Simply Understanding Colour Psychology

Colours are complexities to which emote emotional and psychological responses from the brain which could be through connotations or even through culture. Nevertheless, I will be exploring the effect colour has on our emotional state to further develop my skills in knowing which colours to use in an artistic sense to help create and contribute to any narrative I may be presented with in an art directed role.

Colours can be split into subtle hues and shades, or alternatively could be the brightest neon colours. Any of these could have some sort of nostalgic value for a person, making their connections with the colour stronger (or alternatively weaker if something bad was associated with a colour.

Colours can even be quite generic through bright primary colours being associated with children and youth, whereas more complimentary colours are more mature colours.

However, as I mentioned above, colour is subjective and can have a universal meaning. But, its meaning can be altered in terms of warm and cool colours on the spectrum. For example, a warm red (red mixed with yellow to create a more red-orangy hue), can have connotations of warmth and comfort in contrast to a cold red (red mixed with a bit of blue to create burgundy, a slight purple).

Because there is a lot of potential meanings created through the slight alterations and various colours, here are the simple emotional responses generated mainly through the different colours:

Red can symbolise not only love but death and danger too. It is a primary colour and is known to be one of the strongest colours associated with the strongest emotions (passion and anger).

Orange radiates a warm feel and can connotate happiness as it combines this powerful red with a toned down and happy yellow. Orange can also be the colour to represent success and also present self-confidence and enthusiasm.

Yellow is of course the well-known colour most associated with happiness as it is light and uplifting.

Green generally makes one think about nature and therefore has connotations or healing/stability/balance/growth, so on. But it can also link into more man-made materialistic things such as money and could even emote the feeling of greed/jealousy and so can juxtapose itself like the colour red.

Blue, unlike red, has a calming nature, with connotations of peace and serenity and is generally associated with the sky/sea.

Purple is a primary colour and usually through this is associated with the fantasy/spirituality. Alternatively, it could represent wealth and royalty, however, this is an example of cultural connotations and that connection may not be present in other countries.

Overall, colour is very subjective to your own nostalgic value, but also culture and has universal meanings and so a more complex analysis into its psychology could be done. However, this short article gives a brief summary and introduction into the colour and its meanings, but also how it can be changed and explored the different emotional values/impacts the colours have on a person.