OUGD601 - Research: The Colour Eye

As many people were interested in the direction the essay could take when looking at colour I decided to look into colour theory a little more. It is a subject that has been looked into before briefly but not in depth. I looked at The Colour Eye written by Robert Cumming and Tom Porter for BBC Books. This Cumming and Porter provide an in-depth look at colour theory and the different connections we have to different colours.

'From the very earliest times colours have been connected with emotion...' Cumming, Porter, 1990, 7

Each colour has an individual characteristic and association and this book clearly sets out each colour and how they are received.

Red - Is often associated with love, energy, ferocity, passion, evil and disaster. It has been found that exposure to red causes rise in blood pressure, heavy breathing and increased heart rate.

Orange - Is associated with warmth, fruitfulness, youthfulness and a cheery spirit. It is a colour that is often used to indicate hazards in signage.

Yellow - Is a heavenly and poetic colour but it is also often used to indicate hazards or quarantine.

Green - Is very much associated with growth and nature and can be perceived as a cold or a warm colour depending on if red and yellow or blue is added to it. It is considered a fulfilling colour.

Blue - Is a calming colour and communicates peace and spirituality. Exposure to the colour blue has a calming effect on people, the opposite effect to red and lowers blood pressure and heart rate.

Purple - Is associated with wealth and extravagance and is preferred by 'cultured' societies.

Black - Is associated with darkness and death and is also a signifier of revolt. 

White - Really as no association as it is absent of colour. Commonly it is connected to innocence, purity and joy.

'The relationships between colours is as important as the actual choice of colours.' Cumming, Porter, 1990, 46

Cumming and Porter look at how important the relationships between colours are as well as what each colour means individually. There are various harmonies of colours that each have a different effect when used together.

Monochromatic - This harmony of colour uses several tones of the same hue. This combination guarantees harmony and is considered to be warming or cooling depending on the choice of hue. It creates a soft and lulling effect on the audience.

Analogous - This is the combination of related hues, hues that are next to each other on the colour wheel. Using this combination also creates a soothing and harmonious effect much like monochromatic harmony.

Contrasting harmonies, such as complimentary and triadic, are stimulating and create an energetic, emotional response from an audience.

Complimentary - This combination takes hues that are at opposite ends of the colour wheel to create energy. It can often create the feeling of tension or conflict.

Triadic - This combination takes 3 hues evenly spaced from the colour wheel to create the emotion of energy with an audience. It is striking and vibrant.

Cumming and Porter mention Michel Eugene Chevreul who wrote The Principles of Harmony and Contrast of Colours which may be a useful and informative piece of research for this essay.

Cumming, R, Porter, T, (1991) The Colour Eye. London: BBC Books