I’ve been writing a lot lately – much more than usual – trying to meet my obligations. During my recent experience, I had a bit of trouble with my characters. I ran out of ways to describe them. I’m not talking about the “she had long hair” or “he was six feet tall” types of descriptions. I’m talking about the color. I can’t use “black” all the time. I’ve used chocolate, golden, cafe-au-lait, charcoal, bronze, cinnamon, dark-skinned, light-skinned, yellow, bright as the sun, etc. I began thinking about the novels I’ve read and began to wonder why I have to describe skin color at all. I mean, is it really necessary? Hell yeah! And just because I answered my own question doesn’t mean I’m crazy…at least not totally.
Now, I realize color coding isn’t limited to novels featuring black characters, although I would argue that we tend to rely on it more. In our race-saturated society, maybe we need that in our novels to help us visualize the characters. What happens when your color codes run dry? Is it time to break out the kids’ Crayola Crayon box? Dang it, I need more words to describe my brothers and sisters!
So, I’ve taken the first step. I’ve admitted I have MAD (major adjective disorder). And let me delve a bit deeper…we have to use different adjectives for black males and females. I mean, a cinnamon colored brother doesn’t sound that interesting to me, but a bronze brother – I like that. But sometimes I get confused. Is it okay for a man to be caramel-colored?
I’ve read books with adjectives l don’t like at all. For example, I don’t like a man or women described as “beige.” That color makes me think of paint or Dockers. Other adjectives make me have to break out the dictionary (which I don’t mind at all). Recently, I read a book in which a woman was described as umber-brown. I hate to admit it, but I didn’t know what umber meant. With the great assistance of wikipedia, I discovered that umber is “a dark brown pigment.” Damn, I like that one, is it okay to use it?
Well, I decided to get some help from the Internet for my color codes. I’ll share some of my favorites or most interesting:
(1) Woody complexion (I would say for males only, but then, does this mean he’s stiff too?).
(2) Sienna (yellowish or reddish brown and perfect for the ladies, oh, and it is the name of a Crayola Crayon 
).
(3) Wheat (What the @#!$, Interesting, but I wouldn’t use this one).
(4) Brown ocher (I don’t know if I would use this, but I saw “ocher” and wanted to know what it was. It’s an earth pigment described as “a warm medium brown like milk chocolate”).
(5) Sable (a dark, somewhat brownish black. I really like it).
Well, from my research, I learned a few things. Most important, I learned there aren’t a lot of names for different shades of brown out there. I also learned that I don’t have to always rely on literature to find great adjectives. I had a fascinating time learning about color (and adjectives) at sites like www.behr.com. Paint companies really come up with some great stuff. I don’t think I have to reinvent the wheel, and I definitely don’t want to use terms that will make my readers go “HUH?”, but I think it’s good to mix it up sometimes.
Yes, I still have MAD, but I’m dealing with it. And hopefully, with practice, I’ll be able to describe my characters in perfect color.
Funny you should be subjective to this malady, Dakota, as I've often wondered myself why we are so hung up on color, and all of the ill-will that precipitates it. What would this world be if mankind perceived merit based on parity without anything that would prejudge what was seen on the surface, and that your worth wouldn't be definitive of competence?
Imagine if there were no imagery for color adjectives to be what it is now in how we are perceived in the minds of those that took MAD to other levels of MUD — Misplaced Urgency to Deceive! Suffice it to say, using colors to be descriptive to analyze is here to stay, but for whatever it's worth, just call me Black!
Great post, Dakota! I'm always trying to think of more descriptive ways to decribe my characters, ways that really highlight the beautiful shades of brown that black folk embody. You've got some good ones here!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
I thought it was only me that thought like that.
Blessings D for saying what others don't say. Love it!
I've had this trouble as well. Once I said my character's skin color was light with too much cream.
I need all the help i get can!
Dakota
Right on , I have pondered that myself, what does light skinned, or dark skinned describe..we sometimes have to use colors, it's so funny it's like makeup, Revlon thinks I am caramel, Black Opal says I am nutmeg and Iman declares I am Clay #2 LOL, so I have started perusing the makeup aisles when I'm looking for a color for my characters…
Great Post…
angelia
http://acvermen.blogspot.com
I've been doing hair color down at CVS just slowly walking down the aisle and writing down the color's there.
i've been also going over to the white hair coloring that do brown shades and that's been helpful as well.
i'm tempted to do the crayola and send them an email telling them to list every brown they've ever made.
I;m so tired of saying caramel.
