"Color Theory & Color Meaning"

 

Color Theory is not just a term that has one specific definition, but more of a guide to color combination and how different colors work with each other. This includes what those combinations could mean, what individual colors mean, and how color properties give the person seeing them a message. Today, I am going through how colors can create meaning.

How some colors can add onto others.

Colors may have some classification so that a person may use them in certain circumstances. These categories can be some as follows"

1. Positive and negative

2. Warm and cold

3. Receding and advancing

etc...

Positive and Negative colors

As you can see from this small graphic, some colors and classified as Positive, neutral, and negative. If this is noticed carefully, we can see that the positive colors don't really share the same color itself, but more of the same brightness and tone. These positive colors tend to be very bright and light, showing a sign of brightness and happiness, or in other words, positive. These share more characteristics to the neutral colors, but they both have one difference; the neutral colors seem to be bolder and not exactly on one side. They don't seem too bright or dark, or too light or dim. This gives a major difference in deciding how to address your audience to a specific topic. Now, we can move on to the negative colors, which now show a change of color itself too. We now see dark and murky colors, such as black, dark blue, brown, grey, etc. These colors provoke a sense of fear, or as some might say, a sense of negativity

Warm and cold colors

 

Hot and warm colors have had some particular importance for a long time, especially in art. Warm colors give a sense of brightness and activeness, while cold colors give a murky and grayish nature to what is being portrayed. An important aspect to remember is that even if there are some neutral colors like gray and white, these colors usually tend to be cooler than neutral. These colors, when used in rooms, can create a big difference in how people visualize the place, too. Warm colors, like red and orange, can make a big room feel cozier and inviting, especially if it gets used a lot. Cold colors like dark green and blue can make a small room feel more expanded and spacious. These colors can toll a psychological effect on those who perceive them. This way, many people can plan with these colors accordingly, and hopefully, use them to their advantage.

Monochromatic (Def)

Monochromatic simply means that there is only one color in use, but with a variety of shades and tones to change the meaning of the specific color. For example, the dark green shown in this picture would give a more forest imprint, and the light green would signal more of a success signal and some growth attributes. This can be crucial when different emotions want to be exerted

Science with the Color Theory

 For most science magazines, colors can be used interchangeably, because of how broad the topic is. For example, both of these magazines are science ones, and their colors are neutral, warm, cold, positive, and negative. Notice how in the second magazine, the background is monochromatic, having the gray shown at a brighter light in the center of the main picture. In their right one, monochrome is used again, having the whole page red under the title, and having the background dark, and the rest of what it wants to show light red. Colors can be used interchangeably for science magazines if for the right purposes.

Sources:

Color theory basics: The color wheel and finding complementary colors. Color Meanings. (2021, October 3). Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.color-meanings.com/color-wheel-theory-complementary-colors/

Color theory. COLOR. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2022, from http://web.mit.edu/22.51/www/Extras/color_theory/color.html

Guide to warm and cool paint colors: Benjamin Moore. Guide to Warm and Cool Paint Colors | Benjamin Moore. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2022, from https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/color-insights/warm-and-cool-colors