Electric blue (color)

Electric blue is a color whose definition varies but is often considered close to cyan, and which is a representation of the color of lightning, an electric spark, and the color of ionized argon gas; it was originally named after the ionized air glow produced during electrical discharges, though its meaning has broadened to include shades of blue that are metaphorically "electric" by virtue of being "intense" or particularly "vibrant". Electric arcs can cause a variety of color emissions depending on the gases involved, but blue and purple are typical colors produced in the troposphere where oxygen and nitrogen dominate.

Electric blue
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#7DF9FF
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(125, 249, 255)
HSV (h, s, v)	(183°, 51%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(91, 55, 197°)
Source	[Unsourced]
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Brilliant bluish green
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The first recorded use of electric blue as a color name in English was in 1845.^[1][2] The color electric blue (the version shown below as medium electric blue) was in vogue in the 1890s.^[3]

Variations of electric blue

Deep electric blue (French electric blue)

Electric Blue
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#2C75FF
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(44, 117, 255)
HSV (h, s, v)	(219°, 83%, 100%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(52, 120, 259°)
Source	Pourpre.com
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Vivid blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The deep tone of electric blue displayed adjacent is the color called bleu électrique in the Pourpre.com color list, a color list widely popular in France.^{[citation needed]}

Iridescent electric blue

Iridescent electric blue
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#3137FD
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(49, 55, 253)
HSV (h, s, v)	(238°, 81%, 99%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(39, 133, 266°)
Source	www.art-paints.com
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Vivid blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

This shade of electric blue reflects the kind which is only metaphorically "electric". Its iridescence is also metaphoric.

Medium electric blue

Medium Electric Blue
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#035096
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(3, 80, 150)
HSV (h, s, v)	(209°, 98%, 59%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(34, 64, 253°)
Source	Maerz and Paul[4]
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Deep blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

The color displayed adjacent, titled medium electric blue, is the electric blue which "had an immense vogue in the latter 19th century".^[3] Its source is a textile sample from the 1890s.^[5][6]

Today, this tone remains typical of "electric blue" fabrics in the mass market.

Dark electric blue

Dark Electric Blue
Color coordinates
Hex triplet	#536878
sRGBB (r, g, b)	(83, 104, 120)
HSV (h, s, v)	(206°, 31%, 47%)
CIELChuv (L, C, h)	(43, 19, 234°)
Source	ISCC-NBS
ISCC–NBS descriptor	Grayish blue
B: Normalized to [0–255] (byte)

Dark electric blue is a dark cyan color that is the color called electric blue, formalized as a color in the ISCC–NBS system in 1955.^[7]

The normalized color coordinates for dark electric blue are identical to Payne's grey, which was first recorded as a color name in English in 1835.^[8]

In nature

Crustaceans

The electric blue crayfish is a species of freshwater crayfish endemic to Florida.

Reptiles

The electric blue gecko was first discovered by biologist William in the 1950s.^[9]

In the arts

Literature

Miss. Hunter, in the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches", was required to wear an electric blue dress. It first published in the UK in The Strand Magazine, in June 1892.

Comics

In a 1998 retelling of the original 1963 story of Superman Red/Superman Blue, Superman is temporarily deprived of the solar energy which his body needs. To compensate, he harnesses electricity.^[10] This eventually forces him to adopt a blue and white suit to prevent the energy from dispersing. He retained most of his abilities but lost his heat-vision and used electric attacks instead. Some fans refer to this version of Superman as "Electric Blue Superman".^[11]

Music

David Bowie's song "Sound and Vision" references the color in the third verse,

  Blue, blue, electric blue
  That's the color of my room
  Where I will live
  Blue, blue

The new wave band Icehouse had a hit single in 1987 titled "Electric Blue".

Other uses

The color electric blue is associated with the astrological sign of Aquarius.^[12]

See also

• List of colors
• Electric indigo

References

1. Joseph Hall Wright (1845). Ocean-work, Ancient and Modern: Or, Evenings on Sea and Land. D. Appleton. p. 163. electric blue.
2. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, p.194; Color Sample of Electric Blue [fabric 1890s]: Page 97 Plate 37 Color Sample I7
3. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, p.156 Discussion of the color Electric Blue
4. The color displayed in the color box above matches the color called electric blue in the 1930 book by Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill; the color electric blue is displayed on page 97, Plate 37, Color Sample I7.
5. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, Color Sample of Electric Blue [fabric 1890s]: Page 97 Plate 37 Color Sample I7
6. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill, p.194 Name of the color "electric blue" in the index is marked with a "T", which means it is from a textile sample
7. "ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names (1955)--Color Sample of electric blue (color sample #186)". tx4.us. Archived from the original on 2012-11-22.
8. Maerz and Paul A Dictionary of Color New York:1930 McGraw-Hill Page 201; Colour Sample of Payne's Grey: Page 117 Plate 47 Colour Sample A9
9. "Lygodactylus williamsi". reptile-care.de.
10. Superman (vol. 2) #122 (April 1997)
11. "Electric Blue Superman???". forums.comicbookresources.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-14. Retrieved 2012-03-24.
12. Parker, Derek and Julia Aquarius (Part of the Planetary Zodiac Library) New York:1972 A Mitchell Beazley/Ballantine Book Page 14