Basic Theories of Color Symbolism
Color conveys meanings in two primary ways - natural associations and psychological symbolism. For example, a soft shade of blue triggers associations with the sky and a psychological sense of calm.
Successful design requires an awareness of how and why colors communicate meaning.
As a starting point, the communicative properties of a color can be defined by two categories: natural associations and psychological (or cultural) associations.
Occurrences of colors in nature are universal and timeless. For example, the fact that green is the color of vegetation can be considered a universal and timeless association.
Color may generate another level of meaning in the mind. This symbolism arises from cultural and contemporary contexts. As such, it is not universal and may be unrelated to its natural associations. Furthermore, color may have both positive and negative symbolism.
Psychological or Cultural Associations may arise from any of the following:
1. Cultural associations 2. Political and historical associations 3. Religious and mythical associations 4. Linguistic associations 5. Contemporary usage and fads
COLOR SYMBOLISM - INFLUENTIAL FACTORS
1. The specific shade (variation) of a color - Dark and light shades of any color convey completely different meanings.
2. The quantity and placement of the color - Colors deliver the most powerful symbolism when used in large areas
3. The shape or object the color occupies - Symbolism becomes more complex when a color is used in combination with a basic shape.
4. The Color combination - Colors take on new meaning when combined with other colors.
PRIMARY COLORS - In traditional color theory, these are the 3 pigment colors that cannot be mixed or formed by any combination of other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues: Red, yellow and blue
SECONDARY COLORS - These are the colors formed by mixing the primary colors. Green, orange and purple
TERTIARY COLORS - These are the colors formed by mixing a primary and a secondary color. That's why the hue is a two word name, such as blue-green, red-violet, and yellow-orange. Yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green and yellow-green.
Harmony can be defined as a pleasing arrangement of parts, whether it be music, poetry, color, or even an ice cream sundae. When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic. The human brain will reject under-stimulating information. The human brain rejects what it cannot organize, what it cannot understand. Color harmony delivers visual interest and a sense of order.
In summary, extreme unity leads to under-stimulation, extreme complexity leads to over-stimulation. Harmony is a dynamic equilibrium.
Some Formulas for Color Harmony
Analogous colors are any three colors which are side by side on a 12 part color wheel, such as yellow-green, yellow, and yellow-orange. Usually one of the three colors predominates.
A color scheme based on complementary colors -Complementary colors are any two colors which are directly opposite each other, such as red and green and red-purple and yellow-green.
How color behaves in relation to other colors and shapes is a complex area of color theory. Compare the contrast effects of different color backgrounds for the same red square.
Red appears more brilliant against a black background and somewhat duller against the white background. In contrast with orange, the red appears lifeless; in contrast with blue-green, it