Viridian

Transparent watercolor pigment invented in the 19th century, a cool verdant green

HEX#40826D

RGBrgb(64, 130, 109)

HSLhsl(161, 34%, 38%)

HSVhsv(161, 51%, 51%)

CMYKcmyk(51%, 0%, 16%, 49%)

HEXA#40826DFF

RGBArgba(64, 130, 109, 1)

HSLAhsla(161, 34%, 38%, 1)

OKLCHoklch(75.8%, 0.058, 176)

LCHlch(72.8%, 26.3, 186)

🎨 Color Palettes

Analogous2-3 adjacent hues (≤60°)

Triadic3 hues spaced 120° apart

Split ComplementaryMain color + colors adjacent to its complement

Complementary2 hues spaced 180° apart

Tetradic (Rectangle)4 hues forming a rectangle

MonochromaticSingle hue with varying saturation and lightness

♿ WCAG Contrast Colors

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Aa14px Body

High Contrast Text

#FFFFFFRatio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for body text, headings, and primary content, ensuring readability for all users

Aa14px Body

Standard Text

#FFFFFFRatio 4.5:1AA

Suitable for regular body content, meeting WCAG AA standards

Aa14px Body

Large Text / UI Components

#C8D1E4Ratio 3:1AA Large

Suitable for large text (≥18px bold or ≥24px), icons, UI component boundaries

Aa14px Body

Decorative / Dividers

#C19FD0Ratio 2:1Fail

Suitable for decorative elements, dividers, non-essential text

📊 Color Scales

Online Color Picker → Gradient Generator →

Lightness VariationFixed hue and saturation, stepwise lightness adjustment ±30%

#11221D

#1E3E34

#2F6050

#40826D

#51A48A

#6FB8A1

#92C9B8

Saturation VariationFixed hue and lightness, stepwise saturation adjustment ±30%

#576B64

#536E66

#4A7869

#40826D

#368C71

#2D9574

#239F78

Lightness + Saturation Mixed VariationSimultaneous lightness and saturation adjustment

#212C28

#2B4039

#375D51

#407D69

#479E83

#52BC9A

#6ACDAE

Hue Fine-TuningFixed saturation and lightness, stepwise hue fine-tuning ±15°

#40825D

#408262

#408267

#40826D

#408272

#408278

#40827D

💡 Use Cases

🎨

Watercolor Landscape

Viridian is an essential pigment for watercolorists depicting deep water and tree clusters; layered transparently, the effect is limpid and profound.

🖼️

Impressionist Copying

When copying works by Monet and Cézanne, Viridian is a key pigment for restoring the Impressionist play of light and color construction.

📷

Fashion Photography

Viridian backgrounds or props inject a cool, high-class literary temperament into fashion editorials.

🧴

Perfume Packaging

Niche salon perfumes use Viridian bottles to convey cool, mysterious associations with Oriental and woody fragrance notes.

📜 Origin & History

Viridian is a product of the 19th-century Industrial Revolution. In 1838, French chemist Pannetier first synthesized hydrated chromium oxide in Paris, creating this unprecedented transparent verdant green pigment.

By the 1850s, Viridian quickly replaced the toxic Emerald Green pigment, becoming the new favorite of painters. Its excellent lightfastness and transparency opened up new color possibilities for oil and watercolor painting.

The Impressionist painters were particularly fond of Viridian. Monet used Viridian in his Giverny garden series to capture the depth and transparency of the lily pond. Cézanne also used Viridian to build the geometric structure of Mont Sainte-Victoire.

The English watercolor school pushed Viridian's expressive potential to its limits. In Turner's late seascapes, Viridian intertwined with cadmium yellow to create the eerie hues of pre-storm skies.

Into the 20th century and today, Viridian remains a standard color in artists' paintboxes. Its cool, transparent qualities continue to be explored and utilized in contemporary watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting.

🧠 Color Psychology

CoolnessViridian carries a blue-toned coolness, like mist among winter pines, bringing a crisp, alert psychological sensation.

TransparencyLike the transparent quality of watercolor pigment, Viridian evokes clear, crystalline visual associations, with thoughts becoming correspondingly lucid.

RationalityAs a chemically synthesized modern pigment, Viridian carries a laboratory-like rational quality, calm and restrained.

ProfundityWith depth within its transparency, Viridian, like a deep pool, invites exploration, a catalyst for intellect and contemplation.

RestrainedViridian does not agitate or warm; it excels through cool elegance, a gentlemanly color.

PrecisionThe pure, synthesized hue without impurities gives Viridian a sense of exacting order and certainty.

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