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The Psychology of Colour

Updated: Apr 8, 2022


The Psychology of Colour


Colours have different meanings, connotations, and psychological effects. People prefer different colours depending on culture, personal preferences, and even gender. Using colour theory, we can examine concepts such as colour perception and the effect colour combinations have on people.


For example, red makes us happy because we associate it with energy and passion. Green brings out creativity, joy, nature, and harmony. Blue can be calming, peaceful, sad, or bring a sense of calmness. Yellow is bright and cheerful. Pink means romantic and feminine. Orange can be energetic and upbeat. White signifies purity and cleanliness. And black is powerful, mysterious, and elegant.

There are many ways to use colours effectively. One way is to use them as emotional triggers. For instance, red can trigger happiness, while green can inspire a sense of wonder. Another way is to combine different colours, such as yellow and blue or pink and purple, to create patterns that evoke a particular feeling.

Many believe that colour affects our moods, feelings, health, and productivity. Colour psychology explores this idea through scientific studies and testing and provides insights into how people perceive, react and respond differently to different colours. According to colour psychologists' theories, colours create an emotional response in us. Specific colours may be linked to your mental and physical well-being (e.g., brightening blue, relaxing green).


What colour psychology says about how we feel?


Researchers say that the colour red may be linked to feelings of anger, but they say it may also be linked to feelings of affection. People were shown photos of people wearing either red or blue felt warmer toward them than they were toward people wearing different colours. Researchers believe this may be because red stimulates blood circulation to the skin, making people feel warmer.

The Psychological Effects of Color

There is some evidence that colour affects our mood and emotions. For example, red has been associated with anger, orange with happiness, yellow with optimism, green with relaxation, blue with sadness, purple with power, and white with purity.

There are two main types of colours in the UK – primary colours (red, green and blue) and secondary colours (orange, yellow, violet). The primary colours can be mixed to make any other colour in the spectrum. Secondary colours are created when mixing two primary colours. Red and green make orange; red and blue make cyan; yellow and magenta make greenish-blue, and yellow and red make orange.

What do Colors Symbolise?

Colours represent emotions, feelings, and moods. Red symbolises danger, passion, love, and energy. Orange represents happiness, joy, and warmth. Yellow symbolises optimism, hope, and enthusiasm. Green represents growth, nature, and fertility. Blue represents calmness, peace, tranquillity, and serenity. Purple represents royalty, spirituality, mystery, and power. Black represents death, mourning, evil, and sorrow. White represents purity, innocence, and light. Gray represents neutrality, conformity, and mediocrity.

The Color Psychology of Red

Red has long been associated with danger and aggression, but recent research suggests it may be calming. In fact, red might even be the colour most likely to induce feelings of relaxation and calmness.


The Color Psychology of Blue

Blue is the colour of trust and serenity. It inspires wisdom and higher ideals. It is calm, relaxing, and reduces tension and fear. It slows the heart rate and reduces appetite. It is sincere, reserved, quiet, and cool. It helps build customer loyalty.


The Color Psychology of Yellow

Yellow is one of the most popular colours in art history, but it has a dark side. It's associated with fear, anxiety, depression, and anger. In fact, yellow is the colour of warning signs and danger signals. But if you want to brighten things up, try using this colour in your home decor.


The Color Psychology of Green

Green is one of the most popular colours in art and design. It has a calming effect on people, making them feel relaxed. In fact, green is often used to represent nature because it represents growth and renewal


The Colour Psychology of White

White is the universal symbol of purity, wholeness, and innocence. It makes us think about new beginnings, perfection, and elegance. When you have a clean slate, you have the freedom to start something new, let your ideas take shape, and move in any direction you wish.


The Colour Psychology of Orange

Orange is a happy colour. It helps you feel good about yourself. Orange is optimistic and cheerful. Orange is the colour of joy. It represents enthusiasm, excitement, and happiness.


The Colour Psychology of Pink

Pink is a very soft colour. It's also a very sweet colour. Pink is a symbol of love and happiness. It is a colour that represents the innocence of children. Pink is often a calming colour because it doesn't intimidate people. It is a colour associated with hope and optimism. Pink represents the feminine qualities of nurturing and kindness. Pink can appear sweet and innocent.


We experience a specific emotion when we see certain colours. For example, we feel happy when we see red, sad when we see black, etc.Colors are combinations of different wavelengths of light.


Newton proved that colours are reflections of light. Newton's colour wheel explains why we see white light as being composed of seven colours.


Goethe believed that colours could affect our emotions and thoughts.


Picasso's Blue Period was a dark time for him.

His later work was much happier. Picasso spent much of his life painting in blue tones, and there are many reasons why. Picasso's blue period began around 1902, during which he produced many paintings of sad themes such as loneliness, death, and decay. He also experimented with cubism and made some of his most famous artworks during this period. Picasso painted many different colours during his life. The artist used colours to express himself. Picasso's pink period was a time of peace and happiness. He was surrounded by friends and loved ones.


Green is the most common colour in our environment, and it is associated with growth and fertility. Yellow is a cheerful colour.


Colour is a powerful tool for creating a mood and setting an atmosphere. When you use colour effectively, you can make a room feel warmer, cooler, brighter, darker, or more relaxing. You can even change the way people think of themselves. Choose warm colours like yellow or orange if you want to create a bright, sunny feeling. Choose cool colours like grey or purple to make a space seem gloomy.


I wonder what you think I was saying with colour in the painting below.



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