Psychological Effects of Colour

Abstract

Colour makes an immediate visual impact and creates mood. Physicists, physiologists, psychologists and industrialists work with the visual and emotional effects of colours. Our emotional reactions to certain colours are partly due to the symbolic meanings that have association with them. In the earlier days, colours were used to convey definite ideas to the people who were unable to read. White was employed for innocence, black for evil or death, grey for penitence, red for love, blue for sincerity or hope etc. Colour because of its emotional effect upon us, is largely responsible for the atmosphere of a home. It is capable of soothing or irritating, cheering or depressing, charming or boring, welcoming or repelling. An important thing for a decorator to know is how to use colour for its emotional effect. Different colours excite different emotional responses and some persons are more sensitive and more stimulated than others.

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J Biotechnol Bioinforma Res, 2023 Volume 5(2): 1-2
Mini Review Open Access
Psychological Eects of Colour
Professor and Head, Dept. of RMCS, Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, India
Vijaya Lakshmi V
Colour makes an immediate visual impact and creates mood.
Physicists, physiologists, psychologists and industrialists work
with the visual and emotional effects of colours. Our emotional
reactions to certain colours are partly due to the symbolic
meanings that have association with them. In the earlier days,
colours were used to convey denite ideas to the people who
were unable to read. White was employed for innocence, black
for evil or death, grey for penitence, red for love, blue for sincerity
or hope etc. Colour because of its emotional effect upon us, is
largely responsible for the atmosphere of a home. It is capable of
soothing or irritating, cheering or depressing, charming or boring,
welcoming or repelling. An important thing for a decorator to know
is how to use colour for its emotional effect. Different colours
excite different emotional responses and some persons are more
sensitive and more stimulated than others.
Yellow
It is the colour of the sun and articial light, is associated with
cheerfulness, gaiety, humor, buoyancy, optimism, exultation,
sympathy, pleasant and even prosperity. It is the symbol of
power for Greeks and Egyptians. The stimulus of yellow colour
is emotional. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-
esteem; it is the colour of condence and optimism. In home
decoration yellow is indispensable, because more than any other
colour it gives the effect of light. The modied yellows, such as
buff, cream, ivory, beige, pale lime yellow and pale banana yellow
are useful wall colours because they are harmonious with each
other and used in draperies, carpets and upholstery. Examples of
tints and shades of yellow are Lemon yellow, gold, harvest yellow,
maize yellow, mustard yellow and sunlight yellow. Yellow is also
used for exterior house especially for shutters. The darker and
more neutralized yellows and greenish yellows are associated with
sickness, disease, indecency, cowardice, jealousy, envy, deceit
and treachery. Dangerous and ammable materials like fuel oil,
gasoline, kerosene etc. are indicated by yellow colour.
Blue
It is the coolest of the cool colours. It suggests rest, repose, calm,
dignity, serenity, passiveness and tranquility. It also signies
sincerity and hope. It is the colour of clear skies and deep water,
so, it is associated with coolness. Blue objects do not appear to
be as close to us as red ones. It expresses distance, spaciousness,
loftiness, formality, restraint, happiness, truth and honor. Blue is
the colour of the mind and is essentially soothing; it affects us
mentally, rather than the physical reaction we have to red. Intense
blue can be a helpful accent. Examples of tints and shades of
blue are aquamarine, royal blue, sea blue, navy blue, periwinkle
blue, peacock blue, indigo, iris blue, turquoise blue and cyan.
Blue is used as a caution against movement or use of equipment
being worked on such as elevators, scaffolding etc. and also for
protective materials.
Blue can be used to promote products and services related to
cleanliness (water purication lters, cleaning liquids, vodka), air
and sky (airlines, airports, air conditioners), water and sea (sea
voyages, mineral water). According to research studies, blue is
a masculine colour as it is highly accepted among males. Dark
blue is associated with depth, expertise and stability. Light blue
represents health, healing, tranquility, understanding and softness.
Red
It is the colour of re and blood. It is expressive of primitive
passion, war, vigor, power, movement, tension and danger, and
aggression. It is the symbol of love, vigor, action, virility and sex.
It’s hot, exciting and stimulating. Bright red should be used in
limited area to add life and cheer. Effect of red colour is physical.
Although not technically the most visible, it has the property of
appearing to be nearer than it is and therefore it grabs our attention
rst. Hence it is effective in trafc lights all over the world. In
decoration, red gives impression of splendor, warmth, hospitality
and exhilaration. It is cheerful but not restful and so must be used
discreetly. Cool reds like harmonize with blues and purples. Warm
reds like tomatoes harmonize with yellow and orange. Dark, dull,
raspberry red has proved to be a successful colour for carpets.
Examples of tints and shades of red are maroon, crimson, pink,
cherry red, straw berry red, tomato red etc. Interestingly, Red is
the only colour that has an entirely separate name for its tints
while tints of blue, green, yellow, etc. are simply called light blue,
light green etc. Other names of tints and shades of red colour are
Amaranth red, Salmon red, cardinal red, raspberry, tomato red,
blood red, pomegranate red, cherry red, beetroot red, onion peel,
pearl pink and re red. Pink should be usually grayed if used in
large quantities. If pink and blue are used together, pink should
be slightly orchid and the blue should have a violet. Red is used
for re protection systems and equipment and stop signals.
Journal of Biotechnology &
Bioinformatics Research
ISSN: 2755-0168
*Corresponding author
Vijaya Lakshmi V, Professor and Head, Dept of RMCS, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University, Rajendranagar mandal,
Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Received: March 01, 2023; Accepted: March 08, 2023; Published: March 15, 2023

