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Monochrome
Monochrome
Monochrome
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Multiple examples of monochrome artworks throughout history: an Ancient Egyptian faience statuette of Isis and Horus, 332–30 BC; a gold Tairona pendant, 10th–16th century; a Chinese carved red lacquer, late 14th century; and the Neoclassical Petit Trianon in Versailles, France, by Ange-Jacques Gabriel, 1764
Black-and-white monochrome: the Eiffel Tower during the 1889 Exposition Universelle
Color monochrome: night-vision devices usually produce monochrome images, typically in shades of green.
A photograph of a macaw rendered with a monochrome palette of a limited number of shades
A Philips branded digital audio player with a monochrome display and green backlight, common on older devices including mobile phones and handheld game systems

A monochrome[1] or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color).[2] Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, monochromatic light refers to electromagnetic radiation that contains a narrow band of wavelengths, which is a distinct concept.

Application

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Of an image, the term monochrome is usually taken to mean the same as black and white or, more likely, grayscale, but may also be used to refer to other combinations containing only tones of a single color, such as green-and-white or green-and-red. It may also refer to sepia displaying tones from light tan to dark brown or cyanotype ("blueprint") images, and early photographic methods such as daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes, each of which may be used to produce a monochromatic image.

In computing, monochrome has two meanings:

  • it may mean having only one color which is either on or off (also known as a binary image),
  • allowing shades of that color.

A monochrome computer display is able to display only a single color, often green, amber, red or white, and often also shades of that color.

In film photography, monochrome is typically the use of black-and-white film. Originally, all photography was done in monochrome. Although color photography was possible even in the late 19th century, easily used color films, such as Kodachrome, were not available until the mid-1930s.

In digital photography, monochrome is the capture of only shades of black by the sensor, or by post-processing a color image to present only the perceived brightness by combining the values of multiple channels (usually red, blue, and green). The weighting of individual channels may be selected to achieve a desired artistic effect; if only the red channel is selected by the weighting then the effect will be similar to that of using a red filter on panchromatic film. If the red channel is eliminated and the green and blue combined then the effect will be similar to that of orthochromatic film or the use of a cyan filter on panchromatic film. The selection of weighting so provides a wide variety of artistic expression in the final monochrome image.

For production of an anaglyph image the original color stereogram source may first be reduced to monochrome in order to simplify the rendering of the image. This is sometimes required in cases where a color image would render in a confusing manner given the colors and patterns present in the source image and the selection filters used (typically red and its complement, cyan).[3]

Color scheme

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See also: Color scheme
Example of a monochromatic color scheme
Monochromatic color gradient on color wheel

A monochromatic color scheme comprises (tones, tints, and shades) of a single hue. Tints are achieved by adding white, thereby increasing lightness; Shades are achieved by adding black, thereby decreasing lightness; Tones are achieved by adding gray, thereby decreasing colorfulness.

Monochromatic color schemes provide opportunities in art and visual communications design as they allow for a greater range of contrasting tones that can be used to attract attention, create focus and support legibility.

The use of a monochromatic color provides a strong sense of visual cohesion and can help support communication objectives through the use of connotative color. The relative absence of hue contrast can be offset by variations in tone and the addition of texture.[4]

Monochromatic in science means consisting of a single wavelength of light or other radiation (lasers, for example, usually produce monochromatic light), or having or appearing to have only one color (in comparison to polychromatic). That means according to science the true monochromatic images can be strictly created only of shades of one color fading to black.[5]

However, monochromatic also has another meaning similar to “boring” or “colorless” which sometimes leads to creating a design composed from true monochromatic color shades (one hue fading to black), and the colors created from the one hue but faded to all wavelengths (to white). This is not monochromatic in the strictly scientific meaning of the word. In fact, monochrome in the art world can be as complicated or even more complicated than other polychromatic art.[6]

In physics

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Main article: Monochromatic radiation

In physics, monochromatic light is electromagnetic radiation of a single wavelength. While no source of electromagnetic radiation is purely monochromatic, in practice, it is usually used to describe very narrowband sources such as monochromated or laser light. The degree of monochromaticity can be defined by the spectral linewidth). A device which isolates a narrow band of light from a broadband source is called a monochromator.

