Colors not only make our existence brighter, but also determine our mood and influence our thoughts and actions. By distinguishing colors, we better recognize objects in the surrounding world and cope better with vital tasks. Colors also carry information important for communication. Research on the psychology of color perception clearly describes the effects of color in different life situations.
“The theory is dry, my friend, but the tree of life grows lushly green.” In a good Russian translation of Faust, this textbook phrase sounds exactly like this, but Goethe’s original text still looks somewhat different. In the original, this phrase sounds like this: “Grau, teurer Freund, ist alle Theorie, und griln des Lebens goldener Baum” (J.V. Goethe, “Faust” part I, scene IV). Theory great poet He calls it not dry, but grey, and his green tree of life is also golden. Goethe attributes a specific meaning to each color.
What the brilliant poet and color researcher expressed in poetry is still relevant today: colors play a very important role in our lives. Colors not only make our existence brighter, but also determine our mood and influence our thoughts and actions. By distinguishing colors, we better recognize objects in the surrounding world and cope better with vital tasks. Colors also carry information important for communication. Numerous studies on the psychology of color perception clearly and in detail describe the effects of color in different life situations. This knowledge is also applicable in the development and implementation of retail concepts.
In our study, we will first consider the neurophysiological aspects of color perception.
How we perceive colors
Color is a sensory impression that occurs when wavelength light stimuli of a certain length ( electromagnetic radiation in the range of approximately 180 to 780 nm, the so-called light spectrum) reach the receptors of the pupil. From there, this impulse is transmitted through neural networks to the brain and begins to be perceived as color. The perception of the color of surrounding objects is always subjective, since it arises only in the brain of the beholder. IN physical sense objects have no color, we just perceive them that way.
The physiological aspect of color perception is that during the process of evolution, photoreceptors appeared on the back of the human pupil. When exposed to electromagnetic waves with a length of 380 to 780 nm, they are capable of generating a physiological (nervous) signal. There are two types of photoreceptors: rods and cones. The rods recognize only the contrast of black and white, are very photosensitive and make vision possible in twilight and darkness. Cones are responsible for the perception of color. There are three types of cones that perceive short (blue), medium (green) and long wavelengths (red) of color radiation. Each combination of light rays falling on the retina excites these three types of cones in a certain way and gives a corresponding impression of color. Nerve impulses that originate at photoreceptors are transmitted through neural networks to the brain (transduction), where colors are eventually perceived consciously.
Psychology of color perception
Numerous psychological and sociological studies on this topic give a generally uniform picture. On the one hand, the emotional impact of colors is due to the properties of universal objects (blue sky, red blood, yellow sun, green grass, etc.), on the other hand, by the influence of culture, and it does not matter whether we are aware of its influence or not. IN Everyday life Not only painters, designers, graphic artists and other representatives of artistic professions deal with the symbolism of flowers. The emotional impact of flowers is reflected, for example, in language - everyone is familiar with the expressions “like a red rag for a bull”, “people in white coats”, “turn black with anger” and many others. The table gives options for the symbolism of flowers and the nature of their impact on humans.
| Color/tone | Associations and impact |
| Bright colors | Liveliness, brightness |
| Soft (pastel) colors | Calmness, softness |
| Yellow | Friendliness, cheerfulness, energy, liveliness, “sunny” atmosphere. When used over a large area, it creates a feeling of “cheapness” and causes anxiety. |
| Orange | Warmth, confidence, light. When used over a large area it also creates a feeling of “cheapness” |
| Blue | It has a relaxing, calming effect. By itself or in combination with white, blue color inspires a feeling of cold, sterility, and uncommunicability. Associated with ice and sea. The color of fidelity |
| Green | Stability, reliability. It has a refreshing, calming or neutral effect. Associated with nature and spring. Color of life |
| Brown | Creates an atmosphere of comfort and safety. Shades of brown are perceived as pleasant and conducive to communication. Beige color is perceived as pretentious. It is also the color of tradition. He is also credited with the meanings of “poverty”, “laziness”, “stupidity” and “philistinism” |
| Red | Activates and excites. A warm color that has long been considered the color of passion, provocation, and danger. This is the color of extremism, extremes |
| Pink | This color is much calmer than red. Pink is associated with intimacy and happiness. |
| Grey | Dignity, confidence. However, this color can have a depressing effect and inspire thoughts of old age. Emotionally - neutral |
| Black | Conveys depth, but can have a depressive effect, suggest thoughts of illness and death (mourning). In addition, it is associated with power |
| White | Symbolizes innocence, divinity, neutrality, and when used over a large area creates a feeling of sterility. |
Description of the study
When studying color perception, we conducted two experiments. In the first of them, subjects (10 men and 10 women) were shown differently colored slides and recorded neural activity when perceiving one color or another.
In the second experiment, participants were shown 30 photographs of couples kissing. Among these photographs were both monochrome (colored in different colors- red, yellow, blue, green, black), and colored. Each picture appeared in six color variations (in random order, for one second). The subjects received the instructions: “You will be shown photographs of kissing couples. Some of the photographs are portraits ordinary people, some are stills from films. Please rate how strong you think the feelings of the people in the photo are (on a scale of 1 to 5).”
When conducting the experiment, we specifically asked to “evaluate the feelings” of the people in the photographs, so that the attention of the experiment participants was not directed either to the color or to their subjective attitude towards it. It was investigated how various shades colors influence the emotional assessment of a particular photograph.
Research results
1. Color and transduction. The process of transduction (“translation” of a color stimulus into the language of the brain) during perception different colors takes different amounts of time and produces different levels of neural activity in the corresponding areas of the brain depending on which color is being processed.
Before the onset of conscious perception (approximately 200-300 ms), green and blue produce stronger neural excitation in the frontal lobe of the brain than red. Red, in turn, during the same time period activates neural activity in the occipital and temporal zones, which indicates the strong emotional impact of this color. It has been scientifically proven that impulses of visual stimuli, passing through the occipital and temporal zone, immediately enter the limbic system (the location of emotions). The truth of the saying “Blue is the color of reason, red is the color of passion” has now been proven from the point of view of neurophysiology.
2. Colors and emotions. The influence of colors on the emotional perception of the surrounding world is also explained by the fact that the peak of neural activity during color perception occurs 50-150 ms from the moment the stimulus begins (the period of subconscious perception). Thus, colors have a huge impact on cognitive (consciously experienced) processes, since during the period of their subconscious processing they cause a peak in neural activity.
3. The effect of colors on conscious perception. During conscious perception (which begins after 300 ms), colors affect neural activity in very different ways. In other words, the experience gained in the process of sociologization of the subject, as well as his individual color preferences, personal qualities and the structure of motivation have a very large influence on the perception of colors.
Exposure to certain colors causes similar reactions in different cultures. Thus, red color affects more intensely than blue and green, a bright contrasting combination of colors has a stronger effect than a dim one. If, for example, facial expressions (a biological reaction to a stimulus) are global, it is incorrect to talk about the existence of uniform reactions to different colors: the influence of cultural and social associations is too strong.
