What term describes the brightness and dullness of a color?

The term that best describes the brightness and dullness of a color is intensity. Intensity refers to the purity or strength of a color, which is determined by how much gray is present in the color. A color with high intensity appears bright and vibrant, while a color with low intensity appears dull and muted. This concept is essential in esthetics, as it affects how colors are perceived in various contexts, such as makeup application and skin tone matching.

Hue refers to the actual color itself, such as red, blue, or yellow. Value describes the lightness or darkness of a color, indicating how much white or black is combined with the hue. Shade specifically refers to a color made darker by adding black. Understanding these distinctions helps in identifying why intensity is the appropriate term for describing brightness and dullness in colors.