| Color Symbolism Chart |
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Excitement, energy, passion, love, desire, speed, strength, power, heat, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war, violence, all things intense and passionate. |
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Pink symbolizes love, romance, and excitement |
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Beige and ivory symbolize unification. Ivory symbolizes quiet and pleasantness. Beige symbolizes calm and simplicity. |
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Joy, happiness, betrayal, optimism, idealism, imagination, hope, sunshine, summer, gold, philosophy, dishonesty, cowardice, jealousy, covetousness, deceit, illness, hazard. |
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Peace, tranquility, cold, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, truth, confidence, conservatism, security, cleanliness, order, loyalty, sky, water, technology, depression, appetite suppressant. |
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Turquoise symbolizes calm. Teal symbolizes sophistication. Aquamarine symbolizes water. Lighter turquoise has a feminine appeal. |
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Royalty, nobility, spirituality, ceremony, mysterious, transformation, wisdom, enlightenment, cruelty, arrogance, mourning. |
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Lavender symbolizes femininity, grace and elegance. |
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Energy, balance, enthusiasm, warmth, vibrant, expansive, flamboyant, demanding of attention. |
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Nature, environment, healthy, good luck, renewal, youth, spring, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience, envy, misfortune, vigor. |
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Earth, stability, hearth, home, outdoors, reliability, comfort, endurance, simplicity, and comfort. |
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Security, reliability, intelligence, staid, modesty, dignity, maturity, solid, conservative, practical, old age, sadness, boring. Silver symbolizes calm. |
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Reverence, purity, birth, simplicity, cleanliness, peace, humility, precision, innocence, youth, winter, snow, good, sterility, marriage (Western cultures), death (Eastern cultures), cold, clinical. |
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Power, sexuality, sophistication, formality, elegance, wealth, mystery, fear, evil, unhappiness, depth, style, evil, sadness, remorse, anger, anonymity, underground, good technical color, mourning, death (Western cultures). |
How We See Color | Color Theory | Color in World Culture | Color in Symbolism | Art Lessons in Color | Color Matters
The world we see is filled with color. Color is important in art and in various cultures around the world. People of the world see colour differently. This is because tradition, religion, and symbolism affects how people feel about color.
Symbolism of Color: The meaning of color (Colour)
Like emotions, colors also symbolize different things. Color symbolism can have a powerful effect on human emotion. The color black represents evil or sadness. This is why the color black is used more in funerals. Black is also used when celebrating birthdays of people reaching middle age. The reason for this is that everyone is supposed to be sad that the person is getting old. When black is used this way, it also becomes funny. We call this irony, but that topic is for another time and another website. The color white symbolizes purity and life. This is why you see the color white in weddings and usually see angels dressed in white gowns. Color symbolizes different things in different parts of the world. For example, in Asia and the orient, the color white is considered a sad color. Colour symbolism is also important to companies around the world. When we think of certain colors and shapes we think of certain companies. McDonalds had yellow arches, Starbucks has a green and white symbol. A fun website that presents interactive animations and films on color communication and color symbolism is found at Color in Motion.
Here are other color symbols from around the world:
Western world:
Traffic lights: Red means stop, yellow means caution, and green means go. Yellow signs also warn drivers of upcoming curves, pedestrian crossings, and a animal crossings.
Patriotism: Most, if not all countries have a flag. The colors of each flag are usually seen as patriotic. Red, white, and blue symbolizes patriotism in the U.S.A.
Holidays: Red and green are favorite Christmas colours. Colors of Autumn such as orange, brown, yellow and red are associated with Thanksgiving with black and orange associated with Halloween. Pastel colors are used for Easter.
Emotions: Blue is seen as conservative. Red is power and aggression. Brighter color such as yellow and orange represent warmth not only with emotions but also with temperature. Cool colors are blue, green, black or any color with a dark shade.
Ecology: Obviously green is the major color symbolizing ecology. The new phrase for people or companies who find ways to cut back on electricity, fuel, or things that damage the environment is "going green."
Religion:
Colors are also used in religious ceremonies or represent aspects of religion. Native American include colors in religious ceremonies. The Navajo Nation considers four colors to be important: Turquoise, white, yellow, and black. These colors represent four sacred mountains. The Apache Nation also considers four colors to be important: Green, white, yellow and black. These are sacred colors of the white mountain and are also used in government. The Iowa Nation also considers four colors to be sacred: Black, yellow, red and white. They represent direction, their flag, and what they consider to be four races of man. [1]
Use in Therapy:
Colors are sometimes used in therapy. Colors have a huge effect on people who have brain disorders or who are emotionally troubled. The color blue has a calming effect on many people and lowers respiration and blood pressure. Red has the opposite effect. Some therapists use green to sooth and relax emotionally disturbed people who suffer from anxiety or depression. Some claim that the color violet is good for migraines but I doubt that claim because it would be used more extensively in the medical field. Yellow help energize people and relieves depression.
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Eastern World:
Marriage: White and pink are favorite just as in the western world.
Green: Eternity, family, harmony, health, peace, posterity
Happiness: Red
Helpful: Gray
Wealth: Blue, gold and purple
White: Children, helpful people, marriage,
mourning, peace, purity, travel
Gold: Strength, wealth
Evil or sadness- Just like in the western world- black. |
Color in World Culture
Color means many different things to different people and cultures. We all have our own favorite colors. People like different colors like they like different foods. Color also represents feelings, people, countries, cultures, and color symbolism. In the western world, the color red is seen frequently of symbolizing anger or aggression. Some car insurance companies charge more for red cars because some of the owners of red cars are more aggressive or take more risks.
Books about color
Black: The History of a Color - Black--favorite color of priests and penitents, artists and ascetics, fashion designers and fascists- has always stood for powerfully opposed ideas: authority and humility, sin and holiness, rebellion and conformity, wealth and poverty, good and bad. In this illustrated book, the acclaimed author of "Blue" now tells the fascinating social history of the color black in Europe.
Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism - Does color have an effect on our feelings? The phenomenon of color is examined in new ways in John Gage's latest book. His study is informed by the conviction that color is a contingent, historical occurrence whose meaning, like language, lies in the particular contexts in which it is experienced and interpreted.
Veiled Brightness: A History of Ancient Maya Color - Veiled Brightness reconstructs what color meant to the ancient Maya, a set of linked peoples and societies who flourished in and around the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and Central America. By using insights from archaeology, linguistics, art history, and conservation, the book charts over two millennia of color use in a region celebrated for its aesthetic refinement and high degree of craftsmanship.
Pantone Guide to Communicating with Color - This authoritative guide presents hundreds of color combinations and color principles needed to create effective designs. Every lesson is demonstrated by example, enabling designers of all specialties and levels of experience to make the best color choices for every type of design.
Lessons in Color
Links
more about color
How We See Color | Color Theory | Color in World Culture
Color in Symbolism | Art Lessons in Color | Color Matters
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