Emotion & Colour

This is 'light painter' by Tang Yau Hoong created using Photoshop and Illustrator. The piece is another example of how colour is enough to make a person feel something. The colour blue is dominant in the poster. This is because the artist is trying to convey a tranquil and calm atmosphere. It is very honest and open. The black silhouette of the man figure feels very lonely drowning in the blue colour. The mix of blue and black gives a feeling of sadness or depression. I feel that is what the intention was, as the little yellow being painted by the man signifies optimism. In fact the colour yellow, as pale as this one may be, still symbolizes imagination and hope.

This is a film poster entitled 'Red Army' by Boca. The strong colours caught my eye and gave off very strong feelings. The strong red colours are synonymous with Soviet Russia and give off a powerful and aggressive tone. Red is perceived as Power, aggression, strength, danger, war, violence. All these emotions and concepts spring to mind RED, for most. That description fits the posters team perfectly as it engulfs the viewer in the subject. The formidable, audacious adversary that is the Soviet Russian hokey team. The half black background acts as an emphasis on the fear the soviet russian team instilled in their opponents. Black is a colour that is perceived as fearful, evil, unknowing, remorse and others. So as we can see Colour play a crucial part in the overall team of the poster.
That is why as artists we should be aware of Colour and use it to help further our message to the viewer.

Here are some other Colours are perceived;

Pink; love, romance, caring, tenderness, acceptance.
Orange; energy, balance, enthusiasm, demanding, vibrant.
white; purity, simplicity, cleanness, peace.
Gray; secure, reliable, science, solid, secure, 
Lavender, femininity, elegance and grace.
yellow; optimism, joy, happiness, hazard, imagination.

Perception 2

As we have seen colour can be perceived differently depending on the composition of colours. Color also carries a meaning. This is a product of different cultures and societies for example; Americans find red white and blue (in unisons) to symbolize patriotism, as their flag is made up of those 3 colour.

Various colours carry different emotions and messages effectively and discreetly. Studies suggest that colour triggers our natural senses better than any other elements, some being shapes and symbols. Artists are aware of this and use colour to attract certain demographics and create a connection.

This is not a new discovery but has been know for a while now. Impressionism consisted of this technique, as the style was about conveying emotions. Bellow is a painting by Monet called 'Grainstack'. In said painting you can clearly see the importance of colour. The light, luminous effect created by the multiple shades of yellow gives of a very strong sense of a sunrise or sunset. It gives me a feeling of relief and optimism of what is to come. The yellow and reddish tones give a sense of warmth, as if it was real sunlight, over the pale blue tones.

In graphic design colour carries the same emotions and messages. That is why brands have moved closer to the use of colour, to grab the viewers attention and subside in their memory. Persuasion is the word.

The goal is to carry a personality with the brand through colour. That personality is what connects with corresponding individuals. For example the infamous Apple logo.

This particular Apple logos colour fits the brands personality perfectly. The colour Grey evokes balance, innovation, science and of course simplicity. That in my opinion is a fitting description for Apples future goals and history. This mature looking logo reflects a different personality when the colour is changed...

Above is another one of apples previous logos. This time it is abundant in colour. It gives off a different message than the previous logo. The multiple rainbow colours give off a playful and joyful personality. Yet innovative just the same as it still gives a message of forward thinking and unity.

It must always be kept in mind that it's not necessarily the colour itself that conveys these feelings and messages but rather the cultural perception individuals have of these colours.

Bellow is an infographic i found that sums up most of the well known brand logos and their corresponding colour emotions.