Color Associations

My favorite thing about spring: Bike rides! I get to see all the flowers blooming, butterflies fluttering, and squirrels climbing. Love it =)

One thing to think about when using color, in your home, in art, etc., is the associations people have with the colors you use. You can accentuate these associations or you can defy them. You can try to ignore them, but they will still be there when people view your work. Although some people argue that color associations are based in linguistic associations, and therefore vary based on your community, we can see that many are pervasive throughout time and across nations (such as red for warning signs).

Silver is associated with moonlight, spiritual powers, mystery, and harmony. Only its reflectivity sets it apart from gray, which can mean neutrality, depression, lack of energy and confidence. What are you conveying?

Gold represents the sun and money, security and abundance. It is warm and relaxing. Again it is only a shift away from yellow, which is optimism, extroversion, and confidence, even extravagance, but also fear.

Red is one of the strongest colors. It conveys passion, danger, anger, love, power - always strong emotions. Red is energy that can be used for strength or aggression, courage or defiance, warmth or warning.

Green means lucky, new, fresh, natural, fertile, healthy, successful, and wealthy. It means harmony and balance, refreshment, peace, but can also be associated with boredom and blandness. When someone is "green," are are inexperienced, environmentally friendly, or sick? Maybe he's green with envy, or full of money?

Blue is associated with calmness, coldness, serenity, wisdom, truth, and beauty. It can be intelligent and calm, but cold and aloof. A person is blue when they are sad, but blue skies means good fortune! I'm blue, da ba de, da ba di....da ba de, da ba di....[sorry, I couldn't help myself]

Violet has long been associated with royalty and luxury (and also decadence). It is also spiritual awareness, vision, truth, and quality. As the opposite of yellow, it is also introversion and suppression. Colors balance each other in so many ways!

Brown recalls earth, wood, stability, and warmth. It is natural and serious, but warm and supportive. It can lack humor and sophistication, but balances green and blue, the other colors of Earth.

What are your colors saying about you, your home, your art? What happens when you embrace our emotional associations? Ignore them?


Tip of the week: Pick your favorite colors and see what career you should follow here!

I hope you enjoyed this week's post! I worked hard on it ;D
♥aj

[all images via weheartit]