See also

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References

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Monochrome

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Monochrome, derived from the words monos ("one" or "single") and khrôma ("color" or "surface"), refers to a visual composition, artwork, or display that utilizes only a single color or varying shades and tones of that color, most commonly , and grays in representations of images or forms. This approach emphasizes form, texture, , and contrast over chromatic variety, creating a sense of unity and that has influenced artistic, photographic, and technological expressions across . In the , monochrome techniques trace back to prehistoric cave paintings, which used natural earth pigments in single hues to depict animals and figures, and extended into and Roman pottery with black-figure and red-figure methods for intricate designs. During the medieval period, European artists employed monochrome —painting in shades of gray—to mimic or symbolize spiritual purity in religious contexts, as seen in Netherlandish altarpieces. The modern monochrome emerged prominently in the early with movements; Russian artist Kazimir Malevich's Black Square (1915) is widely recognized as the first purely abstract monochrome, challenging perceptions of by reducing it to a single to evoke infinite space and non-objectivity. Subsequent artists like , (with his series), and the Korean movement in the further explored monochrome to investigate materiality, , and . Monochrome dominated early photography from its invention in the 1830s, as processes like and by and William Henry Fox Talbot produced images solely in black and white due to the limitations of chemistry, which captured light intensity rather than spectral colors. This format persisted as the standard through the 19th and much of the 20th centuries, allowing photographers such as to master tonal gradations for dramatic landscapes and portraits, even as color processes emerged in the 1930s. In printing and publishing, monochrome has long been used for cost-effective reproduction, from woodblock illustrations in ancient texts to techniques in newspapers, prioritizing clarity and detail over vibrancy. In technology, monochrome displays were foundational to computing and television; the Xerox Alto (1973), one of the first personal computers with a , featured a cathode-ray tube (CRT) monitor rendering text and graphics in monochrome using a white for efficient visibility and reduced flicker. Early televisions, starting with mechanical systems in the 1920s and electronic ones by the 1940s, transmitted signals in monochrome (black and white) before color standards like were adopted in the 1950s. Today, monochrome persists in specialized applications, such as e-ink readers for battery efficiency and high-contrast , underscoring its enduring value in simplicity and focus.

Fundamentals

Definition

Monochrome refers to a visual representation, artwork, or image that employs a single color or hue, along with variations in its tones, shades, and tints, without the inclusion of other chromatic elements. This approach emphasizes the inherent qualities of that one color, such as its depth, contrast, and texture, to convey form and composition. In essence, monochrome eliminates chromatic diversity to focus on luminosity and tonal gradations. In the framework of , monochrome operates by fixing the hue—the distinct spectral quality that identifies the color, such as or —while allowing variations in saturation and value. Saturation denotes the purity or intensity of the hue, ranging from vivid and unmixed to desaturated and grayish; value, meanwhile, describes the relative lightness or darkness of the color, from bright highlights to deep shadows. When saturation is reduced to zero, the result is an achromatic monochrome, often manifesting as , where only value differentiates tones between black and white. This distinguishes monochrome from , which involves multiple hues and colors to create vibrancy and complexity across a . Similarly, extends beyond monochrome by incorporating two contrasting inks or colors—typically one dominant hue overlaid on a base—to produce a limited but dual-tonal effect. Common examples of monochrome include black-and-white photography, which relies on for dramatic emphasis on and shadow, as well as single-hue artworks like paintings rendered entirely in to explore emotional intensity through tonal subtlety.

