The Psychology of Color for Artists

The Psychology of Color for Artists

Do you ever notice that you feel different in a yellow room rather than a red room?

There is a reason why people prefer certain colors over others. This preference says volumes about our personalities, because each color is associated with a reaction our brain has when we internalize it.

The Psychology and Meaning of Colors

Color psychology is a well-known, yet less explored branch of the study of how our brain perceives what it visualizes. As far as scientific research goes, there is not much to work with. However, the impact that colors have on our brains, manipulates our decision making by multiple facets of society.

Personality Based on Color:

Red

• Associated with energy, war, danger, strength, power, determination as we ll as passion, desire, and love.
• Enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure.
• It attracts attention more than any other color, at times signifying danger.

Colors related to red: Magenta, Burgundy, Maroon, Orange

• Combines the energy of red and the happiness of yellow.
• Associated with joy, sunshine, and the tropics.
• Represents enthusiasm, fascination, happiness, creativity, determination, attraction, success, encouragement, and stimulation.

Blue

• Unique and authentic
• Enthusiastic, sympathetic and personal; they seek meaning and significance in life
• Warn, communicative and compassionate; they care about what they do
• Idealistic, spiritual and sincere; they value unity and integrity in their relationships
• Peaceful, flexible and imaginative; they are natural romantics and nurturers

Colors related to blue: Teal, Turquoise

Yellow

• Associated with joy, happiness, intellect, and energy.
• Produces a warming effect, arouses cheerfulness, stimulates mental activity, and generates muscle energy.
• Bright, pure yellow is an attention getter, which is the reason taxicabs are painted this color.
• When overused, yellow may have a disturbing effect.
• It is known that babies cry more in yellow rooms.
• Yellow indicates honor and loyalty. Later the meaning of yell ow was connected with cowardice.

Colors related to yellow: Amber, Beige

Green

• Color of nature. It symbolizes growth, harmony, freshness, and fertility.
• Strong emotional correspondence with safety.
• Dark green is also commonly associated with money.
• Has great healing power.
• Green suggests stability and endurance.
• Color of the sea. It is often associated with depth and stability.
• Symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.
• Considered beneficial to the mind and body.
• Slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect.
• Strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.
• Used to symbolize piety and sincerity.

Also check: Chartreuse

Pink

• This is a color that represents a gentle type of love
• Pink stands for tenderness, vulnerability and youth
• It is a calming, non-threatening color. It is linked to innocence, hope and optimism.
• Pink color also represents positive aspects of traditional femininity like nurture and kindness.
• Pink can be linked to childhood sweetness and innocence, appearing sometimes as naïve or silly

Also check: Salmon

Purple

• Combines the stability of blue and the energy of red.
• Associated with royalty. It symbolizes power, nobility, luxury, and ambition.
• Conveys wealth and extravagance.
• Associated with wisdom, dignity, independence, creativity, mystery, and magic.

Relevant colors: Indigo, Violet, Lavender, Mauve

White

• Associated with light, goodness, innocence, purity, and virginity.
• Considered to be the color of perfection.
• Signifies safety, purity, and cleanliness.
• Usually has a positive connotation.
• Can represent a successful beginning.
• Depicts faith and purity.

Black

• Associated with power, elegance, formality, death, evil, and mystery.
• A mysterious color associated with fear and the unknown (black holes).
• Usually has a negative connotation (blacklist, black humor, ‘black death’).
• Denotes strength and authority; it is considered to be a very formal, elegant, and    prestigious color.
• The symbol of grief.

Color is, simply stated, broken down white light. This is a dissection of light at different wavelengths and each wavelength is perceived as a separate color. Objects tend to absorb or reflect these wavelengths, so when we see a yellow lemon, it is the yellow wavelength that is being reflected while all others are being absorbed. Now that we have understood what color means, let’s explore some of the ways it influences our mood.

We feel color. How or what we feel about it varies from person to person. Some colors give us a sense of serenity and calm. These usually lie within the blue side of the spectrum-that consists of purple and green too, known as the cool side. Others induce rage and make us uncomfortable, or signify passion. These lie within the red spectrum-which includes orange and yellow, known as the warm side.

Color perception is subjective, and certain colors have a very universal significance. This is coded into our reptilian brain, giving us that instinctive feeling of fire being dangerous and the beach being relaxing.

Color psychology is a very important tool used by artists, interior decorators, and as a marketing mechanism in many industries.