Light blue


Light blue is a color or range of colors, typically a lightened shade with a hue between cyan and blue.
The first use of "light blue" as a color term in English is in the year 1915.
In Russian and some other languages, there is no single word for blue, but rather different words for light blue and dark blue. The Ancient Greek word for a light blue, glaukos, also could mean light green, gray, or yellow.
In Modern Hebrew, light blue, tchelet is differentiated from blue, kachol. In Modern Greek, light blue, galazio is also differentiated from blue, ble.

Variations

Light blue (Literal interpretation)

This shade is a literal light blue, or in other words, a simple combination of blue and white. It has the same hue as blue with less saturation in HSV or more lightness in HSL. The specific hex color #8080FF is also commonly used in 3D computer graphics as the base color for Normal mapping, in which it typically represents the smooth areas of the surface.

Light blue (Crayola)

Displayed at the right is the color that is called "light blue" in Crayola crayons. It was only available in 1958. Contrary to its title, it is technically a shade of cyan due to its hue of 180°.

Light blue (RYB)

Displayed at the right is the color that is called "light blue" in the RYB color model. It is a mixture of blue and white.

Light blue in human culture

Cartography
  • In historical atlases published in Germany, light blue is traditionally used as a color to represent Germany, as opposed to pink for England, purple for France, and light green for Russia.
Heraldry and flags
Gender
Interior design
  • The color light blue is commonly regarded as calming and relaxing. Because of this, it is sometimes used to paint hospital rooms.
  • Since the color light blue reminds many people of water, light blue is a popular color for painting bathrooms or for porcelain bathroom fixtures.
School colors
Religion
  • In Hinduism, Shiva, the Destroyer, is depicted in light blue tones and is called neela kantha, or blue-throated, for having swallowed poison in an attempt to turn the tide of a battle between the gods and demons in the gods' favor.
  • In Christianity, light blue represents the sin of sloth.
Sexuality
  • In Russian, light blue refers to gay men.
Other