Art Tips
Color, The Essence of our lives
by Nancy Muldowney
Our world would be so different if there was no color in it. As a matter of fact there was a movie made recently which depicted everything in black and white until something happened to a character and then they were in full color. These characters in color certainly stood out against their neutral background and the other black and white characters.
Few animals other than humans even seem to see in color. I've also discovered in talking to other artists that we do not all see colors the same. We know that some people say that they are colorblind. But, still we all do not see colors the same. I may see a red as having more yellow in it and you may see more blue in it. Also quantities of a color make it different. How many times have you picked out a color chip at the paint store, only to find it quite a bit more intense than you imagined when you started putting it on a wall?
We also see color differently on just an individual basis. Personalities come into play with preferences to color. Among adolescents, the adventurous will prefer red while the more reserved will prefer blue and perhaps those who are wanting to be isolationists will dress all in black as a statement to keep others away. Elderly people seem to prefer light colors over dark but then yellow is a color they tend to like least. Extroverts prefer warm hues to the cool hues preferred by introverts. However, people may also be drawn to color representing qualities they lack, for balance.
Emotional responses to color are quite varied. Our responses to color are influenced by our cultural backgrounds. Black is associated with mourning in western cultures but in the West Indies bright colors are used to commemorate death in celebration of the soul's departure for a happier existence. In China, white is used for mourning. Even the variations in a hue will change the symbolic meaning. In Catholic religious art, the blue of a clear sky is often used to symbolize heaven whereas the Virgin Mary's robe is apt to be a darker blue black, which is more in tune with an expression of her sorrow over the death of her son.
According to the work of psychologist E.R. Jaensch, people from strongly sunlit countries tend to prefer warm, bright colors, while those from countries with less sunlight tend to prefer cooler, less intensely saturated colors. This is probably due to people's eyes that have adapted to protect them from sunlight. To prove this point, Scandinavians tested showed a preference for blue and green, while Mediterranean people preferred red and other warm hues.
Also colors that we feel comfortable with influence our attitudes and productivity. A study of 6 to 11 year olds wearing goggles with colored eyepieces while doing a pegboard test showed that they completed the test much more quickly and accurately when they were wearing goggles of their favorite color.
Color is an important part of our lives. It helps our moods and our productivity and our attitudes. It is interesting to recognize the colors we surround ourselves with in our clothing and our environment. Color is an essential part of our business - the art and framing business.
(Information on studies were drawn from COLOR by Paul Zelanski & Mary Pat Fisher)