Colour: Part 1

Colour is everywhere. It adds vibrancy to our lives, it is used as a tool to grab our attention and to sooth our nervous system. Each colour and the many hues within a colour, affect our perception of the coloured object or place; and react with and inform the other colours in which it is among.

For the next few weeks, once a week, I will be writing about all things colour. Today, let’s get to the basics and discuss what colour is and the colours of the rainbow.

Colours are wavelengths. When an object looks red, it does so because it has absorbed all the wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum except for that which corresponds to the colour red—which is reflected back to us.

Warm Colours

Warm colours--red, orange and yellow--attract attention and are energizing. This is because they are located at the end of the spectrum and have longer wavelengths of light. As a result, they demand more adjustment from our eyes 

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Red: Add red to a room to add some punch or to warm it up. Avoid using too much red in a bedroom or a space where your hope to unwind, rather than feel stimulated.

Orange: Art Nouveau, an artistic movement that was very popular in Europe in the 1900s, began to incorporate orange in there decorative schemes. Orange, in North America, is often associated with modernity. Like red, orange is a very energizing colour.

Yellow: Like the sun, yellow is bright and uplifting. Like a lemon, it is zesty and refreshing.  There are many variations of yellow – from creamy buttermilk, to golden shades, to vibrant hues. Indian yellow, a very popular colour in paintings, used to be made in India where cows were restricted to eating mango leaves and water. Their urine was collected and dried to produce yellow balls of raw pigment which artists then mixed with a solvent. Thankfully, the Indian Yellow found today is a synthetic version of this ancient colour.

Neutral

Green: Located the middle of the electromagnetic spectrum, Green is the most peaceful colour to view. It evokes feelings of calm, of organic life forms found in nature, of equanimity. The colour green has even been thought to have healing properties, which go back to ancient times. 

Cool Colours
With shorter wave lengths, these colours are soothing. They are also distancing, and can make a small space feel more expansive. 

Blue: During the 11^th, 12^th, and 17^th centuries, Ultramarine Blue, known then as Lapis Lazuli (one of my favourite hues!) was praised as one of the valuable paint colours and was used sparingly in important illuminated manuscripts. The variety of blues available is incredible. I have always found blue to be a rather soothing colour, perhaps because it reminds me of the beautiful blue waves in the ocean. Blue is often associated with feelings of cleanliness. You might notice that many cleaning companies use the colour blue in their logos.

Indigo/Violet: At the end of the spectrum, is Indigo and Violet. Like blue, they are soothing colours. In North America, indigo and violet have traditionally been referenced to femininity. I am glad to see violet becoming more gender neutral.

However, these colour ‘rules’ can always be broken. Next week, learn how you can make a warm colour cooler and how to make a vibrant colour less punchy!