Meanings of colors  …

It’s hard to imagine anything related with drawing without asking few questions about colors and their meanings. It’s obvious they posses tremendous power on our moods and can even trigger certain emotions.

This means when we use particular color, we are consciously or unconsciously making several decisions. One of them is of course revealing how we feel in certain moment and about certain theme. Painting a sun black is definitely an expression of some kind of transformation, for instance. We all know that food packages often include red and yellow, while hygienic products are on blue and white. But there’s also a cultural context. Wedding protocol in the West promotes white for a wedding dress (symbol of new starts) and wedding tradition in the east prefers red (symbols of life). And there are combinations … Think about the national flags or sports team colors. Each color carries a unique story, and each color palette expands it even further.

Studying only the symbolism of colors of the roses can span throughout the whole life.

Another important decision is our message. Considering drawing or painting is sort of communication, we are talking to our audience. With some skill and right set of colors we can effect their emotions too. We can depress and we can inspire.

All colors also carry important symbolism which is conditioned with history, geography and other factors. So I can provide only approximate list of colors with their meanings. Use it with caution.

List of colors with positive and negative meanings

Blue: calmness                             coldness

Red: action                                   aggression

Yellow: optimism                        childishness

Purple: luxury                             vanity

Orange: self-confidence             superficiality

Green: freshness                         inexperience

Brown: practicality                    predictability

Black: power                               evilness

Gray: timelessness                    boredom

White: purity                             emptiness

What about numerous tones and shades? Color wheels have so much more than basic colors to offer!

Well, this is certainly a theme for many hours of debate, but this post should cover the basics. Every color can be used and abused and there is time and place for both in our lives.

Thanks for your visit. Have a colorful day!