Etymology and Terminology

The term "monochrome" derives from the Ancient Greek words monos (μόνος), meaning "alone" or "single," and khroma (χρῶμα), meaning "color" or "skin," together forming monokhrōmos (μονοχρωμος), denoting "of one color." This Greek compound entered English in the mid-17th century via Medieval Latin monochromos and Italian monocromo, initially referring to a painting executed in a single color or its shades. The earliest recorded use in English appears in 1662, in the writings of diarist and writer , who employed it to describe artistic works limited to one hue. By the late , the term had established itself in artistic contexts to denote single-color paintings, often as a technique for emphasizing form, texture, or symbolic depth over chromatic variety. Over time, its application evolved; in the , with the advent of , "monochrome" expanded to encompass black-and-white images, reflecting the medium's inherent limitation to tonal variations of a single color (typically ) before color processes emerged. Related terminology includes "monochromatic," which shares the same Greek roots but first appeared in English around 1660s for artistic uses, later specializing by 1822 in physics and optics to describe light or radiation of a single wavelength, distinct from the broader artistic sense of varied tones within one color. In contrast, "achromatic," coined in 1766 from Greek a- (not) + khroma (color), refers to the absence of color or hue, such as neutral grays, blacks, and whites, often used in optics for lenses that minimize color distortion and in art for grayscale techniques like grisaille, differentiating it from monochrome by excluding any dominant hue altogether. By the 1800s, these terms had become staples in art criticism, with "monochrome" increasingly applied to evaluate compositional purity in both painting and emerging photographic practices.

Visual Arts and Design

In Painting and Drawing

In painting and drawing, monochrome techniques employ a single hue or limited tonal range to prioritize form, volume, and emotional depth over chromatic variety. Grisaille, derived from the French word for gray, involves rendering subjects in shades of gray to simulate the illusion of sculpture or three-dimensionality, often using oil or tempera on panel. This method creates stark contrasts through chiaroscuro—the dramatic interplay of light and shadow within the monochrome palette—to model contours and textures with precision. Similarly, ink wash techniques, such as Japanese suibokuga, apply diluted ink or pigment to build subtle gradations and atmospheric effects, emphasizing composition through layered transparency. These approaches strip away color distractions, allowing artists to focus on the essence of shape and light. Historically, monochrome flourished in 15th-century Flemish art, where panels adorned exteriors to evoke stone carvings when closed, enhancing the devotional experience. Jan van Eyck's Annunciation Diptych (c. 1433–1435) exemplifies this, depicting the Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary in white figures against a black ground, with inscriptions from the Gospel of Luke underscoring the sacred narrative through tonal subtlety rather than vivid hues. In the , advanced monochrome in his Suprematist works, such as White on White (1918), where a slightly tilted white square on a white canvas explores infinite space and pure sensation, rejecting representational art in favor of amid post-Revolutionary utopian ideals. These examples illustrate monochrome's evolution from illusionistic aids to radical explorations of perception. Artists adopt monochrome to heighten , texture, and composition, fostering a sense of unity and spiritual purity by reducing visual elements to essentials. In , it establishes values before glazing with color, as seen in Flemish practices, while standalone works like Malevich's convey emotional or philosophical depth through tonal nuance alone. Materials for these techniques include charcoals and inks for , which offer erasable, expressive marks ideal for studies, and pigments like ivory black—derived from charred —for , prized for its warm undertones and transparency in glazes that enhance luminosity without overpowering subtlety. This deliberate restraint not only trains the eye in observation but also amplifies the work's formal impact.

Color Schemes and Applications

In design theory, a monochrome color scheme, also known as monochromatic, employs variations of a single hue through tints (adding ), shades (adding black), and tones (adding gray) to achieve visual and cohesion. This approach fosters by limiting color choices, directing attention to form, texture, and composition rather than competing hues, thereby enhancing focus and readability in visual elements. Designers often select this scheme for its ability to create a unified aesthetic that feels calm and balanced, as the subtle gradations prevent visual overload while maintaining depth. Monochrome principles find wide application across creative fields, emphasizing elegance and intentionality. In , it is commonly used for and branding to convey and timelessness, such as in minimalist icons that rely on tonal contrasts for impact without distraction. Fashion designers leverage monochrome outfits, like all-black ensembles, to project sophistication and versatility, where varying fabrics and textures add dimension to a single color palette, as seen in runway collections from brands like and . In , monochrome manifests through single-material facades, such as the raw concrete surfaces in brutalist structures, where light and shadow generate shades that highlight structural form and create immersive spatial experiences, exemplified by Mexican projects like the . The psychological effects of monochrome schemes influence viewer by evoking specific emotions and cognitive responses. Such designs often convey and elegance, promoting a of calm and order, while darker variants like can symbolize or . Studies indicate that black-and-white imagery enhances focus on essential forms and reduces by minimizing extraneous details, aiding in low-distraction environments. Additionally, monochrome representations of natural scenes have been shown to induce relaxation and positive emotional states, though artificial monochrome settings may heighten anxiety, underscoring the scheme's contextual impact on . Contemporary branding exemplifies monochrome's enduring relevance, particularly in 21st-century . Apple's visual identity prominently features monochrome palettes in minimalist advertisements, such as its "Shot on " campaigns, which use tones to emphasize product and user creativity, reinforcing the brand's ethos of innovation through restraint. This approach has contributed to Apple's global recognition, with case studies highlighting how such schemes streamline communication and evoke premium quality across digital and print media.

