Color truly has an impact on
our lives, and often in unconscious and mysterious ways. Colors can create
conditions that can
- cause fatigue
- increase stress
- decrease visual perception
- damage eyesight damage eyesight
- increase possible worker errors
- negatively affect orientation and safety
A color circle, based on
red, yellow and blue, is traditional in the field of art. Sir Isaac Newton
developed the first circular diagram of colors in 1666. In visual experiences,
color harmony is something that is pleasing to the eye. It engages the viewer
and it creates an inner sense of order, a balance in the visual experience.
When something is not harmonious, it's either boring or chaotic.
Colors act upon the body as
well as the mind. Red has been shown to stimulate the senses and raise the
blood pressure. Where as Blue has the opposite effect and calms the mind. It
seems People will gamble more and make riskier bets when seated under a red
light as opposed to a blue light.
While painting, using warm
colors for foreground and cool colors for background colors for background
enhances the perception of depth.Use of color as a therapy
has a long history– ancient Egyptians and Greeks built healing temples of light
and color – use of color became deeply embedded in Chinese and Indian medicine.
Actual physiological changes
take place in human beings when they are exposed to certain colors.Colors can – stimulate,
excite, depress, tranquilize, increase appetite and create a feeling of warmth
or coolness.
An executive for a paint
company received complaints from workers in a blue office that the office was
too cold. When the offices were painted a warm peach, the sweaters came off
even though the temperature had not changed.
Each color has many aspects
to it, but we can easily learn the language of color by understanding a few
simple concepts which relate to the body, mind, and emotions. What have
scientists learned about how our thoughts and behaviors are influenced by the
colors we see? What does the color we choose say about us?
Red: Physical
Positive: Physical courage,
strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, 'fight or flight', stimulation,
masculinity, excitement.
Negative: Defiance
Blue: Intellectual.
Positive: Intelligence,
communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection,
calm.
Negative: Coldness,
aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.
Yellow: Emotional
Positive: Optimism,
confidence, self-esteem, extraversion, emotional strength, friendliness,
creativity.
Negative: Irrationality,
fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.
Green: Balance
Positive: Harmony, balance,
refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental
awareness, equilibrium, peace.
Negative: Boredom,
stagnation, blandness, enervation.
Violet: Spiritual
Positive: Spiritual awareness,
containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality.
Negative: Introversion,
decadence, suppression, inferiority.
Orange: stimulating
Positive: Physical comfort,
food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun.
Negative: Deprivation,
frustration, frivolity, immaturity.
Pink: soothes
Positive: Physical tranquility,
nurture, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality, survival of the species.
Negative: Inhibition,
emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical weakness.
Grey: suppressive
Positive: Psychological
neutrality.
Negative: Lack of
confidence, dampness, depression, hibernation, lack of energy.
Black: absorption
Positive: Sophistication,
glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance.
Negative: Oppression,
coldness, menace, heaviness.
White: reflection
Positive: Hygiene,
sterility, clarity, purity, cleanness, simplicity, sophistication, efficiency.
Negative: Sterility,
coldness, barriers, unfriendliness, elitism.
Brown: Supportive
Positive: Seriousness,
warmth, Nature, earthiness, reliability, support.
Negative: Lack of humor,
heaviness, lack of sophistication.
Indigo: intuition and
perception and the higher mind.
Positive: Powerful and
dignified, integrity and deep sincerity.
Negative: intolerant and prejudiced,
fanaticism and addiction.
Turquoise: emotional balance
and stability.
Positive: peace, calm and
tranquility.
Negative: boastful and
narcissistic.
Silver: fluid, emotional,
sensitive and mysterious. It is soothing, calming and purifying.
Positive: inspires intuition,
clairvoyance and mental telepathy.
Negative: indecisive and
non-committal, dull and lifeless, neutral, cold and insincere, deceptive and
two-faced.
Gold: success, achievement
and triumph.
Positive: abundance and
prosperity, luxury and quality, prestige and sophistication, value and
elegance.
Negative: egotistical,
self-righteous and opportunistic.
Though this guide to the
special “powers” of particular colors make our mind pop, we have to use color
and not opt out and live in a under- stimulating beige world.