4. Color and gender. It would be interesting to conduct a detailed study and comparison of neurophysiological reactions in a time period up to 200 ms (subconscious perception) in men and women. It turned out that neural activity during color perception is higher in women than in men. Since this phenomenon was observed during the period of subconscious perception, it can be assumed that women react more emotionally to colors in general. On the contrary, men are more strongly influenced by black and white images.
Arndt Traindl, CEO Retail Branding AG. The material is published in an adapted translation from English
Each person's perception of color is quite subjective. Each of us likes some shades, dislikes some, and is indifferent to some. Thus, a personal color scale can be seen as an expression of individuality. And this scale changes throughout life. Thus, it is known that children under 7 years of age prefer shades of red and bright colors in general to all others. Most adults put blue at the top of their preference scale. But older people gravitate towards pastel colors And brown shades. In addition, a person’s internal inclinations towards one color or another are also determined by the environment. Thus, in non-industrial areas rich in forests, people are not drawn to the color green. I'm fed up with him environment. A person who works in production unconsciously yearns for the color green. Depending on the environment, even people’s thermal sensations can change. Scientific experiments have proven that at the same temperature in a blue or blue-green room it seems 3-4 degrees colder than in the same room painted orange.
In the late 1940s, Swiss psychologist Max Lüscher, based on an analysis of the characteristics of color perception by many people, developed color test, allowing you to determine the current psycho-emotional state of a person. Many psychologists regard this test as quite objective and really giving true results even when the person himself is mistaken about his condition. To get a detailed description of your current psychological state, you can find a lightweight version of the Luscher test on the Internet.
In this article we will focus only on the description of the features psychological perception primary colors, as well as their effects on humans and their bodies. Preference or rejection of certain colors will allow you to draw conclusions about the characteristics of your character.
Yellow. Due to the fact that yellow has both the greatest visibility and the least saturation among all pure spectral colors, its fatigue effect is the least. This color stimulates vision, nervous system and brain. It can be effective in cases of mental deficiency and calms certain nervous conditions (psychoneuroses). Yellow symbolizes cheerfulness, optimism, openness to communication, and friendliness. But when it is unpleasant, it speaks of a closed person who looks at his surroundings with pessimism, with whom it is difficult to establish contact.
Orange. This color is intermediate between red and yellow; its action to some extent combines the actions of both. In large quantities, orange can be as tiring and irritating as red. However, an overdose of any color causes Negative consequences. Orange is often favored by people who are intuitive and dreamers. However, such individuals are characterized by superficiality, instability of interests, and the need for frequent changes of impressions. In clothing, this color is preferred by people engaged in creative activities: artists, writers, etc.
Color perception is a complex process determined by physical and psychological stimuli. On the one hand, the sensation of color is caused by waves of a certain length that exist objectively and independently of us, on the other hand, the perception of color is impossible without the mediation of the eyes. This gives the impression that color exists only in perception.
Modern psychology distinguishes two qualitative levels in color vision: color sensation and color perception, and the creative topics of the course require a third level: color sense. If sensation is understood as the simplest psychological act directly determined by the physiology of vision, and perception is understood as a more complex process determined by a number of psychological laws, then the sense of color relates to the greatest extent to the emotional and aesthetic sphere.
The sensation of color as a simple visual act is also characteristic of some species of animals that have color vision. But for humans, a pure sensation of color does not exist. We always see color in a certain environment, against one background or another, in connection with an objective form. Consciousness also takes part in the sensation. The quality of color perception is influenced by the condition of the eye, the attitude of the observer, his age, upbringing, and general emotional state.
However, all this only changes the quality of perception to a certain extent, they only shift it in one direction or another. The color red, for example, will be perceived as red in any circumstances, except in cases of visual pathology. Let's look at some features of color perception.
SENSITIVITY OF THE EYE. Since the main differences between perceived colors come down to differences in lightness, hue and saturation, it is important to establish the ability of the eye to distinguish color changes in each of these parameters.
When studying the sensitivity of the eye to changes in color tone, it was found that the eye reacts differently to changes in wavelength in different parts of the spectrum. The color change is most noticeable in four parts of the spectrum, namely green-blue, orange-yellow, orange-red and blue-violet. The eye is least sensitive to the middle green part of the spectrum and to its end, red and violet. Under certain lighting conditions, the human eye can distinguish up to 150 shades of color. The number of differences in saturation noticeable by the eye is not the same for red, yellow and blue surfaces and ranges from 7 to 12 gradations.
The eye is most sensitive to changes in brightness - it can distinguish up to 600 gradations. The ability to distinguish color tones is not constant and depends on changes in color objects in saturation and brightness. As saturation decreases and brightness increases or decreases, we are less able to distinguish color tones. With minimal saturation, chromatic colors are reduced to two different tones: yellowish (warm) and bluish (cold). The color gamut is similarly depleted when chromatic colors become very close to white or black. Therefore, it is impossible to determine the possible total number of colors perceived by the eye by simply multiplying the quantities of different color tones, degrees of saturation and lightness.
The sensitivity of the eye to individual colors changes not only quantitatively, but also qualitatively depending on the illumination. In low light conditions, not only does the eye’s sensitivity to differences in color tones in general decrease, but this ability also shifts towards the short-wavelength part of the spectrum (blue and violet)
MIXING COLOR. Color mixing is one of the most important problems of color theory, because human vision deals with color mixing all the time. The sensation of surface color is caused in us not by a stream of light waves of one particular length, but by a combination of light waves of different lengths. What color we perceive will depend on what wavelength and intensity predominate in the stream of emitted light.
If two colored spots are located next to each other, then at a certain distance they create the impression of a single color. This mixture is called ADDITIVE (additive). If another colored transparent plate is superimposed on the painted surface, then mixing occurs as a result of the subtraction or screening out of some waves. This mixing is called subtractive or SUBTRACTIVE. The following three basic laws of optical mixing have been identified.
1. For every color there is another, complementary to it. When mixed, these two colors add up to an achromatic (white or gray) color.
2. Mixable (not complementary) colors lying across color wheel closer together than complementary colors cause the sensation of a new color lying between the colors being mixed. Red and yellow make orange. The second law is of greatest practical importance. It implies the fact that by mixing the three primary colors in various proportions, you can get almost any color tone.
3. The third law says that the same colors give the same shades of the mixture. This refers to cases of mixing the same colors, but different in saturation or lightness, as well as mixing chromatic with achromatic.
COMPLEMENTARY COLORS. The term complementary colors is very popular in art criticism. The exceptional role of these colors in creating color harmony is always noted.
Usually they call three pairs: red - green, blue - orange, yellow - violet, without taking into account that each of these generic names includes a wide range of color tones and not every green is complementary to every red.
In color science, color complementarity is defined as the ability of one color to complement another until an achromatic tone is obtained, i.e. white or gray as a result of optical mixing. It is calculated that each pair of colors whose wavelengths are related to each other as 1: 1.25 will be complementary.
