Color Psychology
• Black: Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil.
• White: Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility. White is the color of ultimate purity. This color brings feelings of peace and comfort while it dispels shock and despair. White can be used to give yourself a feeling of freedom and uncluttered openness. Too much white can give feelings of separation and can be cold and isolation.
• Gray: Gray is the color of independence and self-reliance, although usually thought of as a negative color. It can be the color of evasion and non-commitment (since it is neither black nor white.) Gray indicates separation, lack of involvement and ultimately loneliness.
• Red: The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of passionate love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier.
Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing.
• Pink The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Helps muscles relax. Red is sometimes associated with sexuality, whereas pink is associated with unselfish love. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.
• Orange: Orange can be beneficial to the digestive system and can strengthen the immune system.
Orange has shown to have only positive affects on your emotional state. This color relieves feelings of self-pity, lack of self-worth and unwillingness to forgive. Orange opens emotions and is a terrific antidepressant.
• Low Intensity Orange: Creates a feeling of warmth, like snuggling in front of a fire with a cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter’s day
• Blue: The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.
• Low Intensity Blue: Dull Blue give us the feeling of sadness, depression, dirtiness, despair. Shortly after the suicide of Picasso's friend Casagemas, Picasso began to produce works that were suffused in low intensity blue. This particular pigment is effective in conveying a sombre tone.
• Green: Green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. Green creates feelings of comfort, laziness, relaxation, calmness. It helps us balance and soothe our emotions. Some attribute this to its connection with nature and our natural feelings of affiliation with the natural world when experiencing the color green. Yet, darker and grayer greens can have the opposite effect. These olive green colors remind us of decay and death and can actually have a detrimental effect on physical and emotional health.
• Yellow: Yellow is a happy and uplifting color. It can also be associated with intellectual thinking: discernment, memory, clear thinking, decision-making and good judgment.
• Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.
• Purple have shown to help balance the mind and transform obsessions and fears. Violet is associated with bringing peace and combating shock and fear. Violet has a cleansing effect with emotional disturbances. Also, this color is related to sensitivity to beauty, high ideals and stimulates creativity, spirituality and compassion.
• Purple is often associated with royalty and wealth
• Brown: Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful.
Dominant Line:
Vertical Lines:
- static, inactive
- express stability
- dignity, poise, stiffness, formality
- give a religious feeling, like the columns of a cathedral
- make heavy people look thinner
Horizontal Lines:
- static
- peace, quiet, rest
- comfortable, relaxed calm
- safe
Diagonals
- express instability, tension
- excitement, activity
- creates discomfort
Zig-Zag
- Frenetic, active, feelings of excitement
- nervousness
- creates confusion
Curved lines
- Graceful, elegance, beauty
- luxury ( Louis XIV furniture)
- show activity because of the changing direction