There has been a tremendous amount of research on how color affects human beings and some of this research suggests that men and women may respond to colors differently. Color effects us emotionally, with different colors evoking different emotions. In short color has the capacity to effect the human nervous system.
Color Vocabulary:
- Hue: refers to the names of the primary colors, red, green and blue.
- Value: lightness and darkness of the color - the amount of white or black added.
- Intensity: the purity or saturation of the color
- Monochromatic color: use of one color where only the value of the color changes
- Analogous colors: colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel, e.g. yellow and green
Analogous colors next to each other on the color wheel "get along" and are referred to as being harmonious. Analogous colors are often used in visual design and have a soothing affect.
Complementary colors: colors opposite to each other on the color wheel, e.g. Blue-violet and yellow, represent colors positioned across from each other on the color wheel. Complimentary colors exhibit more contrast when positioned adjacent to each other -for example yellow appears more intense when positioned on or beside blue or violet (see picture below).
In the photograph above - green and yellow are analogous colors that harmonize where as the violet color of the shooting stars appears more intense against a complementary colored background.
Warm colors include: yellows, red and orange we associate these with blood, sun and fire.
Cool colors include: violet, blue and green because of our association with snow and ice.
Source: COMPOSITION & the ELEMENTS of VISUAL DESIGN
Activity: Record the Colors Around You
As you are out and about this season, note the colors around you and how they make you feel. What colors are you most drawn to? Which ones repel you? What types of color combinations do you like? Are the Analagous? Complimentary? Cool? Warm?
Do you find these colors in your wardrobe? in your house? If not, why?
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