When compared, these pairs represent the most harmonious combinations and mutually increase the saturation and lightness of each other without changing the color tone.
CONTRAST. Contrast can be defined as the opposition of objects or phenomena that differ sharply from each other in qualities or properties. And the essence of contrast is that, being together, these opposites cause new impressions, sensations and feelings that do not arise when considering them separately.
Contrasting colors can evoke a whole chain of new sensations. For example, white and black cause some shock from the sudden transition from white to black, apparent changes in size and lightness, the appearance of a spatial effect, etc.
Contrast is an important formative tool that creates a feeling of space. Color harmony, coloring and chiaroscuro certainly include elements of contrast.
Leonardo da Vinci was the first to describe the contrast: “Of flowers of equal whiteness and equally distant from the eye, the one that is surrounded by the greatest darkness will appear pure, and, conversely, that darkness will appear darker, which will be visible against the purer whiteness, Each color is better recognized by its opposite.” Contrasts are divided into two types: achromatic (light) and chromatic (color). In each of them there are different contrasts: simultaneous, sequential, border (edge).
SIMULTANEOUS LIGHT CONTRAST.“The darker the night, the brighter the stars.” The essence of the phenomenon is that a light spot on a dark background seems even lighter - positive contrast, and a dark spot on a light one - darker (negative contrast) than it actually is. If a spot is surrounded by a field of a different tone (lighter or darker), then it is called a reactive field, and the background is called an inductive field. The reactive field changes its brightness more than the inductive field.
If the lightness of these fields is high, then the effect of contrast is noticeably reduced. The phenomenon of light contrast is also noticeable when the fields are the same color, but of different lightness. This contrast is called monochromatic. In this case, not only lightness changes, but also saturation. In essence, we are dealing with simultaneous contrast when combining chromatic and achromatic colors.
Experiments conducted by B. Teplov showed that the effect of simultaneous contrast depends on the absolute brightness of the inductive and reacting fields and on the difference in the brightness of these fields. At very low and very high differences, there is no or very little contrast.
It also depends on the magnitude of the interacting fields. The smaller the light spot, the more it is exposed to lightening. It has also been established that, with equal brightness, a larger reactive field always appears darker than a small inductive one. Contrast also depends on the distance between fields. The strength of contrast decreases as the distance between fields increases.
The effect of contrast depends on the shape of the reacting field: a circle or a ring, a square or a letter on the same field under the same conditions will be accompanied by varying degrees of contrast.
If we have two adjacent spots that are not related to each other as figure and background, then the contrast they cause is formed according to the principle of equal interaction. However, in this case the contrast tends to disappear. As long as these spots are large enough and we examine them simultaneously, their interaction remains noticeable, and we also notice a borderline contrast. But if these spots are small enough or are perceived from a great distance, then their optical mixture occurs, and we see an overall gray tone.
The phenomenon of simultaneous light contrast is accompanied not only by darkening or brightening of the reacting field, but also by an apparent change in size. A light spot on a dark background seems even lighter and larger, and a dark spot on a light background seems to decrease in size and darken.
SIMULTANEOUS COLOR CONTRAST. The effect of simultaneous color contrast occurs when two chromatic colors or chromatic and achromatic interact. This is a more complex phenomenon than light contrast, because changes in color tone are accompanied by simultaneous changes in lightness and saturation, and the latter may be more noticeable than the contrast itself.
If you want to determine the effect of color contrast by color tone, then it is necessary that the contrasting tones be close in lightness and saturation. Then it is not difficult to notice that when different colors are compared, new qualities and additional shades appear in them.
There is a tendency for colors in contrast to move away from each other. For example, yellow on orange is lighter, greener, and colder. Orange on yellow turns red, darkens, warms. Another kind of phenomenon occurs when there is a contrast of complementary colors. When they are compared, new shades do not appear, but the colors themselves increase their saturation and brightness. When viewing them from afar, the law of additive mixing is triggered, and the compared colors fade and, ultimately, turn gray.
BORDER CONTRAST. Occurs at the boundaries of two adjacent painted surfaces. It is most clearly manifested when there are two stripes nearby, different in lightness or color. With light contrast, the part of the light area that is closer to the dark will be lighter than the farther part. The effect of unevenness (steps) and volume is created.
With chromatic contrast, adjacent tones change in the same way as with simultaneous contrast, i.e. yellow spot near red it turns green, but the further from the edge, the weaker this effect becomes. We can say that simultaneous and borderline contrasts always appear together.
The contrasting effect of colors disappears if at least a very narrow light or dark strip is laid between them (it is called a prosnovka), i.e. A prerequisite for contrast is the placement of colors next to each other.
So, with edge and simultaneous contrast, a color is perceived darker if it is surrounded by more light colors and brightens surrounded by dark ones.
A color complementary to the color of the surroundings is mixed with a color spot on a colored background. If a color is placed against the background of its complementary color, it is perceived as more saturated.
If you place a spot of the same color, but of lower saturation, on a colored background, its saturation will decrease even more. The more saturated the color background, the more it affects the “neighbors”. This is especially noticeable with the same or similar lightness.
Colors located at the ends of the diameter of the spectral circle do not cause a change in hue when compared, but they become brighter from this proximity. Colors located close to each other in the spectral circle contrast slightly, but acquire new shades. All cool colors provide greater contrast than warm colors. Contrast depends on the size of the fields; up to a certain limit, the contrast increases in proportion to the distance, after which the laws of optical mixing begin to operate.
The effectiveness of contrast is inversely related to brightness. Strong lighting destroys the effect of contrast, and weak lighting enhances it. However, the effect when perceiving a couple remains unchanged in any lighting. On a black or dark gray background, colors decrease their saturation, and on a white or light gray background they increase.
The phenomenon of marginal and simultaneous contrasts obliges us to find harmony between neighboring colors, increasing or decreasing their contrasting interaction. For example, by changing the size of interacting areas; removing or bringing together colored surfaces; creating or destroying a gap between them, etc.
CONSISTENT CONTRAST. If you look at the sun and then look at white wall, then see each other for a while dark spot is a blurry image of the sun on the retina. The consistent contrast also lies in the fact that when we move our gaze from one colorful spot to another, we observe on the latter a shade that is unusual for it. Scientists explain this by residual irritation of the retina during the perception of the previous color, because the color sensation has a duration and continues for some time when the object has already disappeared. As a result, when we move our gaze from a bright red surface to a gray or white one, we see a greenish tint on the light one, i.e. What is observed is not red, but an additional green color. We can say with complete confidence that consistent contrast is the result of color fatigue of the eye from exposure to color. This phenomenon is called adaptation.