I found this on Wikipedia when you type in brown
Shades of Brown Color Comparison Chart
Bittersweet (Crayola) (Hex: #FE6F5E) (RGB: 254, 111, 94)
Burnt Sienna (Hex: #E97451) (RGB: 233, 116, 81)
Ochre (Hex: #CC7722) (RGB: 204, 119, 34)
Copper (Hex: #B87333) (RGB: 184, 115, 51)
Sandy Taupe (Hex: #967117) (RGB: 150, 113, 23)
Pale Brown (Hex: #987654) (RGB: 152, 118, 54)
Burnt Orange (Hex: #CC5500) (RGB: 204, 85, 0)
Mahogany (Hex: #C04000) (RGB: 192, 64, 0)
BROWN (Hex: #964B00) (RGB: 150, 75, 0)
Rust (Hex: #64417) (RGB: 183, 65, 14)
Russet (Hex: #804618) (RGB: 128, 70, 27)
Burnt Umber (Hex: #8A3324) (RGB: 138, 51, 36)
Burgundy (Hex: #900020) (RGB: 144, 0, 32)
Maroon (Hex: #800000) (RGB: 128, 0, 0)
Auburn (Hex: #712F26) (RGB: 113, 47, 38)
Raw Umber (Hex: #734A12) (RGB: 115, 74, 18)
Pullman Brown (UPS Brown) (Hex: #64417) (RGB: 100, 65, 23)
Sepia (Hex: #734212) (RGB: 112, 66, 20)
Bole (Hex: #79443B) (RGB: 121, 68, 59)
Medium Taupe (Hex: #674C47) (RGB: 103, 76, 21)
Taupe (Hex: #483C32) (RGB: 72, 60, 50)
Liver (Hex: #534B4F) (RGB: 83, 75, 79)
Bistre (Hex: #3D2B1F) (RGB: 61, 43, 31)
Seal Brown (Hex: #321414) (RGB: 50, 20, 20)
Alvin, I definitely feel you. I wish we did live in the world where color wasn't an issue. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Hopefully, one day we can cross the great color-coded mountain and just be known as human beings.
Gwyneth, thanks a lot. It gets hard sometimes, doesn't it? Oh, I saw your book in Wal-Mart the other day! Yeah! I'm going to buy it this weekend!!!!
Sylvia, LOL! I do what I can, sis!
Angelia, thanks for adding to the mix! I'm feeling the nutmeg, but I don't know about clay. But I'll definitely check out the makeup selection next time I go to the store. One thing about using them is that our woman readers may be more familiar with those adjectives.
Interesting subject, Dakota. I once used "skin the color of gourmet dark honey" to describe a man.
Describing skin color is done to paint a picture of a character, to really make him/her come alive on the page. We're blessed to be a rich palette of people! Although the social/political/culture baggage of the way color has been misused should definitely go away, we don't have to confuse that with creating vibrant fiction IMO.
Very good point – I discovered a very similar dilemma, running out of adjectives for black men, I believe I have exhausted them all.
Dakota, good post. I definitely feel you on this and from the other comments, some of the rest of us understand your dilemma as well. I think when it comes to 'our people' that we must describe them because our race of people is very diverse. We are basically the only race of people that has been given an array of beautiful, majestic colors! Goes to show you just how unique and wonderful a people we are!
Great post. I actaully started a book of words (adjectives) for my writing.
Cool, Dakota! I was in Borders today and they had five copies of Sola. Now they have four. I got mine and can't wait until the semester is over so I can read it.
Dakota,
Thanks for MAD 101! You had me laughing as I pondered what can become a writer's stumbling block.
Jade Alex
http://www.jadealex.com
Lord, have mercy! And here I was thinking that inspiration from my Crayola box of 64 crayons would be enough!
Glad I'm not the only one with MAD. I looked back over my last mss and I swear everyone was either cinnamon, caramel or brown sugar. I'm definitely going to use a few you posted and research more. I write YA so I think terms like Ocher and Umber are bit…ummm…high brow? LOL
This reminds me of my days writing instructional copy for craft books. My copy chief declared that we couldn't use food as color descriptors. No more cream, plum or chocolate. I discovered then that the J.Crew catalogue was a great resource for color names. I still use them today.
Lynn, what the name of that book? That man sounds delicious!
akai, I'm feeling you on that.
Shelia, aren't we blessed!
Writerwritz, that's a good idea. I might have to use that one to make sure I'm not using an adjective too many times.
Gwyneth, YEAH!!!! I hope you enjoy it.
This post, however off-topic it may be, is about Internet freedom. \"Network Neutrality\" — the First Amendment of the Internet — ensures that the public can view the smallest blog just as easily as the largest corporate Web site by preventing Internet companies like AT&T from rigging the playing field for only the highest-paying sites.
But Internet providers like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast are spending millions of dollars lobbying Congress to gut Net Neutrality. If Congress doesn\'t take action now to implement meaningful Net Neutrality provisions, the future of the Internet is at risk.
In the end game, only large companies will afford domains if the communications monopolies have their way with this. This of course isnt new news, but its coming to a head and blogs like this one will be a ghosttown unless all of us figure it our pretty darn quick. I wont post any links, but advise that if you value the internet, and blogs likw this one, that you search Google for \"Network Neutrality\" and educate yourself on this issue as it effects all of us.
I was looking for the hex code for a "chocolate brown" for a website I am going to design for a friend who just opened a macrobiotic restaurant in Tokyo and your very interesting blog came up on Google.
Just a quick comment about skin color and "race." it seems to me that throughout history people have used skin color mostly to oppress people of a different skin color. The association of any skin color with superiority or inferiority has to be political. When you think about it, it is a totally ridiculous idea. I wonder how it took hold in the world.
My favorite ridiculous story in this context is about how the South African apartheid government treated Japanese business people living in South Africa. S.A. needed them for economic reasons, but they were at a loss as to how to fit them into the byzantine color coding they laid on people. They finally ended up classifying them as "honorary whites." Somewhat insulting when you think about it, but this just points up just how absurd the whole association between worth and skin color is. And while I'm on the subject, since I live in Japan, I have never seen a "yellow"-skinned Japanese. Many Japanese people have alabaster white skin, much whiter than "white" peope, most of whom are really "pink," as Steve Biko aptly pointed out to his trial judge in South Africa, much to the judge's consternation.