Color Symbolism and Meaning: A Comprehensive Guide
Color Symbolism and Meaning
White
It is on the positive end of the gray scale and has a threshold value, brightness, and saturation. It is also value-neutral (no color). White can express peace, light, happiness, purity, innocence, children, divinity, harmony, and cleanliness.
Gray
It’s a neutral color that results from the combination of white and black. It symbolizes indecision and lack of energy and expresses doubt, melancholy, grief, boredom, and the past. When dominant, it creates an atmosphere of stability and inspires creativity and success. When mixed with another color, it becomes blurry.
Black
Black is on the negative end of the gray scale, as opposed to light. A symbol of silence and mystery, it can sometimes mean impure, evil, or death. It also represents positive feelings such as seriousness, nobility, elegance, and humility.
Red
A symbol of passion, movement, war, and blood. A color linked to the fundamental principle of life, it expresses sensuality and virility. Adequate to express enthusiastic and talkative joy. It conveys energy, courage, impulsivity, anxiety, agitation, and tension. Reds are perceived as daring, sociable, exciting, powerful, and protective.
Purple
A deep red color inclining to purple, an indigo derivative. It symbolizes the imperial, royal, cardinal, high-line, and luxury. It is a hypnotic color. Purple is the color of magic, meditation, intuition, and mystery. It represents imperial dignity.
Pink
It’s a slightly raised red, very clear. It is the color of beauty, romance, affection, and friendship. It is associated with feminine qualities or infant girls. It creates feelings of sweetness, mellowness, fluffiness, and softness. Pink symbolizes pure adolescence, youth, and appreciation. Pale pink represents humanity, poverty, and reverence. Dark pink can symbolize death to old habits.
Magenta
A color resulting from the mixture of red and blue, it is, along with yellow and cyan, one of the primary inks used in four-color printing. It is a spiritual, bodily, and emotional color.
Scarlet
Bright red or reddish crimson. The color of sensuality and melancholy.
Orange
The second color of the solar spectrum, situated between red and yellow. It symbolizes dawn, awakening, warmth, and kindness. It is the symbol of feminine energy. It is a color that fattens the form and has an active, radiant, and expansive force. It may mean party, pleasure, and sunshine. It has a cozy, warm, attractive, successful, and encouraging effect.
Brown
A masculine, severe, and comfortable color. It is reminiscent of the autumnal atmosphere and gives the impression of gravity and balance. Brown is the color of the earth, order, and friendship. It gives a solid and palpable purity.
Yellow
The third color of the solar spectrum, between orange and green. It symbolizes the state of alertness and intelligence. It stimulates concentration and reflexes. It is the color of the sun, light, and gold. It is violent, intense, and sharp. An atmosphere charged with this color tone can mean jealousy, hatred, pleasure, joy, happiness, and optimism.
Turquoise
A deep blue color with a waxy bright green hue, it means calm, familiarity, friendship, perception, and legality. It can be messy. A painting dominated by this color evokes the feeling of spontaneity, lightness, ethereal clarity, and dream-like vision.
Green
The fourth color of the spectrum, it is the most calm and soothing color. It evokes vegetation, coolness, hope, desire, rest, life, fertility, and wealth. It is the color of grass and mint. It represents a phlegmatic temperament. Green tending to yellow embraces an active and sunny force, while if predominantly blue, it highlights a more sober and sophisticated aspect. It is a color that balances emotions.
Blue
The fifth color of the solar spectrum. It symbolizes peace and tranquility, like the sky and the ocean. It’s fresh, pure, and clean, the color of the word, communication, serenity, confidence, loyalty, and peace. It has the virtue of creating the illusion of receding. Blue may suggest optimism. The more its attraction is clarified, the further it becomes indifferent and empty. The darker it is, the more it attracts towards infinity.
Indigo Blue
The sixth color of the solar spectrum. Dark blue with a coppery brightness, between blue and violet. It is harmonizing and highly resistant to light. It is relaxing and reduces appetite.
Violet
The seventh color of the solar spectrum. A color resulting from mixing red and blue, it is related to meditation. It indicates the absence of tension and means calm, dignity, and self-respect. Dark violet means violent or deceptive desires. If violet drifts towards lilac, it flattens and loses its potential for positive concentration. When it tends to purple, it projects a sense of majesty.
Silver
The color of the moon, treasure, and feminine energy. Silver symbolizes wealth and is an elegant color.
Gold
The color of optimistic wisdom, wealth, and luck. Gold symbolizes high quality, money, strength, and spirit.
Yellows
They bring light, vitality, and warmth to spaces, promoting excellence.
Blues
Ideal for spaces to convey freshness. It is increasingly common in rooms.
Reds
Along with orange, they encourage and give effect to the environment.
Greens
Green tones create an atmosphere of serenity and repose.