If a color stimulus acts on our eyes for a certain time, then the sensitivity to this color begins to decrease. Moreover, the brighter and more saturated the color, the greater the color fatigue. Low saturated colors do not create consistent contrast. The phenomenon of color contrast must be taken into account by makeup artists, especially when working on evening or catwalk makeup, as well as by stylists and hairdressers when choosing hair and clothing colors. Consistent contrast is also expressed in the fact that the shape of the previous color spot is also reproduced.
SURFACE COLOR. At first glance, it seems that the color of an object is its integral property, the same as size, weight, shape. However, under certain lighting conditions, a yellow object may appear orange or greenish, and a blue object may appear black or purple. In the absence of lighting at all, all objects will appear black. But despite the slight color changes, we understand that the tomato is red and the grass is green.
The physical basis that determines the color of an object is the ability of the surface to sort the rays of light falling on it in a certain way, i.e. absorb some rays and reflect some, which gives the color of the surface. But reflection and absorption also depend on many other stimuli, making it almost impossible to see color in its pure form.
The apparent brightness also depends on the spectral composition of the light reflected by the surface. All blue, green, and violet tones make the surface darker, while yellow and red, on the contrary, give it brightness. Yellow electric lighting adds saturation to red, orange turns red, yellow loses its saturation, turns gray, and yellow-blues become almost black.
Landscape artists have long noticed that green leaves turn slightly red in the evening light. It turns out that leaves do not absorb all the red rays of the spectrum, but only part of them, reflecting the other. And, while all green objects darken in the evening, the leaves of the trees acquire a reddish tint.
Surface color is a color perceived in unity with the texture of an object. Spatial color is the color of objects distant from us, the color of various environments: sky, clouds, fog, water.
Planar is a color that belongs to a plane located at such a distance from the eye that the features of its structure are not felt by the eye, but due to the combination of its shape and the effect of contrast, it stands out against some background and is perceived as a plane. For example, we can see different surfaces of the same green color - grass and plywood lying on it, it is impossible to distinguish them from a distance. Masking is based on this inability of the eye to distinguish textural qualities at a distance.
As it moves away from the observer, the surface color changes depending on the color of the transparent medium in which it is located. The lightness will decrease for whites and yellows and increase for darks. In addition, the collection of colors resulting from optical mixing will be perceived as one resulting color.
EXPRESSIVENESS OF COLOR. The most vivid living description of primary colors can be found in the great Goethe, in his works on color. This is not just the opinion and impression of one person, these are the words of a poet who knew how to express what his eyes see. Goethe argued that all colors are between the poles of yellow (closest to daylight) and blue (closest shade of darkness).
Positive or active colors - yellow, orange, red - create an active, lively mood. Blue, red-blue, violet are negative passive colors - the mood is sad, serene, soft, calm.
Red, according to Goethe, is an emotional, exciting, stimulating color. This is the color of royalty, it unites all colors. There is nobility in pure red; it creates the impression of seriousness and dignity, as well as charm and grace.
Yellow – calm, serene, cheerful, charming. According to Goethe's definition, the color yellow has lightness, certainly produces a warm impression and evokes a complacent mood. Goethe believes that yellow can be used to express shame and contempt. And, according to the magnificent Russian painter Kandinsky, the color yellow never carries any deep meaning. Yellow is able to express violence, the delirium of the insane, and bright yellow is associated with the sound of a bugle.
Goethe's orange gives the eyes a feeling of warmth and pleasure. Bright orange rushes to the organs of vision and produces a shock. And for Kandinsky it personifies strength, energy, ambition, triumph.
Blue is cold, empty, but expresses calm. Geth's blue always brings something dark, the blue surface seems to float away from us into the distance. Dark blue - immersion in deep thought about all things that have no end. Blue creates calm, while purple evokes anxiety, impatience and even powerlessness.
Green color - well balanced - shows the stability characteristic of pure colors, gives real satisfaction, perfect silence and stillness.
HARMONY OF COLOR. God created everything in measure and number - everything in the world should be harmonious. The term “harmony” as an aesthetic category originated in Ancient Greece. Problems of harmony have interested people from the time of Plato, Aristotle, Theophrastus to the present day. This category is closely connected with such concepts as connectedness, unity of opposites, measure and proportionality, balance, consonance, and human scale. In addition, the harmonious is necessarily sublime and beautiful.
In the general concept of harmony, it is possible to distinguish such particular subdivisions as the harmony of sounds, shapes, and colors. The term color harmony often defines a pleasant to the eye, beautiful combination of colors, implying a certain consistency between them, a certain order in them, a certain proportionality.
The color spots on the surface are interconnected. Each individual color balances or highlights the other, and two together influence the third. Sometimes changing even one color in a composition leads to its destruction.
The theory of color harmony cannot be reduced to which color harmonizes with which; it requires a rhythmic organization of color spots. A haphazard accumulation of color creates variegation.
Attempts to build a normative theory of color harmony were made throughout the 19th century and later.
To create a classic color harmony, you must follow some rules for choosing colors.
in harmony the original elements of diversity should be noticeable, i.e. red, yellow and blue colors present
variety of tones should be achieved through a variety of light and dark
tones should be in balance, none should stand out - this is color rhythm
in large color compositions, colors should follow one another in order, as in a spectrum or rainbow (melody of unity)
pure paints should be used sparingly because of their brightness and only in those places that you want to highlight.
This is, of course, a very formal approach to harmony, but it also has a right to exist.
More general rules when creating color harmony are as follows:
highlighting the most beautiful isolated colors and determining the conditions in which these colors look most advantageous
choosing a sequence of warm and cold colors
comparing colors by contrast, creating conditions in which each color seems more beautiful on its own.
An essential factor determining the quality of color harmony is the ratio of color spots over the occupied area. There are certain proportional ratios of spot areas necessary to achieve integrity and unity of impressions with the same saturation and lightness. In the case of contrast in lightness, this law acquires even greater force. So, for example, to balance a large light spot, a several times smaller in area, but saturated, bright spot, contrasting in color and lightness, is sufficient.
An interesting point is the colored background on which you can create
composition, for example, a small harmonious pattern can get lost in an inappropriate field. And if this drawing is enlarged, then it can crawl forward.
It is not indifferent in what sequence the color spots will be located. Imbalance or monotony in the rhythm can also lead to a negative effect (buttons or decorations on clothes).
Do not forget that there is an interaction between the outlines of the spot, its
shape and color. Often form is subordinate to color and vice versa: “edgy” colors are stronger in triangles (yellow looks great in geometric shapes). And red and blue tend to have a strong impact, the colors are very suitable for rounded shapes. If you take a series of squares, circles and triangles and color them in different colors, you can see how the shape and color interact with each other. A circle can acquire corners and edges, but a square, on the contrary, can lose corners and acquire concave sides.
PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY OF COLOR HARMONY
Goethe made an attempt to characterize the sensory and emotional impact not only of individual colors, but also of their various combinations. He recognized the integrity of the color impression as the main, defining feature of the quality of color harmony. According to Goethe, the eye reluctantly tolerates the sensation of one color and demands another, which would form the integrity of the color wheel with it.
colors located at the ends of the diameter of the spectral circle are always perceived as harmonious
“Characteristic” refers to combinations of colors located on chords with one color slipping through (everything characteristic arises only due to its isolation from the whole)
comparison of colors on a short chord - characterless, they cannot make a significant impression
Goethe noted that the impression of a combination of colors can be different depending on the difference or sameness of their lightness and their saturation. And Goethe also noticed that warm colors benefit when compared with black, and cold colors – with white.
HARMONY OF COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
These are the most harmonious combinations. The harmony of the combination of complementary colors can be explained by the psychophysical laws of vision, which Lomonosov drew attention to and on the basis of which the three-component theory of color vision arose.
The bottom line: our eye, which has three color-forming receivers, always requires their joint activity - it seems to need color balance. And since one of a pair of complementary colors represents the sum of two primary colors, each pair contains the presence of all three colors, forming an equilibrium. In the case of a combination of other colors, this balance is absent, and the eye experiences color starvation.
Perhaps on this physiological basis and a certain dissatisfaction, a negative emotional reaction arises, the magnitude of which will depend on how noticeable this imbalance is.
It is customary for the human eye to perceive a full set of colors, and in everyday life, eye movement regulates visual perception in such a way as to see as many colors as possible, since the effect on the eyes of one color is at first simply unpleasant, then begins to irritate, and then, depending on the brightness and duration of perception, can lead to a sharply negative reaction and even psychological disorder.
COLOR COMPOSITION. The composition of color spots, built taking into account all the considered patterns of color harmony, will be limited if it does not serve the main thing - creating an image.
The compositional function of color lies in its ability to focus the viewer’s attention on the most important detail. Very important for creating a color composition is its ability to create your own design through lightness, hue and saturation.
Color composition requires an appropriate rhythmic organization of color spots. A haphazard accumulation of a large number of colors, even taking into account their compatibility, creates diversity, irritates and makes perception difficult.
A color composition is a whole in which everything is consistent and matches each other, creating a pleasant impression on the eye.
The concept of harmony necessarily includes disharmony as its antithesis.
If for Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance it was harmony that served as the ideal, then already in the Baroque era dissonance was often preferred to harmony. In our century, expressionism decisively rejects the principles of classical harmony and, in search of greater expressiveness, often turns to deliberately or even deliberately disharmonious combinations. However, this does not detract from the importance of studying classical principles, because this is the key to understanding color and color compositions in general.
COLORIT. Combining colors plays an essential role in creating any composition. Usually colors that are equal in lightness and close to each other in color tone are combined. When colors are tonally united with each other, their qualitative changes are noticed, manifested in their special sonority. A color that falls out of the general tonality and is not consistent with it seems alien and interferes with the perception of the image.
Harmonic combination, interrelation, tonal unification of different colors is called color. Color reveals to us the colorful richness of the world.
The term “color” entered the artistic lexicon at the beginning of the 18th century and almost immediately appeared and established itself in the Russian artistic dictionary. It comes from the Latin word “color” - color, paint.
Color characterizes a certain optical combination of all colors viewed from a certain distance. It is in this sense that it is customary to talk about warm, cold, silver, gloomy, boring, cheerful, transparent, golden, etc. colorism - features of the color system, preference for certain colors that express the image.
However, we should also pay tribute to the fact that the general color tone, which we call color, can arise completely by chance, against the will of the creator, and can be inherent in any color combination.
The development of color science, as well as the history and theory of art in the 19th and 20th centuries, leads to a deeper and more comprehensive analysis of the concept of “color.” It becomes clear that not everyone who works with color, even if very beautifully and elegantly, is a colorist. Color is the artist’s special ability, in the broad sense of the word, to manage color, so mysterious and incomprehensible that even statements have appeared about the “secret” of color, the “magic” of color, and its incomprehensibility. And among artists, a favorite saying has become: “Drawing can be learned, but a colorist must be born.”
Color is closely related to color, but the totality of colors does not yet determine color. Color is a system of colors, but the system and the amount are not the same thing. The system is natural, has unity, integrity and is perceived as a single whole.
There is no point in talking about the emotional role of color in general. The same color, being the color of different objects or objects, is perceived in completely different ways. Color in life is perceived not in its colorimetric characteristics, but depending on the surrounding colors and lighting, and it is always subordinate to the general tonality.
Denis Diderot gives an example: “Compare a natural scene during the day with a shining sun and a cloudy sky. There the light, color and shadows are stronger, here everything is pale and gray. As lighting and surroundings change, the color characteristics inevitably change. We can say that light is the general coloring of a given landscape.”
Consider the color change under different lighting:
at dusk or on a cloudy day, when the light intensity is relatively low, the colors darken significantly, losing saturation
the most accurate idea of color can only be achieved by daylight without sun; in a room during the day, as you move away from the window, the colors weaken, turn gray, losing saturation
At night it is generally difficult to determine the color, and in the morning blue, blue, green become noticeable first, then yellow and the last to gain saturation are red colors
in sunlight, all colors are clearly visible; In bright light at noon, all colors are washed out. Cold colors suffer the most from sunlight: blue, indigo, green - they fade slightly, violet turns red. Warm colors - yellow, orange and red - change less
in the evening, the colors become denser and darker again, yellow, orange, green, blue gradually fade, the cold red-violet color remains visible the longest
yellow electric lighting darkens all colors and gives them a slightly reddish tint, creating a warm coloring
“daytime” electric light also changes all colors, making them colder and darker
The color of the rays of a particular light source unites colors, making them related and subordinate. No matter how diverse the colors in life are, the color of lighting present on all objects and details unites them coloristically. Lighting changes not only the brightness characteristics of the color, but also other qualities, including texture characteristics. It is impossible to consider color independently of subject connections and lighting. Tonal subordination determines the character of each color of the color system, which is not limited to three main characteristics: lightness, saturation and hue. Here it is necessary to add color density, its weight properties, spatial and other properties. In some cases, the color reaches the meaning of the symbol.
Color acquires a certain expressiveness only when it enters into community with other colors, i.e. into a color system, and this is color. A set of colors that are in certain relationships with each other, endowed with a certain meaning, forms a specific, sensually perceived structure that can express the purpose and meaning of a given composition.
To correctly create an image, you need to learn to see holistically. Thus, the manual on painting says that the artist (and we will add the image maker) needs the ability to see and position the eye in order to notice plastic qualities, volumetric form, structure, color, light and shade, textural qualities, as well as to find the significant and beautiful and be able to show it all.
In ordinary vision, we consider only what the gaze is directed at. "With wide coverage visible person does not peer, - wrote B. Ioganson, - but sees in general... and, taking in everything with his gaze at the same time, he suddenly notices what is especially bright and what is barely noticeable. You need to start from the whole in order to be able to compare details, which a person who starts from the details loses.”
Konstantin Korovin: - “Educate your eye little by little at first, then open your eye wider, and in the end you need to see everything together. And then what was not taken accurately will be out of tune, like a wrong note in an orchestra.”
