Colour
psychology. Even though there’s not much bibliography on the subject, and
Goethe’s descriptions are our best source, there is a general agreement on the fact
That each
Colour possesses a specific expression. We all get emotions from
colour and each person has his/hers sympathies and antipathies, likes and
dislikes, but in general we all perceive a physical reaction to certain colour,
like the one of coldness in a room painted in blue or the warmness of a
different room painted in red. The warm colour are considered as stimulant,
happy and even exciting while the cold
ones as quiet, sedative and in some
cases, depressive. In spite of the purely personal tint that these sensations
have, all researches have proven certain tendencies determined by unconsciensce
reactions and also in relationships with nature.
Yellow is
the colour related to the sun and it jeans radiant light, joy and stimulation. Red
if related to fire and it
suggests hot and excitement. Blue, the colour of the
sky and water, is serenity, infinit, coldness. Orange, mix of yellow and red,
has the qualities of these in a minor degree. Green, colour of the wet grass,
is fresh, quiet and recomforting.
Violet implies madurity and if it’s bright,
delicacy. All of these
colours combined with white or black in a higher or
lower
degree imply variations that participate of the character of the origin
colour in a higher or lower degree.
White is
traditionally purity and innocence; black, sandez and- to Occident- mourning;
grey, resignation; brown, maturity; golden, richness and power and silver,
nobility and distinction. The colours with the highest excitation degree are
the red, red-orange, and the orange; the most quiet ones, the blue ones,
blue-green ones and violet ones. A blue with a higher quantity of yellow is
more shocking than one with a highger degree of violet.
The most
calming and comforting colours in decoration are the green ones, light blue
ones, and light violet ones, the cream shades, ivory, beige, and others of warm
quality, are joyful and have some stimulant action, but the ones as the others
must be used in wide areas and correctly.
The most
vivid colours- saturated- are used a few times in large surfaces: nature never
presents them in wide extensions but in small animation areas. It is said that
they tire the view. Colours express moods and emotions of a very concrete
psychic signification, they also have a physiological action and they’re used
in chromotherapy.
Red means
blood, fire, passions, violence, activity, impulse and action and it is the
colour of movement and vitality; it increases muscular tension, it activates
breathing, stimules blood pressure and it is the most adecuate colour for shy
people, of inner life and with slow reflexes. It is associated with Mars, the
god of war, and implies destruction, impulse, lack of trust, cruelty and rage.
It is the colour of the maniacs, also of the generals, the butchers, the sport
people. It evoques the devil and evil.
Orange is
enthusiasm, fervour, incandescence, euphoria and it acts to facilitate
digestion; mixed with white constitutes a very sexy pink. It acts like a
stimulant in shy, sad or lymphatic people. It symbolized enthusiasm and
exaltation and when it is very red-like, passion and fervour. In small
extensions is it very useful, but in large ones is too daring. Mixed with black
suggests deceiving, conspiracy and intolerance and when it is too dark, opression.
Yellow is
the sun, power, arrogance, happiness, good mood, and will; it is considered as
stimulant of the nerve centres. It is the most intellectual colour and it can
be associated to a great intelligence or to a great mental deficiency. It means
envy, rage, cowardice and low impulses. Mixed with black constitutes a not very
pleasant greenish shade that suggests hostility, indulgence, crime, brutality, mistrust
and low passions. With white implies cowardice, weakness or fear.
Green is rest,
hope, spring, youth and it suggests freshness. It frees the spirit and balances
the sensations. It is linked to sociable, vain persons. It calls to balance, brings
relief to longing and calms, it suggests love and peace and it also is the
colour of jealousy, moral degradation and insanity. It means hope and youth.
With white, weakness or poverty.
Blue is
intelligence, truth, wisdom, abstraction of worldly thoughts, space,
immortality, sky and water, peace and quietness. It acts as a sedative and in
reducting blood pressure. It is associated with introverted people. It is the
colour of dreams, wisdom, rest. With white, purity, faith. With black,
intolerance, fanaticism. It
does not annoy in great extensions.
Violet is
deepness, misticism, mistery, melancholy, sandness, also experience. In its
purple variation, is royalty, dignity. With black, disloyalty, misery. With
white, death, rigidity, pain. White, symbol of the absolute, unity and
innocence, peace, purity, modesty. It always powers in possitive. Grey:
neutrality, sadness, evil and good fusion. Black: Symbol of the error and the
evil. Death, absence of colour.
More summaries about the Colour psychology