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Claim offerInspiration in the color azure.
Learn the history and meaning of the color azure, the bright blue of paradise.
Get inspired with azure design templates.
The color azure gives projects a sense of calm as palpable as the clear blue sky.
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How to use the color azure.
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Azure color in language.
The stone azurite (namesake of “azure”) inspired the color name for “blue” in many languages. In many Romance languages, all other blues are shades of azure. In French and Romanian, the word for blue is azur; in Italian, azzurro; in Spanish, azul; and in Catalan, atzur. Polish and Hungarian were inspired by the azurite stone, too, with their words for blue (lazur and azúr, respectively).
Comparing the color azure with indigo and cyan.
Azure color is sometimes compared with indigo, but indigo is much deeper and has traces of violet that azure does not. And while azure is bold and bright, it’s not as bright as cyan.
Tap into the psychology of azure color.
The color azure brings the best of the color blue. Because of its rich but light hue, azure color evokes pure tranquility. Azure can also represent confidence and responsibility because of its ties to calmness. The color azure is a popular choice in branding for investment and banking companies because of these qualities. When overused, azure color can be associated with coldness and depression.
Combine azure with other colors.
The color azure pairs easily with white. For a more attention-grabbing combination, set azure color next to shades of pink. Orange is opposite of azure on the color wheel, so play with shades of orange to bring a palette to life. Set azure color next to other shades of blue for a deeply tranquil look.
Information about azure color.
The azure HEX code picker is #0080FF. This is the bright blue of a clear sky, or of warm ocean waters rushing over your feet.
The color azure can be achieved in a RGB space with 0 red, 128 green, and 255 blue. Azure color can be achieved in a CMYK color space with 100% cyan, 50% magenta, 0% yellow, and 0% black.
What is the meaning of the color azure?
Azure color can be found in the clear blue sky contrasted against the rich green tree line. The color azure might also be found in relaxing ocean waves. On the Mediterranean coast of France, Côte d’Azur (“Azure Coast”) is the nickname for the French Riviera. Most commonly associated with scenes of paradise, azure color is a light but rich blue that evokes feelings of relaxation.
The color azure is light and bright with a clear influence from the color cyan, while maintaining the tranquility of true blue.
The history of azure color.
The color azure’s namesake.
Azure color was first made by grinding azurite, a natural stone. Azurite pigment production dates back to Ancient Egypt and continued through the Renaissance. Azure color production was laborious, but it was still easier and cheaper than creating ultramarine blue, which was more expensive than gold. Azure color pigment processing was temperamental, though, and could lead to “off” hues from green to gray. When done right, azure color was the most permanent pigment known.
Azure color and ultramarine blue.
Azure is a lighter blue, but its resilience to time made some azure color pigments look like the deeper ultramarine blue in old paintings studied in the modern era. The two colors are commonly mislabeled in art academia. Often, both pigments were used in paintings because azure color was more affordable. The prized ultramarine, the richer blue of the two, was saved for use in glazes.
The color azure in the 20th century.
Azure color has continued to inspire in art, science, and more in the 20th century. In 1966, Ken Nordine’s album “Colors” featured a song called “Azures.” A long list of birds and insects have the color azure in their names, too, like the azure jay and the azure-winged magpie. The United Nations uses what they call “United Nations Azure” in their flag and in the famed blue berets. Even an exoplanet (HD 189733b, identified in 2005) is considered azure color.
The color azure across different cultures.
Azure color in the East.
The Azure Dragon, a constellation, is one of Chinese mythology’s “Four Symbols of the Chinese.” It’s sometimes called the Azure Dragon of the East. In Korea, the color azure represents the east and also springtime.
The color azure in Italy.
Many romance languages refer to azure as a basic color, just like English speakers would think of blue. In Italian, the word for blue is azzurro. In the House of Savoy, the color azure was so prominent that it was called azzurro Savoia. This national affinity for the color azure is why the Italian soccer jersey is azure color, giving the team the nickname the Azzurri. Even the state police don the color azure in their uniforms.
Azure color in heraldry.
Heraldry, the design and study of armory, favored the color azure because of the pigment’s long-lasting fidelity to its hue. When heraldry is studied today, azure color pigment is seen denoted in tiny engravings that figure as a series of parallel horizontal lines or by the abbreviation “az.”