The editor said the illustrations lacked which quality due to the color being too drab?

• A. Brightness
• B. Texture
• C. Saturation
• D. Luster

Answer: (D)

Color quality isn’t just about what hue is used; it’s also about how light interacts with the surface. When the color is described as drab, the image lacks a certain gleam or sheen that would make it feel alive. Luster describes that surface shine—the way light reflects off the surface to create subtle highlights. By bringing in a bit more luster, the illustrations would look more vibrant and polished, because the reflective quality adds brightness and a sense of vitality to the color. Brightness would change how light or dark the overall image is, which isn’t exactly what’s being described by “drab”; saturation refers to how pure or intense the color is, which can be high or low regardless of shine; texture is about the feel or roughness of the surface, not its light-reflecting quality. So the missing quality is luster.