Achromatic is associated with the absence of color.
Achromatic is an adjective that can be applied in different areas. The notion refers to that which lacks color , as opposed to that which is chromatic. In this context, black and white are usually described as achromatic tones.
White has no darkness and has the maximum level of lightness. Black , on the other hand, is composed in the opposite way (without lightness and with the maximum possible darkness). That is why both colors are achromatic.
The achromatic in optics
In the field of optics , the term refers to the system or material that is capable of achieving the transmission of white light without it being decomposed into the colors that constitute it . In other words: an achromatic system does not decompose white light when it passes through it.
This operation is possible since the system manages to divert the light so that all its constituent colors focus on a single point. The result, in the lenses, is obtaining a high definition image.
A type of color blindness
Achromatic color blindness is a vision disorder that causes a person to see in black and white. These subjects, due to neurological reasons or because they lack the necessary sensory cells, are not able to distinguish colors. At a statistical level, it is estimated that this type of color blindness occurs in one in every 100,000 people .
In general terms, color blindness is a genetic alteration that affects the ability to distinguish colors. The mathematician and chemist responsible for its discovery was called John Dalton, and from there the name of this disorder arose. It is important to highlight that there are several types of color blindness, in addition to the one discussed in the previous paragraph, and that not all are so serious as to prevent the perception of any color, since some focus on shades of red and green, for example.
Achromatic art appeals to black and white.
achromatic spindle
In the field of biology , meanwhile, the adjective achromatic is used to describe the organelle of cells that is not stained by the usual dyes .
The achromatic spindle, in this framework, is a group of microtubules that, during meiosis or mitosis, arise from the centrioles and reach the centromeres .
The notion in the plastic arts
As expected, we also find this concept in the plastic arts, where the application of color is usually one of the fundamental steps for the creation of works. In this case we speak of achromatic art or achromatism in art , to refer to paintings that only include white, black and some shades of gray.
Achromatic art is very popular, attracting both connoisseurs of the subject and the general public. For an artist, composing a work using simply white, black and gray can be a great challenge from an expressive point of view, especially if you want to paint a cheerful painting or a scene in which a large number of different colors would normally be seen.
On the other hand, thanks to the absence of color, an achromatic painting can generate a greater impact on the observer, and this is one of the reasons why this type of art generates such a particular attraction in the public. Its scope is very broad, since achromatism in art is used both in paintings and in the field of decoration, cinema and even video games.
It is important not to confuse achromatic art with monochromatic art, which can be seen in works for which artists use a single color and play with its properties, such as saturation , to distinguish each object in the scene.