diff --git a/cogl/cogl-color.c b/cogl/cogl-color.c
index e1120dd94..b9556b072 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-color.c
+++ b/cogl/cogl-color.c
@@ -53,6 +53,22 @@ cogl_color_free (CoglColor *color)
     g_slice_free (CoglColor, color);
 }
 
+void
+cogl_color_init_from_4ub (CoglColor *color,
+                          guint8     red,
+                          guint8     green,
+                          guint8     blue,
+                          guint8     alpha)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (color != NULL);
+
+  color->red   = red;
+  color->green = green;
+  color->blue  = blue;
+  color->alpha = alpha;
+}
+
+/* XXX: deprecated, use cogl_color_init_from_4ub */
 void
 cogl_color_set_from_4ub (CoglColor *dest,
                          guint8     red,
@@ -60,27 +76,45 @@ cogl_color_set_from_4ub (CoglColor *dest,
                          guint8     blue,
                          guint8     alpha)
 {
-  g_return_if_fail (dest != NULL);
-
-  dest->red   = red;
-  dest->green = green;
-  dest->blue  = blue;
-  dest->alpha = alpha;
+  cogl_color_init_from_4ub (dest, red, green, blue, alpha);
 }
 
 void
-cogl_color_set_from_4f (CoglColor *dest,
-                        float  red,
-                        float  green,
-                        float  blue,
-                        float  alpha)
+cogl_color_init_from_4f (CoglColor *color,
+                         float      red,
+                         float      green,
+                         float      blue,
+                         float      alpha)
 {
-  g_return_if_fail (dest != NULL);
+  g_return_if_fail (color != NULL);
 
-  dest->red   =  (red * 255);
-  dest->green =  (green * 255);
-  dest->blue  =  (blue * 255);
-  dest->alpha =  (alpha * 255);
+  color->red   =  (red * 255);
+  color->green =  (green * 255);
+  color->blue  =  (blue * 255);
+  color->alpha =  (alpha * 255);
+}
+
+/* XXX: deprecated, use cogl_color_init_from_4f */
+void
+cogl_color_set_from_4f (CoglColor *color,
+                        float      red,
+                        float      green,
+                        float      blue,
+                        float      alpha)
+{
+  cogl_color_init_from_4f (color, red, green, blue, alpha);
+}
+
+void
+cogl_color_init_from_4fv (CoglColor *color,
+                          float *color_array)
+{
+  g_return_if_fail (color != NULL);
+
+  color->red   =  (color_array[0] * 255);
+  color->green =  (color_array[1] * 255);
+  color->blue  =  (color_array[2] * 255);
+  color->alpha =  (color_array[3] * 255);
 }
 
 unsigned char
diff --git a/cogl/cogl-color.h b/cogl/cogl-color.h
index b1799444e..7ca7cb64b 100644
--- a/cogl/cogl-color.h
+++ b/cogl/cogl-color.h
@@ -80,9 +80,28 @@ cogl_color_copy (const CoglColor *color);
 void
 cogl_color_free (CoglColor *color);
 
+/**
+ * cogl_color_init_from_4ub:
+ * @color: A pointer to a #CoglColor to initialize
+ * @red: value of the red channel, between 0 and 255
+ * @green: value of the green channel, between 0 and 255
+ * @blue: value of the blue channel, between 0 and 255
+ * @alpha: value of the alpha channel, between 0 and 255
+ *
+ * Sets the values of the passed channels into a #CoglColor.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.4
+ */
+void
+cogl_color_init_from_4ub (CoglColor *color,
+                          guint8 red,
+                          guint8 green,
+                          guint8 blue,
+                          guint8 alpha);
+
 /**
  * cogl_color_set_from_4ub:
- * @dest: return location for a #CoglColor
+ * @color: A pointer to a #CoglColor to initialize
  * @red: value of the red channel, between 0 and 255
  * @green: value of the green channel, between 0 and 255
  * @blue: value of the blue channel, between 0 and 255
@@ -91,17 +110,37 @@ cogl_color_free (CoglColor *color);
  * Sets the values of the passed channels into a #CoglColor.
  *
  * Since: 1.0
+ * Deprecated: 1.4: Use cogl_color_init_from_4ub instead.
  */
 void
-cogl_color_set_from_4ub (CoglColor *dest,
+cogl_color_set_from_4ub (CoglColor *color,
                          guint8 red,
                          guint8 green,
                          guint8 blue,
                          guint8 alpha);
 
+/**
+ * cogl_color_init_from_4f:
+ * @color: A pointer to a #CoglColor to initialize
+ * @red: value of the red channel, between 0 and %1.0
+ * @green: value of the green channel, between 0 and %1.0
+ * @blue: value of the blue channel, between 0 and %1.0
+ * @alpha: value of the alpha channel, between 0 and %1.0
+ *
+ * Sets the values of the passed channels into a #CoglColor
+ *
+ * Since: 1.4
+ */
+void
+cogl_color_init_from_4f (CoglColor *color,
+                         float red,
+                         float green,
+                         float blue,
+                         float alpha);
+
 /**
  * cogl_color_set_from_4f:
- * @dest: return location for a #CoglColor
+ * @color: A pointer to a #CoglColor to initialize
  * @red: value of the red channel, between 0 and %1.0
  * @green: value of the green channel, between 0 and %1.0
  * @blue: value of the blue channel, between 0 and %1.0
@@ -110,14 +149,28 @@ cogl_color_set_from_4ub (CoglColor *dest,
  * Sets the values of the passed channels into a #CoglColor
  *
  * Since: 1.0
+ * Deprecated: 1.4: Use cogl_color_init_from_4f instead.
  */
 void
-cogl_color_set_from_4f (CoglColor *dest,
+cogl_color_set_from_4f (CoglColor *color,
                         float red,
                         float green,
                         float blue,
                         float alpha);
 
+/**
+ * cogl_color_init_from_4fv:
+ * @color: A pointer to a #CoglColor to initialize
+ * @color_array: a pointer to an array of 4 float color components
+ *
+ * Sets the values of the passed channels into a #CoglColor
+ *
+ * Since: 1.4
+ */
+void
+cogl_color_init_from_4fv (CoglColor *color,
+                          float *color_array);
+
 /**
  * cogl_color_get_red_byte:
  * @color: a #CoglColor