My novel features an artist. As such there are many descriptions of colors, paintings, and art. Here is my multi-purpose list of colors, gleaned from HTML color names, stones, jewels, flowers, foods, and pigments/paints. See the expanded list with hexadecimal swatches here.
Basic colors:
- black
- blue
- brown
- gray
- green
- orange
- pink
- purple
- red
- white
- yellow
Shades of black:
- dark of the moon
- charcoal
- coal black
- ebony
- graphite
- gunmetal
- ivory black
- mars black
- obsidian
- payne’s gray
- smoke
- slate gray
- steel
Shades of blue/purple:
- aubergine
- amethyst
- azure
- baby blue
- cerulean
- cobalt
- coral
- cornflower blue
- cyan
- blue topaz
- denim
- eggplant
- hyacynth
- indigo
- jade
- lapis lazuli
- lavender
- midnight blue
- navy blue
- palatinate blue
- peacock blue
- periwinkle
- plum
- powder blue
- pthalo blue
- robin’s egg blue
- royal blue
- sapphire
- sky blue
- slate blue
- steel blue
- ultramarine
- violet
Shades of brown:
- almond
- amber
- beige
- bourbon
- burnt sienna
- burnt umber
- chestnut
- chocolate
- cocoa
- coffee
- cognac
- copper
- dirty
- eggshell
- flesh
- hazel
- hazelnut
- leather
- mink
- oatmeal
- raw sienna
- russet
- sandy
- tan
- taupe
- tawny
- tea
- walnut
- whiskey
Shades of green:
- aqua
- aquamarine
- army green
- beryl
- chartreuse
- emerald
- forest green
- grass green
- jade
- lime
- olive
- patina
- pear
- teal
- turquoise
Shades of pink:
- amarinth
- cerise
- hot pink
- fuchsia
- peach
- magenta
- mauve
- orchid
- rose
Shades of red:
- apple
- alizarin crimson
- blood red
- brick red
- burgundy
- cadmium red
- crimson
- fire engine red
- maroon
- perylene
- pyrrole
- quinacridone
- rouge
- ruby
- rust
- scarlet
- vermillion
Shades of white:
- alabaster
- cream
- diamond
- fingernail
- ivory
- lace
- milk
- pearl
- silver
- titanium
- tooth
- whites of the eye
Shades of yellow:
- antimony
- cadmium
- champagne
- cornsilk
- gold
- goldenrod
- lemon
- ochre
- titanate
- tooth
Color modifiers:
- cloudy
- hazy
- milky
- neon
- opaque
- stained glass
- translucent
- transparent
In response to daily prompt Opaque.
Kristen Ankiewicz 
I’m fascinated with the many shades of black and pink. They open up opportunities for color that are beyond basic, the subtle nuances allow for greater color play.
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I am pleased with this list 🙂
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