie's song "Sound and Vision" references the color in the third verse,

  Blue, blue, electric blue
  That's the color of my room
  Where I will live
  Blue, blue

The new wave band Icehouse had a hit single in 1987 titled "Electric Blue".

Other uses

The color electric blue is associated with the astrological sign of Aquarius. [12]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral (color)</span> Shade of orange

The various tones of the color coral are orange, red and pink representations of the colors of those cnidarians known as precious corals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navy blue</span> Very dark shade of the color blue which almost appears as black

Navy blue is a dark shade of the color blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beige</span> Color

Beige is variously described as a pale sandy fawn color, a grayish tan, a light-grayish yellowish brown, or a pale to grayish yellow. It takes its name from French, where the word originally meant natural wool that has been neither bleached nor dyed, hence also the color of natural wool. A more than 300 year old antecessor of the word "beige" can be found in the surname of Louis de Béchameil and the French name for Béchamel sauce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persian blue</span> Blue colour associated with Persian pottery

Persian blue comes in three major tones: Persian blue proper: a bright medium blue; medium Persian blue ; and a kind of dark blue which is referred to as Persian indigo, dark Persian blue, or regimental, that is much closer to the web color indigo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilac (color)</span> Color

Lilac is a color that is a pale violet tone representing the average color of most lilac flowers. The colors of some lilac flowers may be equivalent to the colors shown below as pale lilac, rich lilac, or deep lilac. However, there are other lilac flowers that are colored red-violet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Champagne (color)</span> Color

The color champagne is a name given for various very pale tints of yellowish-orange that are close to beige. The color's name is derived from the typical color of the beverage Champagne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burgundy (color)</span> Dark red color

Burgundy is a dark red-purplish color.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring green</span> Color

Spring green is a color that was traditionally considered to be on the yellow side of green, but in modern computer systems based on the RGB color model is halfway between cyan and green on the color wheel.

Taupe is a dark gray-brown color. The word derives from the French noun taupe meaning "mole". The name originally referred only to the average color of the French mole, but beginning in the 1940s, its usage expanded to encompass a wider range of shades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heliotrope (color)</span> Colour

Heliotrope is a pink-purple tint that is a representation of the colour of the heliotrope flower.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fallow (color)</span> Pale brown color

Fallow is a pale brown color that is the color of withered foliage or sandy soil in fallow fields. This however is a post factum rationalization, and the etymologies are distinct.

Spring bud is the color that used to be called spring green before the X11 web color spring green was formulated in 1987 when the X11 colors were first promulgated. This color is now called spring bud to avoid confusion with the web color.

Jungle green is a color that is a rich tone of medium spring green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of green</span> Varieties of the color green

Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma or lightness, or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a green or other hue mixed with white, a shade being mixed with black. A large selection of these various colors is shown below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of red</span> Varieties of the color red

Varieties of the color red may differ in hue, chroma or lightness, or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a red or other hue mixed with white, a shade being mixed with black. A large selection of these various colors are shown below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of magenta</span> Varieties of the color magenta

The color magenta has notable tints and shades. These various colors are shown below.

Livid is a medium bluish-gray color. This color name comes from the Latin color term lividus meaning "'a dull leaden-blue color', and also used to describe the color of contused flesh, leading to the English expression 'black and blue'". The first recorded use of livid as a color name in English was in 1622.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of blue</span> Variety of the color blue

Varieties of the color blue may differ in hue, chroma, or lightness, or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a blue or other hue mixed with white, a shade being mixed with black. A large selection of these colors is shown below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of cyan</span> Varieties of the color cyan

The color cyan, a greenish-blue, has notable tints and shades. It is one of the subtractive primary colors along with magenta, and yellow.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of rose</span> Varieties of the color rose

Rose is the color halfway between red and magenta on the HSV color wheel, also known as the RGB color wheel.

References

  1. Joseph Hall Wright (1845). Ocean-work, Ancient and Modern: Or, Evenings on Sea and Land. D. Appleton. p.  163. electric blue.
  2. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, p.194; Color Sample of Electric Blue [fabric 1890s]: Page 97 Plate 37 Color Sample I7
  3. 1 2 Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, p.156 Discussion of the color Electric Blue
  4. The color displayed in the color box above matches the color called electric blue in the 1930 book by Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill; the color electric blue is displayed on page 97, Plate 37, Color Sample I7.
  5. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, Color Sample of Electric Blue [fabric 1890s]: Page 97 Plate 37 Color Sample I7
  6. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, p.194 Name of the color "electric blue" in the index is marked with a "T", which means it is from a textile sample
  7. "ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names (1955)--Color Sample of electric blue (color sample #186)". tx4.us. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22.
  8. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 201; Colour Sample of Payne's Grey: Page 117 Plate 47 Colour Sample A9
  9. "Lygodactylus williamsi". reptile-care.de.
  10. Superman (vol. 2) #122 (April 1997)
  11. "Electric Blue Superman???". forums.comicbookresources.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
  12. Parker, Derek and Julia Aquarius (Part of the Planetary Zodiac Library) New York:1972 A Mitchell Beazley/Ballantine Book Page 14