Color
The Science Behind Color – Part Two
In last week’s blog, we discussed what color actually is and how the eye perceives it. We talked about the science behind color theory and gave our readers a little insight as to why we view colors the ways we do. Today, we’re going to delve even deeper and discuss the psychology of colors and how they can evoke certain emotions.
But First…The Basics
We’ll start with a little experiment. Think of your favorite color. How does it make you feel? What emotions does it produce…inspiration, relaxation, strength? Can you explain why this is the case? Maybe or maybe not.
Some people may choose a color because it complements their hair while others might have a very in-depth response. However, color has been shown to stir up emotions in people. We’ve compiled a list below (along with some great quotes we found!) about the different feelings people have encountered when experiencing colors.
Red
Positive Connotations: Love, passion, determination, power, desire
Negative Connotations: Danger, blood, war, anger
Miscellaneous Example: “When in doubt, wear red.” –Bill Blass
Orange
Positive Connotations: Happiness, enthusiasm, sunsets
Negative Connotations: Deceit, distrust
Miscellaneous Example: “Orange is the happiest color.” –Frank Sinatra
Yellow
Positive Connotations: Exuberance, joy, sunshine, happiness
Negative Connotations: Overstimulation, warnings
Miscellaneous Example: “How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun.” –Van Gogh
Green
Positive Connotations: Nature, freshness, new, growth
Negative Connotations: Envy, greed, cowardice
Miscellaneous Example: “Green is the prime color of the world and that from which its loveliness arises.” –Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Blue
Positive Connotations: Tranquility, water, intelligence, freshness
Negative Connotations: Seriousness, sadness
Miscellaneous Example: “I never get tired of the blue sky.” –Van Gogh
Purple
Positive Connotations: Royalty (!!!), independence, ambition, luxury
Negative Connotations: Sadness, gloom, extravagance
Miscellaneous Example: “Purple is the color of my life.” –Delors C. Walker
White
Positive Connotations: Purity, innocence, light, cleanliness
Negative Connotations: Sterility, too boring
Miscellaneous Example: “Never use pure white. It doesn’t exist in nature.” –Aldro T. Hibbard
Black
Positive Connotations: Sophistication, class, modern, power, prestige
Negative Connotations: Darkness, the unknown, fear
Miscellaneous Example: “Women who wear black lead colorful lives.” –Neiman Marcus
Grey
Positive Connotations: Sleekness, modern, cleanliness
Negative Connotations: Sterile, boring, an “in between” feeling
Miscellaneous Example: “The color of truth is grey.” Andre Gide
We hope you’ve enjoyed our little venture into the science behind color. Color is one of our favorite parts about painting, as it gives us a chance to go bold and try new things! From your favorite color or an accent piece in a complementary color, Royalty can paint it all! Give us a call today for your complimentary consultation!
Color
The Science Behind Color – Part One
Color is one of the most important aspects of any design plan. In fact, many people plan entire rooms around pieces that are a certain color. Today, Royalty Finishes is going to explore the science behind color, the first in a two-part blog series.
Basic Color Theory
Color theory is historically broken up into three groups: the color wheel, harmonious colors, and context. The human eye is capable of distinguishing about 10 millions different colors, each with subtle differences in a varying scale. This theory is how the eye perceives colors.
The Color Wheel
The color wheel is split into three different sections:
- Primary Colors – Red, blue and green are considering primaries. Think of primary colors as the building blocks. No other pigment can be mixed to create these hues and every other shade is derived from them.
- Secondary Colors – When primary colors are mixed, secondary colors are created. Red and yellow creates orange, blue and yellow makes green, and blue and red produces purple.
- Tertiary Colors – Colors are kind of like genetics…you mix certain colors enough to dilute them into something uniquely different. These colors appear when a primary and a secondary color are combined, such as blue-green or red-orange.
Harmonious Colors
This section is also split up, but into only two categories:
- Analogous Colors – These colors are in the same color family, but build on different shades. An example would be decorating a room in royal blue with touches of blue-green and deep blue.
- Complementary Colors – Although in different color families, some shades work very well together. For instance, a purple wall would really stand out with accents in different shades of green. Complementary colors are usually found on the opposite side of a color wheel. The best example is to think of the paint color swatch combinations you see at home improvement stores…they’re suggesting colors to really make your room pop!
Context
This topic is more scientific than the other two mentioned. However, color context is how your eye perceives different hues. Just as an example, the dots in the center of the graphic are the exact same size, but your eye doesn’t see it that way. Color can be just as tricky!
Which center circle is larger?
Join us again next week as we dive off into the second part of our science behind color series!
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