五彩泛指各種顏色，其中以黃、青、紅、白和黑色為主，這五種顏色從其陰陽五行上來說分別代表了金、木、水、火、土，分別象徵著東、西、南、北、中。五彩的興盛時期主要是在明清兩朝，五彩瓷器的精美依賴於整個制瓷過程。從製坯、燒成、彩繪、二次燒成，環環相連，一絲不苟。
明清時景德鎮制瓷分工很細，僅彩繪一項，《景德鎮陶錄》記載，就有“乳顏料工、畫樣工、繪事工、配色工、填色工、燒爐工”。每工各司其職，以致達到純熟致精的境界。這種分工制度，有力地保證了彩瓷的工藝質量。五彩在畫彩時有嚴格的工藝規定。“至畫瓷所需之料，經月之後始堪應用。”畫彩時“須將各種顏料研細調合，必熟諳顏色火候之性，以眼明、心細、手準為佳。其用顏料法有三，一用芸香油，一用膠水，一用清水。蓋油便於渲染，膠便於榻抹，而清水調色則便於堆填”。詳細敘述了彩繪的用料和方法。這些方法是景德鎮陶工、畫師集多年的實踐經驗，探索出來的有效工藝成果。五彩絢麗豐富的色彩特徵，也是這些繪製工藝創造的結晶。
從其清朝的五彩瓷器上看，主要是以柔和之感為主，透視感較強、繪畫的工藝較為的精湛、生動感較強。從其裝飾的圖案上看，畫面較為的生動逼真且題材內容較為的豐富，有了戲曲、小說等題材的出現；從其工藝上看，用筆較為的精細纖巧，構圖上較為的簡潔、明朗，其收藏價值較高，因其工藝製作較為的精湛且光潤度呈現較好，受到了廣大收藏愛好者的喜愛。
Five colors generally refer to all kinds of colors， mainly yellow， green， red， white and black。 These five colors represent gold， wood， water， fire and earth respectively from their yin and Yang and five elements， and represent East， West， South， North and middle respectively。 The flourishing period of multicolored porcelain was mainly in the Ming and Qing Dynasties。 The delicacy of multicolored porcelain depended on the whole process of porcelain making。 From the blank， firing， painting， secondary firing， ring connected， meticulous。
In the Ming and Qing Dynasties， the division of labor of porcelain making in Jingdezhen was very detailed。 There was only one item of color painting。 According to the records of Jingdezhen pottery records， there were “milk and pigment workers， sample workers， painting workers， color matching workers， color filling workers and furnace workers”。 Each worker performs his own duties， so as to reach the level of proficiency and refinement。 This system of division of labor has effectively ensured the quality of colored porcelain。 There are strict technical regulations for multicolor painting。 “When it comes to the materials needed for porcelain painting， they can only be used after a few months。” When painting colors， “we must carefully mix all kinds of pigments， and be familiar with the nature of color and heat。 It‘s better to be clear-sighted， careful and accurate。 There are three pigment methods， one is rutin oil， one is glue， and the other is water。 Cover oil is easy to render， glue is easy to wipe， and clear water is easy to fill。 The materials and methods of color painting are described in detail。 These methods are the effective technological achievements of Jingdezhen potters and painters based on years of practical experience。 The colorful and rich color features are also the crystallization of these painting techniques。
From the perspective of the colorful porcelain of the Qing Dynasty， it mainly has a soft feeling， strong sense of perspective， exquisite painting technology and strong vitality。 From its decorative patterns， the picture is more vivid and rich in theme content， with the emergence of drama， novels and other themes； from its craft， the pen is more delicate， the composition is more concise and clear， its collection value is higher， because its craft is more exquisite and the gloss is better， it is loved by the majority of collectors。