It is necessary to learn to distract from what is known in advance in order to see the relationships in which the details are located at the moment of observation.
PSYCHOPHYSICAL IMPACT OF COLOR AND ITS SYMBOLICS
“Colors are irritating and calming, screaming, arguing with each other
friend and living affectionately next to each other. In their struggle or agreement
and there is the effect of color on a person through the sense of vision.”
K.Petrov-Vodkin
Many art practitioners and theorists were interested in the issues of the emotional impact of color on a person - Leonardo da Vinci, I. Goethe, E. Delacroix, M. Deribere, K. Yuon, I. Grabar and others.
Physiologists have long known about the physiological influence of color, independent of the subject’s mood. Note that the effect of each color and the specificity of its internal meaning do not depend on a person’s attitude towards it. You may or may not like a color, but the nature of its influence, the specifics of its impact on the psyche remain unchanged, regardless of the state of the body at the time of influence. Thus, the symbolic meaning of color, its “psychological code” is truly objective and does not depend on the position of a particular color in the range of individual preferences.
Each color shade produces the same effect on any living organism and causes a very definite shift in the state of any biological system, be it a mouse or a human.
“In its most general elementary manifestations, regardless of the structure and forms of the material on the surface of which we perceive it, color has a certain effect on the sense of sight, and through it on the soul,” wrote Goethe. Colors act on the soul: they can evoke feelings, awaken emotions and thoughts that calm us or excite us, they sadden us or make us happy.” The mystery of color – why and how exactly it affects a person’s mood and behavior – has not yet been resolved. What allowed Wassily Kandinsky to call painting “a color instrument of the state of mind”? Why does a person respond so sensitively to all sorts of color codes in the environment?
The famous psychiatrist V.M. Bekhterev stated: “A skillfully selected range of colors can have a more beneficial effect on the nervous system than other mixtures.” Aristotle wrote: “Every living thing strives for color... Colors, according to the pleasantness of their correspondences, can relate to each other like musical harmonies and be mutually proportional.” Evely Grant noted: “The more you look at this world, the more you are convinced that color was created for beauty, and this beauty is not the satisfaction of a person’s whim, but a necessity for him.”
Indeed, color can excite and suppress, elevate and overthrow, heal and ennoble. Here are a few excerpts from Maurice Deriberet’s wonderful book “Color in Human Activity”:
“The physiological and psychophysical effects of color on living beings made it possible to develop a rich technique of color therapy... Particular attention was drawn to the red color, which was used by medieval doctors to treat chicken pox, scarlet fever, measles and some other skin diseases. Other color rays have also been studied. Treatment of neuralgic phenomena with light began a very long time ago. At first it was empirical, but after Pleasanton's observations of the analgesic properties of light passed through a blue filter, and Poeg's observations of the same property of the color violet, it became more accurate. At the beginning of this century, several Russian and German therapists confirmed observations about the beneficial effects of blue and violet rays in the treatment of neuralgic diseases..."
The color green was used by Poteau in the treatment of nervous diseases and psychopathic disorders. He believed that the color green acts in cases where it is necessary to discipline the mind and body and force the patient to control his actions.
The color options are simply fantastic. Direct irradiation with light, the use of laser devices, the creation of monochromatic interiors, the use of light currents transmitted through gems, targeted influence on acupuncture points, targeted effects on the active zones of the iris - today there are many methods for introducing color energies into human information and energy metabolism. Moreover, all these techniques are effective regardless of the degree to which a person is aware of the nature and direction of the color-energy effect. Color, like sound, is a natural integrator of physiological and mental processes
M. Deribere writes about the influence of color on the human psyche and its use in medicine based on the results of Dr. Podolsky’s research: “ Green color affects the nervous system. This is an analgesic, hypnotizing color. Effective for nervous irritability, insomnia and fatigue, lowers blood pressure, raises tone, creates a feeling of warmth, dilating capillary vessels. Relieves neuralgia and migraines associated with high blood pressure. Green is calming and has no harmful effects
Blue color is antiseptic. It reduces suppuration and can be useful in some rheumatic pains, inflammations and even in the treatment of cancer. For a sensitive person, blue relieves more than green. However, exposure to blue light for too long can cause some fatigue or depression.
Orange stimulates the senses and slightly speeds up the blood pulsation. Does not affect blood pressure, creates a feeling of well-being and fun, Has a strong stimulating effect, but may tire.
Yellow color stimulates the brain. May be effective in cases of mental impairment. Long-term irradiation prevents fluctuations in the course of the disease.
Red is warm and irritating. It stimulates the brain and is effective for melancholic people.
Violet affects the heart, lungs and blood vessels, increasing tissue endurance. Amethyst color has the stimulating effect of red and the tonic effect of blue.
Over a long period of historical development, certain associative connections of various colors or color combinations with various life situations and phenomena. During certain periods of history visual arts The symbolism of color played an important role, for example, in the Middle Ages.
White symbolized purity and innocence, red – the blood of a saint, green – hope for the immortality of the soul, blue symbolized sadness.
The symbolic meaning of each color in Russian icon painting is known, due to various artistic movements, both local and brought from Byzantium and the southern Slavs.
In Russian icon painting, the color of gold symbolized the ideas of the biblical paradise, was a symbol of truth and glory, purity and incorruptibility, and personified the idea of purifying the soul. The red color in icon painting symbolized, first of all, the blood of Jesus Christ; it was a symbol of ardor, fire, and life. The color purple in Byzantine art personified the idea of imperial power. Blue – ideas of contemplation, the color of the sky and the mountain world. Green – ideas of hope, renewal, youth. It was and is often used to refer to the Garden of Eden. White in Russian icon painting symbolized participation in the divine light.
The symbolic meaning of color is also known in folk art, which was formed under the influence of the surrounding nature. For many peoples, red is a symbol of sun and love, green is hope, white is purity and innocence.
The conclusion suggests itself: you can control the living system and mental processes in the most natural way, influencing in the most familiar way, achieving significant results with the correct selection of colors and shapes of clothing, hairstyles, makeup, interior, creating a favorable harmonious color environment around yourself, without the use of synthetic drugs and complex physiotherapeutic effects.
All material objects in the world around us have their own characteristics, one of which is their color. It carries information necessary for communication and is perceived as a sensory impression. However, this perception is subjective, as it is formed only in the brain of the beholder. The sensation of color is created when waves of a certain length predominate in the color. For example, if the grass is green. This means that from the entire wave range it reflects the waves of the green part of the spectrum, and absorbs the rest. If the intensity of all waves is the same, then the color is perceived as white or gray. Non-emitting waves - black.
Color science (coloristics) is the science of color, studying its nature, characteristics, mixing, harmony, culture, human perception, etc. The first to create a color system was Leonardo Da Vinci, he identified 6 primary colors: white, black, yellow, red, blue, green. One of the aspects of coloristics is the study of human psychological perception of color. Why does red mean “stop” and green “go”. Color affects human physiology and psychology, so it can be used to evoke a particular emotion. Thus, the “stop” of red color has a stimulating effect on the brain, as it has greatest length waves that require more energy. With green or blue it’s the opposite. Soft, pastel colors evoke a feeling of calm when bright ones irritate.
