An exercise to clarify the theory is to start with a paint hue, for example red, and a grey paint of the same value.
Mix them adding more red each time, put a stroke on a piece of paper after each addition, this creates a graduation of red colors that increase their intensity until they reach their full saturation at that level of the value.
This graduation is shown as opposite, on the value axis with the chroma axis extending from it at a right angle
Picture Above - This 3 – dimensional arrangement is called the Munsell Color Space.
The way to show this notation is after the value amount. I.e. 10YR 7/10 this shows Yellow Red hue with a value of 7 and a chroma of 10.
This is shown in a 3-dimension form known as the Munsell Color Space. Munsell's original concept was based on a sphere or orb, but as each hue is worked through to full saturation, we see that the symmetrical theory does not work.
The neutral colors are the vertical axis with black at the bottom graduating through to the greys and white at the top. The individual hues are then positioned around the neutral axis. The chroma scale increases outwards from the axis, and just to add to the complexity of chroma, chroma is not the same for every hue at every value. The full chroma for individual hues is achieved at different places.
The reds, blues and purples are the stronger hues that have higher chroma values at full saturation at mid levels on the value scale, whilst the yellows and greens are weaker and average the fullest chroma saturation close to the neutral axis but at higher values. Therefore, the Munsell Color Space looks more like a tree than a sphere or orb.
To conclude, the success of Munsell’s Color Notation allows us to define thousands of colors in an alphanumeric language that can be internationally communicated. It is commonly available in books and standards, and a very useful tool to have.
