COLOR PSYCHOLOGY
Color psychology is one of the most fascinating and talk about theories. It includes the theories of color perception by people and how color may influence our emotion, decisions and behavior. This is some of the color meaning and also the psychology of color.
RED
Being the longest wavelength, red is a powerful color. Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention first. Hence its effectiveness in traffic lights the world over. Its effect is physical, it stimulates us and raises the pulse rate,giving the impression that time is passing faster than it is. Its relate to the masculine principle and can activate the fight or flight instinct. Red is strong and very basic. Pure red is the simplest color, with no subtlety. It is stimulating and lively, very friendly. At the same time, it can be perceived as demanding and aggressive.
POSITIVE
Physical courage, strength, warmth, energy, basic survival, fight or flight, stimulation, masculinity, excitement.
NEGATIVE
Defiance, aggression, visual impact, strain.
BLUE
Blue is the color of mind and it essentially soothing, it effect us mentally, rather than physical reaction we have to red. Strong blue will stimulate clear though and lighter, soft blue will calm the mind and aid concentration. Consequently it is serene and mentally calming. Time and again in research, blue is the world's favorite color. However, it can be perceive as cold, unemotional and unfriendly.
POSITIVE
=Intelligence, communication, trust, efficiency, serenity, duty, logic, coolness, reflection, calm.
NEGATIVE
= Coldness, aloofness, lack of emotion, unfriendliness.
YELLOW
The yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest color, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirit and our self esteem and it also the color of confident and optimism.Too much of it, or the wrong tone in relation to others tone in color scheme, can cause self-esteem to plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety.
POSITIVE
= Optimism, confidence, self-esteem, extroversion, emotional strength, friendliness, creative.
NEGATIVE
= Irrationality, fear, emotional fragility, depression, anxiety, suicide.
GREEN
Green strikes the eye in such a way as to require no adjustment whatever and is, therefore, restful. Being in the center of the spectrum, it is the color of balance - a more important concept than many people realist. When the world about us contains plenty of green, this indicates the presence of water, and little danger of famine, so we are reassured by green, on a primitive level. Negatively, it can indicate stagnation and, incorrectly used, will be perceived as being too bland.
POSITIVE
= Harmony, balance, refreshment, universal love, rest, restoration, reassurance, environmental awareness, equilibrium, peace.
NEGATIVE
= Boredom, stagnation, blandness, enervation.
VIOLET
The shortest wavelength is violet, often described as purple. It takes awareness to a higher level of thought, even into the realms of spiritual values. It is highly introversion and encourages deep contemplation, or meditation. It has associations with royalty and usually communicates the finest possible quality. Being the last visible wavelength before the ultra-violet ray, it has associations with time and space and the cosmos. Excessive use of purple can bring about too much introspection and the wrong tone of it communicates something cheap and nasty, faster than any other color.
POSITIVE
= Spiritual awareness, containment, vision, luxury, authenticity, truth, quality.
NEGATIVE
= Introversion, decadence, suppression, inferiority.
ORANGE
Since it is a combination of red and yellow, orange is stimulating and reaction to it is a combination of the physical and the emotional. It focuses our minds on issues of physical comfort - food, warmth, shelter etc. - and sensuality. It is a 'fun' color. Negatively, it might focus on the exact opposite - deprivation. This is particularly likely when warm orange is used with black. Equally, too much orange suggests frivolity and a lack of serious intellectual values.
POSITIVE
= Physical comfort, food, warmth, security, sensuality, passion, abundance, fun.
NEGATIVE
= Deprivation, frustration, frivolity, immaturity.
PINK
Being a tint of red, pink also affects us physically, but it soothes, rather than stimulates. Pink is a powerful color, psychologically. It represents the feminine principle, and survival of the species; it is nurturing and physically soothing. Too much pink is physically draining and can be somewhat emasculating.
POSITIVE
= Physical tranquility, nurture, warmth, femininity, love, sexuality, survival of the species.
NEGATIVE
= Inhibition, emotional claustrophobia, emasculation, physical weakness.
GREY
Pure grey is the only color that has no direct psychological properties. It is, however, quite suppressible. A virtual absence of color is depressing and when the world turns grey we are instinctively conditioned to draw in and prepare for hibernation. Unless the precise tone is right, grey has a dampening effect on other colors used with it. Heavy use of grey usually indicates a lack of confidence and fear of exposure.
POSITIVE
= Psychological neutrality.
NEGATIVE
= Lack of confidence, dampness, depression, hibernation, lack of energy.
BLACK
Black is all colors, totally absorbed. The psychological implications of that are considerable. It creates protective barriers, as it absorbs all the energy coming towards you, and it enshrouds the personality. Black is essentially an absence of light, since no wavelengths are reflected and it can, therefore be menacing; many people are afraid of the dark. Positively, it communicates absolute clarity, with no fine nuances. It communicates sophistication and uncompromising excellence and it works particularly well with white. Black creates a perception of weight and seriousness.
Positive
= Sophistication, glamour, security, emotional safety, efficiency, substance.
Negative
= Oppression, coldness, menace, heaviness.
WHITE
Just as black is total absorption, so white is total reflection. In effect, it reflects the full force of the spectrum into our eyes. Thus it also creates barriers, but differently from black, and it is often a strain to look at. It communicates, "Touch me not!" White is purity and, like black, uncompromising; it is clean, hygienic, and sterile. The concept of sterility can also be negative. Visually, white gives a heightened perception of space. The negative effect of white on warm colors is to make them look and feel garish.
Positive
= Hygiene, sterility, clarity, purity, cleanness, simplicity, sophistication, efficiency.
Negative
= Sterility, coldness, barriers, unfriendliness, elitism.
BROWN
Brown usually consists of red and yellow, with a large percentage of black. Consequently, it has much of the same seriousness as black, but is warmer and softer. It has elements of the red and yellow properties. Brown has associations with the earth and the natural world. It is a solid, reliable color and most people find it quietly supportive - more positively than the ever-popular black, which is suppressive, rather than supportive.
Positive
= Seriousness, warmth, Nature, earthiness, reliability, support.
Negative
= Lack of humor, heaviness, lack of sophistication.
This is some of the infographic that show about the color psychology about relate to the emotion
REFERENCE
- http://www.colour-affects.co.uk/psychological-properties-of-colours
- http://www.motocms.com/blog/en/best-infographics-web-designers-color-theory/
