History Main / StockObjectColors

* Diamonds in fiction are almost always depicted as the standard white/clear color. In reality, they come in a wide variety of colors, and the colored kinds are often ''more'' valuable than the clear kind. Part of this may be RuleOfPerception: people might mistake the diamond for something else if its a differnt color.

This association with the color orange and carrots is NewerThanTheyThink, as the common orange carrots in the Western world were only bred that color a few centuries ago by farmers in the Netherlands, out of patriotic reverence for the House of Orange-Nassau. Before this, most carrots in the West were actually [[PurpleIsTheNewTrope purple]]. No, ''really'', carrots used to be ''[[http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=purple%20carrot&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=986&bih=680 purple]]''. [[http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carrots_of_many_colors.jpg And carrots come in other colors, like yellow, red, purplish red, and white]].

In RealLife, grapes can be blackened dark blue, yellow-green, red violet, and red, but in fiction, they're purple because purple is the color grapes are associated with (as well as being the color of)Cabernet Sauvignon, the stereotypical red wine people always imagine. Green might be used, but it would give the impression the grapes are underripe.

In RealLife, grapes can be blackened dark blue, yellow-green, red violet, and red, but in fiction, they're purple because purple is the color grapes are associated with (as well as being the color of Cabernet Sauvignon, the stereotypical red wine people always imagine). Green might be used, but it would give the impression the grapes are underripe.

As a side note, just because water is green or brown doesn't necessarily mean it's polluted: water could be green from algae or brown from mud or silt.

This even extends to the fossilized bones of extinct dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, despite the fact that [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology fossils are remains turned to rock]]. Consequently, the skeletons of prehistoric animals in museums will also be white as well, since people tend to forget that fossils on display are actually replicas of the real fossils (kept in collections since most of them are fragile). This may be starting to wane somewhat as more modern depictions of fossils show them with a dark gray-brown or black color more reflective of their real-life counterparts.

Subtrope of RealityIsUnrealistic. The color version of TheCoconutEffect. For animals, see StockAnimalColors.

The night sky is almost always depicted as solid black in cartoons and comics, while in reality it's usually a really dark blue, due to the stars and moon (if it's out) providing at least some light.

Bones will usually be colored white, which is somewhat realistic as bones tend to be white or yellowish-white due to the high amount of calcium.

This even extends to the fossilized bones of extinct dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, despite the fact that [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology fossils are remains turned to rock]]. Consequently, the skeletons of prehistoric animals in museums will also be white as well, since people tend to forget that fossils on display are actually replicas of the real fossils (kept in collections since most of them are fragile).

Black people in fiction are always milk-chocolate brown, or even mahogany red. In real life, people who self-identify as 'black' can vary in color from pale (beige) to very dark (seal-brown) but this range is rarely depicted. Aboriginals of Australia and East Indians have skin tones with a similar shade variety but they are also exemplified by a middle shade of brown or reddish Brown. Giving a character a top square [[StarbucksSkinScale "Starbucks"]] complexion, meanwhile, may make their ethicity ambiguous (light black, dark white, or beige Asian).

In real life, the urine of a healthy, properly hydrated person is usually a very pale yellow; almost clear. Darker yellow urine typically means the person is not getting their recommended daily water intake, as water dilutes the yellow pigments in urine. However, if it's ''completely'' clear, you may be drinking too much. People with darker yellow urine, and there are many of them because of the large number of people who don't like drinking water (though to stay hydrated, any liquid will do, from hot chocolate to guava juice, but some drinks shouldn't be drunk in excess), typically assume everyone's urine is that shade of yellow, causing this misconception to persist.

Most gum in fiction will be bright pink. In reality, though pink is common, gum comes in other colours too.

The association with the colors green and yellow green and nuclear waste comes from peoples' experience with radium painted watch dials, which glow pale green. Watch dials haven't contained radium for decades. Currently they use a similar sort of paint but no radium; it absorbs light when placed in light and then glows for a while in the dark.

Subtrope of RealityIsUnrealistic. The color version of TheCoconutEffect. For animals, see CartoonAnimalColours.

Subtrope of RealityIsUnrealistic. The color version of TheCoconutEffect.

'''[[AC:Blue or Light Blue Water]]'''

Throughout the universe, stars can be blue, blue-white, white, cream, yellow, orange, or red; this depends on their temperature, with hotter stars being bluer. This can be confusing to people who associate red with hot and blue with cold!

In real life, the urine of a healthy, properly hydrated person is usually clear. Yellow urine typically means the person is not getting their recommended daily water intake, as water dilutes the yellow pigments in urine. People with yellow urine, and there are many of them because of the large number of people who don't like drinking water, typically assume everyone's urine is yellow, causing this misconception to persist.

Asians run the whole color spectrum, from very light-skinned Manchu-Tungus peoples of the far north to dark-orange or light-to-dark-brown Austronesians in South/Southeast Asia (Indonesians, Filipinos, etc.), to say nothing of [[UpToEleven Afro-Asians]] who are commonly dark-skinned and frequently [[MistakenEthnicity mistaken for black Africans.]] But most Westerners expect to see the kind of maize-yellow (like ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'') complexion that no human being would have in real life unless suffering from jaundice.

East Asians run the color spectrum, from very light-skinned Manchu-Tungus peoples of the far north to dark-orange or light-to-medium-brown Austronesians (Indonesians, Filipinos, etc.) of the south. But most Westerners expect to see the kind of maize-yellow (like ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'') complexion that no human being would have in real life unless suffering from jaundice.

This even extends to the fossilized bones of extinct dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals, despite the fact that [[ArtisticLicensePaleontology fossils are remains turned to rock]].

An exception to this would be coconut drinks, which are often shown as the green young coconut.

In RealLife, the sun is white or yellowish white, but in fiction its yellowness is played up because yellow is the color associated with the sun.

In RealLife, grapes can be purple, yellow-green, red violet, and red, but in fiction, they're purple because purple is the color grapes are associated with (as well as being the color of Cabernet Sauvignon, the stereotypical red wine people always imagine). Green might be used, but it would give the impression the grapes are underripe.

The Sphinx was also originally brightly-colored; traces of pigment suggests it had a red body, a yellow and blue headdress, blue eye markings, and a blue beard (now broken off). Its now sandy coloring may have been a result of burial and erosion.

The Sphinx was also originally brightly-colored; traces of pigment suggests it had a red body, a yellow and blue headdress, blue eye markings, and a blue beard (now broken off). Its current coloring may have been a result of being buried in sand as well as erosion.

The Sphinx was also originally brightly-colored; traces of pigment suggests it had a red body, a yellow and blue headdress, blue eye markings, and a blue beard (now broken off).

'''[[AC:Sand-Colored Pyramids]]'''

However in fiction, they are usually depicted as sand-colored regardless of time period.

In fiction, coconuts will usually be brown. Even when they're still hanging from the tree.

In RealLife, coconuts are either green or yellow at their immature state, only turning brown as they ripen.

In RealLife, coconuts are either green or yellow at their immature state, only turning brown as it ripens.