Color Theory and Emotions
The use of color theory can be found in home decor, web page design or any area where visual aesthetics are important. What the human eye sees as different hues are actually light waves portrayed in varying frequencies. These frequencies can have an effect on a person's mood and emotions when set in certain arrangements.
Color Theory
Color theory is a method of understanding how colors are made and how the human eye perceives them. In their most basic form, colors are actually light waves that travel in different frequencies. White light -- like what the sun produces -- contains all the colors in the spectrum, and so contains their frequencies as well. The effects of color on the emotions can vary from culture to culture; however, the same physical processes apply regardless of culture.
Emotions
Information transferred within the brain is sent by electrical impulses. Thoughts, emotions and the regulation of every body process is coordinated by a series of electrical impulses traveling from one cell to the next. When the eye perceives a certain color, the frequency of that color is what allows the brain to distinguish one color from another. As a result, certain moods and emotions can arise depending on the wave's frequency, and on a person's cultural conditioning regarding emotions and color.
Primary Colors
White is the one color that contains all the colors of the spectrum; however, red, blue and green are considered the three primary colors of light from which all other colors are made. When red, green and blue light waves are combined in equal amounts, the color white is the result. A color wheel is used to position the three primary colors in relation to the others. The primaries appear as the most striking colors to the human eye, meaning they can have a strong impact on emotions.
Secondary Colors
Yellow, cyan and magenta are the result when the primary colors are mixed together in equal amounts. Yellow is made from the mixture of red and green. Cyan is made from the mixture of green and blue. Magenta is made from the mixture of blue and red. When viewed on a color wheel, the secondary colors sit in between the primary colors from which they are made. This mixture of colors -- in different amounts -- continues to form all the colors that appear on the wheel. As a result, the colors that are situated closest to each other complement one other, while contrasting colors will sit opposite each other on the wheel. When decorating a home, or a web page, how each color is situated can affect the overall mood and emotions of the viewer.
Effects
In the Western Hemisphere, the colors red, blue and green each evoke a certain mood, or emotion. The light wave frequencies in the color red are highly energized. As a result, red tends to evoke feelings of power and energy. Blue light wave frequencies appear as more tranquil and are perceived as a calming presence. The effects of green light waves is that of vitality, creativity and sharing. When mixed in different combinations, the light wave effects will vary depending on how much of a particular primary color is present. As a result, any change in hue can have a corresponding effect on the overall mood it evokes.
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