Is black a colour or a shade?

Question

me and my freinds have been arguing over this for a while i say its a colour but they think its a shade. but then some one told be there are only 3 colours:blue, red, yellow. every thing else(orange, green, black, purple) are all shades....whats true and what isn't?

Answer 1

They are all colours  

Answer 2

You're both right: depending on which side of the perception/physics fence you're on!

In terms of Perception, Black like Greys and White, is an achromatic colour: a colour without hue and saturation (or "strength").

If the term is intended to be Physical (physical and psychophysical concepts are often confused) and Black refers to a total absence of visible radiation (light) then, if there is no physical stimulus, there can be no physiological response: no response-> no perception-> no colour.

Answer 3

I think black to gray to white are shades

That's just what I think though

Answer 4

some people say neither.  some folks in the art business say that black does not exist at all.  what we think is black is just dark brown or some such.  i always thought it was getting a bit nitpicky but there you go.

Answer 5

black is not a color.. it is the absence of color (which is why at night when you sleep everything in your room is black.. there is an absence of color). white is ALL of the colors

white black and gray are shades   : )

Answer 6

Black is a color