Citation: Vijaya Lakshmi V (2023) Psychological Eects of Colour. Journal of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Research. SRC/JBBR-160.
DOI: doi.org/10.47363/JBBR/2023 (5)157
J Biotechnol Bioinforma Res, 2023 Volume 5(2): 2-2
Green
Compared to the other colours, green is relatively neutral in its
emotional effect, tending to be more passive than active. Being
in the centre of the spectrum, it is the colour of balance - a more
important concept than many people realise. In ordinary usage
green expresses freshness, raw, callow youth and immaturity.
It is associated with luck of Irish. Green is the colour of grass,
leaves and vegetables and naturally suggests rest, cool shade
and refreshment, all pleasant things. Negatively, it can indicate
stagnation. Some colorists say that green has negative qualities
as well as positive ones and that it suggests envy, jealousy and
ill health. It also denotes life, spring and hope. The most usable
greens are those that have been reduced in density and made
subtle. Greens that are employed on the exteriors of houses or on
garden furniture or fences should be warm in quality so that they
will harmonize with the colour of the foliage. Examples of tints
and shades of green are navy green, military green, moss green,
apple green, leafy green, spring green, sea green, grape green,
algae green, sap green, mint green, olive green, asparagus green,
emerald green, pine tree green, avocado green, pear, parrot green,
fern green, moss green etc. Green is used for safety i.e. rst aid
dispensary or kits, stretchers, safety showers etc.
Orange
It shares the qualities of reds and yellow. So it is the combination of
physical and emotional. It focuses our minds on issues of physical
comfort - food, warmth, shelter etc. - and sensuality. In its pure
form it is so warm, hence should be used in small quantities. It
is a ‘fun’ colour. It expresses energy, spirit, hope, courage and
cordiality. Neutralized forms of orange like peach, rust, copper
are used in home decoration radiate hospitality and cheer. Other
tints and shades of orange are Amber, Apricot, carrot orange,
pumpkin orange, and papaya orange. Dangerous parts of moving
machinery are colored with orange.
Violet
The shortest wavelength is violet, often described as purple. It is
made of red and blue, which possess quite opposite characteristics
and when mixed cancel each other’s effect, so that purple is
somewhat gentle and vague. It is highly introversive and encourages
deep contemplation, or meditation. Hence it is a spiritual colour. It
has associations with royalty and usually communicates the nest
possible quality. It suggests mystery, dignity, reection, mourning,
philosophical musing and twilight. It is the symbol of royalty. It
must be used with caution. It is artistic suggesting subtlety and
sensitivity. Royal violet projects dignity and some violets project
tension and depression. Eg; lilac, lavender etc. Valuable materials
are colored with violet.
Brown
It suggests seriousness, warmth, Nature, earthiness, reliability
and support. It also has some negative qualities like lack of
humour, heaviness and lack of sophistication. It is designated
to peasants during middle ages, thus associated with humility. It
is the reminiscent of autumn, harvest and decay. It ranges from
yellow to red in cast and has richness and depth. Brown is used
for walls with natural wood furniture and light beige rugs or with
one striking colour such as turquoise or cherry red. Chocolate,
burnt cinnamon, or other red-browns are more usable than yellow-
browns. Other forms of brown are chestnut brown, rust colour,
wheat brown, almond brown, mud brown, sand colour, buff,
copper brown etc.
Black
It is the powerful accent colour, depressing if used in excess.
Black is essentially an absence of light, since no wavelengths are
reected and it can, therefore be menacing; many people are afraid
of the dark. It suggests weight, dignity, formality and solemnity,
evil, old age, silence, subdued, profound and depressing. Black is
also indicative of sorrow, gloom, death, secrecy and terror. It also
suggests efciency, substance, mystery, wisdom or sophistication.
To a decorative scheme of dark colours, it adds spirit and interest,
but in a light colour scheme, it gives too much contrast and makes
other colour appear faded. Electrical conduit is colored with black.
Creates a perception of weight and seriousness. It is a solid, reliable
colour and most people nd it quietly supportive.
Gray
It is produced by mixing black and white, has no particular
character of its own, although in light tints it seems gentle and
serene and in dark shades it is dignied and restrained. When
used with limited areas of chromatic colours, grays are useful.
They provide sober and good background colour and are subject
to dullness; giving an impression of monotony. It is associated
with retirement, sadness, modesty and indifference. It has negative
effects like lack of condence, dampness, depression, hibernation
and lack of energy.
White
Just as black is total absorption, so white is total reection. In
effect, it reects the full force of the spectrum into our eyes. It
communicates, “Touch me not!” It is the safe colour and can be
used in large areas. It is associated with cleanliness and sanitation.
It is positive, stimulating, luminous, airy, light and delicate. It
suggests clarity, openness, brightness, purity, chastity, innocence,
faith, truth, peace and surrender. It also signies honesty and
integrity. White used with accents imply modernity and high style.
Sanitary equipment are colored with white. Visually, white gives
a heightened perception of space. The negative effect of white on
warm colours is to make them look and feel garish [1-5].
References
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Ruth Morton, Hilda Geuther, Virginia Guthrie (1970) the
Home its Furnishings and Equipment. Webster Division,
McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York.
2.
Parimalam P, Andal A, Premalatha MR (2008) a text book of
Interior Decoration, Satish Serial Publishing House and Delhi.
3. Harriet Goldstein, Veita Goldstein (1954) Art in Everyday
Life, Fourth edi, Macmillan Publishing Co. INC.
4.
Premavathy Seetharaman, Parveen Pannu (2009) Interior
Design and Decoration. CBS Publishers and Distributors
Pvt Ltd. New Delhi.
5. Lynn M Jones, Phyllis S Allen (2009) Beginnings of Interior
Environments. 10 Edition. Pearson Education Inc., New
Jersey.
Copyright: ©2023 Vijaya Lakshmi V. This is an open-access article distributed
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