The Importance of Color

With Valentines day coming, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the importance that color has in our everyday lives and what colors mean to you.

Think of winter time.
In the summer, our senses are filled with varying colors, green grass and leaves, colorful flowers and birds, golden sunshine...you get the picture...now more people get depressed in the winter because for most of us, the colors are gone and we are left with drab and gray...not like the gray stormy days of summer...you still have the vivid hues of greens and reds and yellows... made even more intense against the darkened sky. Not so in winter....it does get depressing doesn't it.

Our minds associate things with certain colors... I wonder why?

Take red... it is associated with everything from love to rage... Red makes me think of heat...warmth...
Blue... associated most often with sadness... it makes me think...cool...icy....
Yellow... a happy color... makes me think of sunshine.
Green... provision comes to mind of course, it is the color of money, but also, to me green is soothing.
Orange... also a joyous color...celebration comes to mind and again warmth and coziness.
Purple... often associated with passion... in my mind not so... Its a mean color to me...makes me think of bruises. I don't find it a comforting color.
Brown... again a warm color... the comforter on my bed is brown...makes me think of dark wood.. cabin...warmth
Black... not a color actually, but we associate it with everything from sexy to death. Not a comfort color for me but I am sure it is for some.

I think that is enough out of me, you get the point. Do you have a favorite color. Why is it your favorite? Why is color so important to us. Imagine a world without color...colors can evoke emotions, they can be calming, they can make you fearful... they can affect your mood, increase productivity in the work place..color is powerful!

Color is very important to me because I paint. I tend to like warm vibrant colors like reds, pinks, and oranges best but I also like jewel tones like sapphire blue and emerald green.

I went through a "dark" phase in my painting a few years ago where everything I painted was rather drab and a little gloomy. Probably because at that time I myself was usually feeling "gloomy" and it showed in my paintings.

Well that passed thank goodness...

Now I like useing brighter colors and my paintings look happier and more alive. I get compliments on my recent work alot more than on the old "dark me".

Color is powerful.

I tend to lean more towards warm dark colors... my carpet is deep dark green, my sofa is a deep burgundy...... I like the feeling of warmth and coziness... happy painting!!!

Thank you for bringing up one of my favorite subjects: color.

Just think of the differences of a black and white drawing, compared to how it would look in full color. Totally different vibe.

But anyway, here are what colors mean to me:

Orange and Red: action, accomplishment, anger, rash decisions.

Blue: contemplative, dream like, replenishing, restful.

Yellow: things of a solar nature, and also higher stages of thought, enlightenment.

Gray: neutral between white and black. Balanced.

Pink: feminine, loving, caring.

Green: medicinal.

Oh I'm so glad you're not reporting on a study I saw last week.
It was on the same topic, the importance of color, and showed a color wheel, that, in my opinion was a farce. It gave credence to colors, matched with moods that were, again, in my opinion WAY out of line.

I'll see if I can find it and see what you all think.

peace

reply to post by Greenize


Nice thread Greenize.

I've noticed that you associate certain colors with certain emotions and feelings. But in a thread i did last year i raised the question if it is possible for colors to be associated to something not so logical.

It was called "what's the color of numbers" and it surprised me that a lot of people unknowingly ascribe certain colors to certain numbers, letters or words...

To say that the word "grass" is associated to the color green is a no-brainer but to say the letter "A" to me is red is not so logical. I guess if i pluck my brain long enough i would find an answer why my brain makes this association.

Anyway, good thread. S+F....

Peace


[edit on 14-2-2010 by operation mindcrime]

reply to post by Greenize


I just went through that old thread and found something you might find interesting to read..

Synesthesia

Peace

reply to post by operation mindcrime


I took a look at that Synesthesia thing and I must say, I don't think of numbers and letters in that way. It is really interesting. Reminds me of people who can see music.

reply to post by SolarE-Souljah


Yeah, i just found what the OP questioned:

Our minds associate things with certain colors... I wonder why?

To be fairly accurately summed up by this description:

Synesthesia is a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.

Peace

Thanks for this thread!

My favorite colors are purples and browns. Of course I like pinks.

Colors, for me really influence my mood.

For example, living in a rental everything is white.. including kitchen cabinets and appliances. I constantly feel like I live in an asylum (so glad we bought a house and our moving soon) but in the meantime I have a lot of large brown pictures of nature and such to help me relax.. for some reason with white I just can't relax.

Light greens are very soothing for me .. colors that help me relax are Light Green, Browns, Deep Reds and Burnt Oranges.

Colors I like to wear are purples, browns, blacks, teals and pinks.

IDK why but I like my sheets to be light blue.

I like to decorate my bathroom in bright colors.

That's just me.

Originally posted by galatea
but in the meantime I have a lot of large brown pictures of nature and such to help me relax.. for some reason with white I just can't relax.

Same here. White walls scare me. It just seems so fake and constructed, know what I mean? of course you do. you are the one who brought it up.

But really, being surrounded by white walls with no pictures or anything is quite a creepy feeling.