The psychology of colours

When I bring you coloured toys, my child, I understand why there is such a play of colours on clouds, on water and why flowers are painted in tints.
- Rabindranath Tagore

The world is full of colours. Anyone who is not colour blind will see white, red, orange, brown, yellow, gold, turquoise, blue, indigo, black, grey, silver, purple and many of their shades in everything nature has endowed with man. Colours are so much a part of our life that the human body seems to be intimately keyed to colours. Psychologists have linked various colours with our moods and states of the mind.

Different colours seem to promote diverse reactions. For instance, red is supposed to be an aggressive colour. It possesses the highest attention-grabbing value and suggests more or less violent actions. People taking part in a protest march are usually dressed in red. Sometimes they wear red caps or wave red flags. It might be thought that this is due to some vague association with blood and bloodshed. Red, by the way, has the most hurtful effect upon the sensitivity of the optic nerves. Bright scarlet or vermillion definitely has a far more stimulating effect on the beholder than the ordinary red.

As opposed to red, blue seems to be a “cold” colour that gives the impression of coolness and quietude. Blue is also associated with nobility and dignity. It is often said that if red can be called the brass band of colour, blue is the string orchestra. Blue is synonymous with intelligence and those who love it are very often deep thinkers. They are also people known for their integrity.

Light colour

While we consider red and blue as bright colours, yellow is supposed to be a light colour. This may be due to its close association with sunshine. Yellow promotes the sensation of mild warmth and gentle liveliness. Along with red and blue, yellow remains a primary colour. “Yellow people” are supposed to be optimistic and intelligent. They love new ideas and possess quick physical and mental reflexes. What is more, yellow also promotes peace and harmony.

White, of course, is the colour of light itself. It is composed of all the colours of the spectrum. Sir Isaac Newton discovered that by means of a prism the various constituents of light could be split into separate colours and so produce the spectrum. Even a child knows that a rainbow is merely sunlight split up by molecules of water suspended in the atmosphere during or immediately after the rainfall.

Some of the world’s prominent buildings, stupas and monuments are painted in white. The White House in Washington, Ruwanveli Mahaseya in Anuradhapura and Taj Mahal in India stand majestically mostly because of their colour. Even a person clad in pure white commands some respect from his fellowmen.

Depressing effect

Just as white reflects all the colours of the spectrum, black absorbs them all. Usually, black has a depressing effect as it is a colour closely associated with death. However, black is not all that gloomy. Modern architects and interior decorators go for black in a big way. According to them, black is the colour of the night sky, ebony and coal. It is supposed to be the first colour used by prehistoric man to draw various figures in caves. According to the celebrated French painter Henry Matisse, black is a “force” to reckon with. Today, the use of black in interior decor is a powerful statement, spelling out confidence and self-assertion.

What is remarkable is that all colours stand out when used in harmony with black. It can be used as a base colour on the walls or on the trimmings of a room. Today black is a great colour as far as interior decor is concerned.

The secondary colours are orange, green and purple. They are mixtures of the primary colours, naturally inducing modified responses of a similar character. Orange is a combination of light and warmth. Green signifies coolness and quietude. Purple is a combination of contradictory colours - red and blue. However, the effect is partially neutralised. Purple, on the other hand, has for centuries been adopted as the symbol of majesty and richness. The “Royal Purple” of the Romans is still used for similar purposes today.

We can never think of a world without colours. As P. B. Shelley said, “Life, like a dome of many-coloured glass, stains the white radiance of eternity.”