The perception of color can often change depending on the psychophysiological state of a person. For example, they will decrease if the observer is tired, or, on the contrary, increase in case of danger. The table below provides a brief description of color associations and how color can affect a person.
Figure 1. Scheme of emotional perception of color shades
Table 1. Color associations, color perception
Associations |
Impact |
|
Purity, innocence, neutrality, lightness. |
Increases space and, when used over a large area, creates a feeling of sterility. |
|
Mystery, anonymity, depth, mourning. |
Conveys depth, can act depressively. |
|
Friendliness, cheerfulness, energy. |
Helps solve problems and problems, stimulates the brain. |
|
Energy, speed, love, aggression, danger, fire, blood, war. |
Improves mood, excites, leads. |
|
Blue, light blue |
Ice, sea, sky, depression, fidelity, peace, calm, stability, purity, safety, truth. |
Coolness relieves inflammation, reduces anxiety levels; if exposed to it for too long, fatigue and tiredness occur. |
Nature, health, peace, envy, failure. |
Calms the nervous system, reduces fatigue, and concentrates attention. |
|
Orange |
Warmth, confidence, light. |
It has a beneficial effect on performance; prolonged exposure to orange may cause fatigue. |
Brown |
Earth, hearth, stability. |
Creates an atmosphere of comfort and safety, conducive to communication. |
It is worth considering that in culture different nations emotional and applied perceptions of color are very different, and are associated with a long historical tradition within the relatively isolated development of an ethnic group and religion. Hence the difference in perception, for example, of white and black colors (mourning or joy - depending on culture, religion).
Color is also very important in the interior. For example, red is good for a dining room, as it increases appetite, and in an office with a predominance of blue tones it will be better to focus attention.
Figure 2. Most suitable colors for different rooms Colors can also visually change the perception of interior surfaces. In small rooms, it is recommended to make the walls in light colors in order to visually enlarge them. Bright or dark colors in this case they will put pressure on the person, it is more rational to use them in large rooms or to highlight individual functional areas.
But a light floor, regardless of the room, will create the effect of less stability and reliability than a dark one.
The table below breaks down the emotional perception of individual colors of the planes of the room.
Table 2. Emotional perception of color in the interior
Surfaces |
|||
Beige, pink, light yellow |
excite |
Create a feeling of warmth and visually narrow the space |
Causes a feeling of unsteadiness, fragility, unreliability |
Red, brown, yellow-green |
Depresses, makes you feel lonely |
Narrow the space |
Produces a feeling of stability and security |
Blue, light green, light gray |
Create a feeling of light and height |
Spacious, cool |
Anxiety, uncertainty, appear slippery, unstable |
Grey, blue, dark green |
Depressing |
Causes a feeling of alienation, cools emotions |
Creates a feeling of coolness and stability |
Knowledge about the perception of colors is actively used in marketing and advertising. When creating a logo for a particular product, it is necessary, first of all, to interest the future client. In addition, the designer must determine exactly what emotions the image he has developed will evoke in a person. For example, if we are creating a logo for dolls for girls, then the winning option will certainly be pink color, as it combines sweetness and fabulousness. Or a logo idea for a diner - not bad color option will be yellow, as it carries fun and friendliness. Such a place will feel cozy and warm, and will undoubtedly provide a large flow of customers.
Figure 3. The influence of color on a person in marketing and advertising Thus, we can conclude that colors not only make life brighter, but also influence our thoughts and actions, determining our mood. Knowledge about the perception of colors can be rationally used in marketing, design, psychology (to determine the type of person). Based on the above, let's summarize - flowers have their own system, which was consciously noticed by man many centuries ago. As a result, a whole science of color has emerged. From infancy, a person learns color perception, which later depends on personal characteristics individual. Culture plays an important role in the perception of color, as well as many other factors.
I'll paint the whole world
in your favorite color...
If we look around, we will see not only the shape of the surrounding objects, but also different colors. Physicists define color as a wavelength in the electromagnetic range, i.e. The color of an object is a certain objective fact, the ability of an object to absorb and emit light waves.
We distinguish colors thanks to special cells on the retina of the eye, which capture radiation in the optical range and transmit the signal to the brain, where a “picture” of the object appears. In humans, there are three types of such cells that perceive the blue, green and red parts of the light spectrum. Therefore, all the colors that we see consist of the sum of the sensations of these three colors.
It would seem that color is some kind of objective fact, a physical phenomenon. However, different colors have different effects on the physical and psychological state of a person. Human color perception is a complex of different processes. The study of these relationships is carried out by psychology of color perception.
For example, researchers talk about human genetic memory. For thousands of years, red has been associated with fire, the color of blood, green with the surrounding nature, foliage, blue with sky, water, etc. So, gradually the colors began to carry a subconscious message: red - danger, activity, green - peace, development, blue - calm, space.
The physiological effect of colors has also been proven at the experimental level: red color excites the nervous system, causing increased respiration and heart rate. Blue color, on the contrary, has an inhibitory effect on our nervous system. Visual pathways in the brain are anatomically connected to various brain structures responsible for activation and inhibition nervous system, for the state of blood flow and muscle tone.
What does he say? psychology of color perception- how are they interconnected? mood and color? Why does color affect our emotions? Of course, the physiological influence of color contributes. Every complex color, which has several shades, combines different energy colors, which creates a certain emotional “bouquet”.
But we are also influenced by cultural traditions, color symbolism one culture or another. In Western culture, black is associated with mourning, while in the East, mourning clothing is often white. In the West White color, on the contrary, gradually became a symbol of purity and innocence (remember White dress bride), while in India or China the bride's dress is traditionally red. Yellow gradually became a symbol of separation, pink and blue - the colors of children's clothing and toys for girls and boys.
We can say that the influence of color on our psychological state consists of physiology, cultural subtext, and our own subjective perception. Color awakens feelings and emotions in us; we may like or dislike it, evoke memories or associations, and warm up the imagination. We can manage this process ourselves, creating our own “color therapy” so that colors serve us for our benefit.
In this article we will give some tips on how to improve your mood and improve your overall energy level by using different colors in your environment.
It's no secret that the typical city dweller middle zone For almost half a year he sees around him mainly the colors of gray shades. Gray sky, gray asphalt, concrete houses. There are no foliage or blooming flower beds. And people often dress in black and gray for practical reasons. A certain “color hunger” arises, which makes a negative contribution to the emotional state and mood. It's starting to seem like mood and color around– everything seems colorless, gray.
You can trace the connection between the perception of color and emotions. Remember your feeling, for example, from a festively decorated room, colored lights on the New Year tree, and, as the opposite, some gray, monochromatic government room.