Imaging and Media

In Photography

Monochrome photography, which captures images in rather than color, originated with early processes like the , invented by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre in 1839 and publicly announced that year as the first practical photographic method, producing detailed positive images on silver-plated sheets sensitized with iodine vapor. These early monochrome images were inherently black-and-white due to the chemistry, which formed a exposed to light and developed into visible metallic silver grains. In the 1930s, and Fred Archer developed the , a method for precise exposure and development control in black-and-white film , dividing the tonal range into 11 zones from pure black (Zone 0) to pure white (Zone X) to achieve optimal contrast and detail visualization. Traditional black-and-white film photography relies on emulsions, where light-sensitive crystals of or suspended in capture photons to form a , which is then developed chemically to reduce exposed silver ions to metallic silver grains, producing varying densities of gray tones based on exposure intensity. Development involves immersing the exposed film in a like , followed by fixing to remove unexposed halides, resulting in a negative with tones inverted for onto paper emulsions. In digital monochrome photography, color images captured by sensors are converted to grayscale through desaturation, a process that averages the , , and channel values for each to produce neutral gray tones, effectively removing hue and saturation while preserving . This conversion is often performed non-destructively in software like , where RAW files retain full for adjustments before final output. Key techniques in monochrome photography enhance tonal contrast and structure. Color filters, placed over the lens during exposure, alter the relative of different colors in black-and-white film; for instance, a red filter (such as a #25) blocks and , darkening skies and foliage while lightening reds and skin tones, thereby increasing dramatic separation and overall contrast. and , originating in analog darkrooms, involve selectively blocking or adding during printing to lighten () or darken () specific areas, respectively; in digital workflows, these are replicated using layer masks and adjustment tools to refine highlights, shadows, and midtones without affecting the entire image. Aesthetically, monochrome photography emphasizes texture, form, and emotional depth by eliminating color distractions, allowing viewers to focus on , shadow, and composition for a sense of timelessness and introspection, as seen in works highlighting surface details like weathered stone or fabric folds. In the digital era, processing RAW files enables advanced tonal mapping and selective channel mixing (e.g., boosting the red channel for skin smoothness), extending the Zone System's principles to achieve nuanced renditions beyond traditional film's limitations.