When do you have emotions, fantasies, new ideas?
As we wrote above, color and emotions are physiologically connected; this is an ancient human reaction to the surrounding reality. The presence of color automatically makes the corresponding parts of the brain work. But the gray scale (it is also called achromatic, i.e. essentially colorless, it contains only degrees of lightness) does not give a person such sensations.
The predominance of achromatic colors around us in itself weans us from color sensations. We get used to not seeing color and feeling emotions less. There is a feeling of some “frozenness”. We are immersed in our thoughts, we make plans, we calculate the possible outcome of our actions. We think with our heads. But feelings are a different layer. Feelings will not deceive us, and only they will answer the question of how to make us feel good.
Therefore, it is worth thinking about how to add bright colors to your life. Here are just a few ideas that do not require large energy or financial investments.
Add color to the interior - for example, put bright pillows on the sofa, hang pictures or a calendar with views of nature or animals on the walls, buy bright towels, a tablecloth, napkins. If possible, you can change the curtains or carpet, bed linen. Review your wardrobe - add, for example, a bright scarf, scarf, or umbrella. At home, you can dress in brighter colored clothes - it will be pleasant for both you and the members of your family. families.
When choosing the colors of your clothes or interior items, listen to yourself. Even if a color is considered beautiful, fashionable and “correct,” but it gives you unpleasant associations, it would be better to abstain from it. If the negative emotional reaction is very strong, then you can contact a psychologist who can help you understand what is behind these associations and how you can get rid of them. But, in any case, listen to yourself and choose those colors that make you feel good.
That is why in this article we will not give standard advice that it is better to use cool colors in summer, and warm ones in winter, that red and yellow colors in the interior they excite, while blue and green colors calm.
These are general rules human color perception. But it's best if you listen to yourself. For example, when buying wallpaper, ask yourself – how do I like this color? What feelings arise when I look at him? What feelings would I like to have in this room? And find that shade, that pattern that will give you the desired emotional feeling.
Let's bring small example. For example, you choose clothes in a store. It suits you and fits well. How can you understand what emotions certain colors of clothing awaken in you?
Try wearing things of different colors and ask yourself - how do I feel in them?
To start, you can ask yourself some simple questions:
Then try to clarify - for example:
Try to practice this. To do this, if we give an example with clothes, it is not necessary to buy it. It's enough to just try it on. You can treat this as a game, a workout that will gradually awaken new sensations in you and make your life brighter.
If you pay attention to the colors around you more often, it will be easier for you to learn to feel and to a greater extent become aware. Just ask yourself the question - how am I doing now? Try to listen to yourself.
Bright fruits and vegetables are beneficial not only in terms of vitamins and vitality, but also in terms of color.
There is a definite opinion among scientists that color is given by nature for a reason, and products of different colors are useful in their own way.
If you feel apathy and depressive thoughts arise, then remember the bright natural colors.
Go to the market or store and try to choose fruits and vegetables based on their color. Stop your gaze and admire the natural shades. Even a few bright berries, pieces of fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables in your daily menu will give you not only vitamins, but new color sensations that will definitely affect your mood.
In fact, this specific term covers needlework, drawing and almost any type of art. After all, art is also a medicine for our soul, which has proven its healing effect over the centuries. Specialists (art therapists, psychologists) can engage in certain art therapeutic activities purposefully, achieving the goals set for the client. But you can use art therapy on your own.
Find the type of creativity that will interest you and give you positive emotions. Don’t be afraid to try several different types of art, don’t get attached to “male” and “female” activities.
Of course, if we talk about the psychology of color perception, then any type of fine art, modeling, appliqué, and collage making will be effective in this aspect. But you can take a broader view - use colored yarn, beautiful fabrics, take up soap making, scrapbooking. You can just walk with your camera, noticing something new around, and then start processing photos in a simple graphics editor.
The main thing is that the classes awaken creative energy in you.
Probably, the article could start from this point, because nature is the main source of bright colors and colors. But, at the same time, for a city dweller in the middle zone this is not always the case.
And if summer still gives us enough flowers, then in winter it begins to seem that there is simply nowhere to get them from. Of course, the main rule is to just periodically travel outside the city or go for a walk in the park: in any case, you will see new shades, the play of light and shadow. Even the sky will be its own color every time, a little different than yesterday.
Take advantage of the good clear weather: if it's a nice day, sacrifice house cleaning and go for a walk in nature.
Don't forget about the benefits of sunlight. Mood and color are interconnected– and you will definitely feel it in practice. In addition to walks, you can also think about TV shows on relevant topics, as well as such non-standard “meetings” with nature, such as visiting a zoo, an aquarium, or botanical garden(greenhouses).
Here it would be worth remembering the principle of small steps - every great success or achievement consists of small daily actions. Try to do something every day - and one day you will catch yourself that something is changing for the better in your life.
As an illustration, I recall one example from life.
Marina is a mother, wife and a good specialist. Quite a successful person by social standards. But at some point she caught herself thinking that she was living “automatically.” She spins “like a squirrel in a wheel”, at some point forgetting why all this is needed? And most importantly, she suddenly realized that life had become gray and dull.
She seems to be successful, everything is fine around her. But something is wrong. She finds it increasingly difficult to get out of bed in the morning, and the weekend passes as if it never happened. She realized that she was not enjoying life.
We tried to figure out what she was missing, what was she waiting for? And Marina suddenly realized that she seemed doesn't feel anything. She does something, thinks, plans. But where there are no feelings, there can be no joy, pleasure, or satisfaction. Talking about how she lives, Marina often used the words - everything is gray, monotonous, uninteresting.
The changes began with a trip to a photo exhibition. Marina suddenly discovered new world. She saw that photography is somewhat similar to painting, and the photographer does not just take a picture or capture a certain fact, but can convey a mood and emotion. Having seen the works of the masters of photography, Marina suddenly wanted to do something similar.
There was a camera at home, and she began to take it with her more and more often. The world around me came to life: the colors of sunset, and delicate shades of spring greenery, and the reflection of heavenly blue on the surface of the pond in the park appeared in it. The camera seemed to become a window into the world, through which familiar things began to seem different. Colors appeared in the world around us.
Now both the road to and from work, and the lunch break have begun to be filled with new photo experiments. Marina began to pay attention to what surrounded her. She wanted to convey in her photographs not just a picture, but an emotion. Make your photos more expressive. But here it was worth asking yourself - what emotion do I feel, what do I want to convey?
It was this that became another key that helped Marina discover the feeling “I” in herself. And life became more fulfilling. It has become easier for Marina to understand what she wants, which means it has become easier for her to move towards her goals and create a life that pleases her. And, interestingly, the family did not remain indifferent to her changes - after all, the wife and mother began to be in a good mood more often.
This is how a trip to a photo exhibition helped our heroine find new colors not only in the world around her, but also in her life.
We hope that our tips will help you add bright colors to your life that will definitely give you new feelings and emotions. This means your life will become more fulfilling and interesting!
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