In Film and Cinema

Monochrome dominated the silent era from the 1890s to the late 1920s, with nearly all motion pictures captured in black-and-white due to the limitations of early photographic technology, which relied on orthochromatic or panchromatic emulsions sensitive primarily to grayscale tones. This period's films, spanning from pioneers like the Lumière brothers' short actualities in 1894 to feature-length epics like (1915), used high-contrast monochrome to emphasize dramatic lighting, expressive gestures, and intertitles for storytelling, as synchronized sound was absent. Techniques such as tinting—introduced in 1896—added subtle hues to the emulsion of black-and-white stock, coloring lighter areas (e.g., for day scenes or blue for night) while shadows remained black, creating a pseudo-colored effect distinct from true monochrome. Hand-coloring individual frames, as in Georges Méliès' (1902), provided localized vibrancy but was labor-intensive and rare compared to uniform tinting or toning, which altered darker regions for emotional tone. The transition to color in the 1930s marked a gradual shift, with processes like the three-strip system enabling vibrant films such as (1939), yet black-and-white persisted due to color's prohibitive costs—often triple that of monochrome production. By 1936, only 1% of global films were in color, and even into the 1940s, the genre of favored black-and-white for its signature , deep shadows, and moral ambiguity, as seen in works like The Maltese Falcon (1941) by . This endurance stemmed from economic practicality and stylistic intent, with noir's high-contrast exploiting monochrome's ability to evoke urban grit and psychological tension. In the era, black-and-white continued in genres requiring realism until color overtook it globally in 1967, when feature releases tipped to majority color for the first time. Iconic examples highlight monochrome's artistic potential in narrative cinema. ' Citizen Kane (1941), shot by , revolutionized the form through deep-focus monochrome, using wide-angle lenses and precise lighting to keep entire frames—from foreground objects to distant backgrounds—in sharp clarity, thereby layering visual information to mirror the film's nonlinear exploration of power and memory. Decades later, Steven Spielberg's (1993) revived black-and-white for historical gravity, employing selective color—most notably the red coat of a Jewish girl amid —to draw viewer attention to innocence and horror, with the film concluding in color to signify survival and remembrance. These choices underscore monochrome's role in intensifying emotional impact over visual spectacle. Culturally, black-and-white in film symbolizes and realism, denuding scenes of color to prioritize composition, texture, and human expression, a convention rooted in documentary traditions and reinforced in social realist cinema. This aesthetic evokes historical authenticity and emotional rawness, as in noir's fatalistic undertones or 's unflinching portrayal of atrocity. In modern indie revivals, directors like Pawel Pawlikowski in Ida (2013) and Michel in The Artist (2011) adopt monochrome for stylistic homage and intimacy, bypassing color's distractions to focus on character-driven stories amid contemporary production tools. This trend continued into the 2020s, with films such as David Fincher's (2020), a black-and-white biopic of screenwriter , and others like (2019) by Robert , employing monochrome to enhance period authenticity and atmospheric tension. Digital remastering has preserved and enhanced classic monochrome films since the , involving high-resolution scanning of original negatives to 4K or beyond, followed by AI-assisted cleaning of scratches, dust, and while maintaining integrity and contrast ratios. Projects like the restoration of silent-era works by the exemplify this, allowing modern audiences to experience unaltered black-and-white visuals with improved clarity, without the controversial addition of artificial color.

Physics and Optics

Monochromatic Radiation

is composed of a single or , or a very narrow band thereof, resulting in light of a single color when within the . In physical terms, it represents an idealization where all photons share the same , corresponding to a precise transition between quantum states. For example, the helium-neon produces at a of 632.8 nm in the red portion of the . Key properties of monochromatic radiation include its narrow spectral linewidth, which quantifies the range of wavelengths present, often on the order of picometers or less for high-quality sources, and its potential for high coherence. Coherence arises from the phase relationship between waves, enabling phenomena like stable interference patterns over extended distances; temporal coherence relates to the monochromatic nature, while spatial coherence pertains to uniformity across the beam. In contrast, broadband sources like emit across a wide of wavelengths, lacking this uniformity and coherence. Monochromatic radiation can be produced through several methods, including in lasers, where in a gain medium amplifies at a specific . Atomic emissions from excited gases also yield narrow lines, such as the sodium D-line doublet at approximately 589 nm (specifically 588.995 nm and 589.592 nm), resulting from electron transitions in sodium atoms. Additionally, optical filters, like interference filters, can isolate a narrow band from broader sources by constructive interference at the desired . The fundamental wave properties of are governed by the relation between λ\lambda, ff, and the cc in : c=fλc = f \lambda This derives from the general wave relation v=fλv = f \lambda, where vv is the wave speed; for electromagnetic waves in , yield the wave ∇2E=1c2∂2E∂t2\nabla^2 \mathbf{E} = \frac{1}{c^2} \frac{\partial^2 \mathbf{E}}{\partial t^2}, with c=1μ0ϵ0c = \frac{1}{\sqrt{\mu_0 \epsilon_0}}
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