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Free Guide To Color Symbolism and Emotions

The document discusses color symbolism and how colors can evoke emotions. It provides examples of how the mixed-media artist Nneka Jones intentionally uses certain colors like reds and oranges to symbolize danger or emotions like anger in her work. Warm colors like reds are often associated with emotions like danger or fear, while cool colors like blues and greens often represent peace and optimism. The document also discusses how a single color can represent both positive and negative emotions depending on how it is used. Understanding color symbolism provides a powerful tool for storytelling in creative works.

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Joaquim Cordeiro Neto
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© © All Rights Reserved
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291 views10 pages

Free Guide To Color Symbolism and Emotions

The document discusses color symbolism and how colors can evoke emotions. It provides examples of how the mixed-media artist Nneka Jones intentionally uses certain colors like reds and oranges to symbolize danger or emotions like anger in her work. Warm colors like reds are often associated with emotions like danger or fear, while cool colors like blues and greens often represent peace and optimism. The document also discusses how a single color can represent both positive and negative emotions depending on how it is used. Understanding color symbolism provides a powerful tool for storytelling in creative works.

Uploaded by

Joaquim Cordeiro Neto
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Free Guide to Color


Symbolism and Emotions
A lot of us connect with color, making it an incredibly
powerful tool in any creative project. How you mix and
match hues can be used to build a visual language that
evokes various emotions—which means understanding
how to use color will have a strong impact on what you
create.

In her Domestika course, mixed-media artist Nneka Jones


emphasizes that when using color, “it’s not only important COURSE DOCUMENT DOWNLOAD:
to pay attention to the color itself, but how it will make
your viewer feel.” For her embroidered portraits, she Realistic Embroidered Portraiture: Tell Stories
intentionally chooses colors to tell stories full of feeling. with Color
To help you better understand how to unlock the power of
color in your projects, here Nneka shares a beginner’s A course by Nneka Jones, Mixed-Media
guide to color symbolism for powerful creative projects. SEE COURSE →
Artist

F I L Y T
The best online courses for creatives






 



/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

Color
Symbolism
Now that we have reviewed the color
wheel and understand how to create a
gradient using one color, let’s explore the
meaning behind these colors..
/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

Colors can create


a visual language
that evokes
different
emotions
/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

Being intentional
with color

The psychology of color investigates how color can impact our


minds and in turn create an emotional reaction or make a visual
connection.
Shooting Range Target
Depending on the emotion that the artist wants the viewer to feel, Mixed media artwork by Nneka Jones with the use

this can be achieved by using a particular color in a portrait of warm colors with variations of reds to symbolize
danger.
/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

• Warm Colors • Cool Colors

Reds, Oranges and Yellows are often associated with warm colors and can evoke Greens, Blues and Purples are often associated with cool colors and can evoke
emotions ranging from anger, fear, shock, hostility and even danger. emotions ranging from peace, happiness, hopefulness, serenity and optimism.

Reds are often seen in many of my pieces where I want to communicate a sense of Pastel blues and greens are sometimes seen in the background of my pieces of my
danger and need for urgency, particularly when dealing with activist artwork. pieces where I want to communicate a sense of hopefulness and optimism for
change.
/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

Warm Colors
• Use of red to create a sense of danger • Use of variations of red and yellow • Combination of red and yellow
/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

Cool Colors

• Use of pastel blue in • Use of green in the background to


background to create a symbolize newness and
sense of optimism and appreciation for natural beauty
peace
/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

The Positive versus


The Negative
While we have gained more of an understanding about the
traditional meanings behind warm and cool colors, this does
not restrict a color to the meaning or emotion it can convey.

In contemporary art today, we see many artists exploring the


positive and negatives of color symbolism and how colors can
be used to communicate different emotions.

Even the same color can symbolize opposite emotions.


/ Nneka Jones domestika.org

Positive and Negative Contrast

• Use of purple to communicate a • This image evokes a feeling of


need for change and contrast sadness but the blue in the
with yellow, grabbing the background is used to contrast
viewer’s attention that with a sense of hope
domestika.org

Remember with color symbolism:

✔ Colors can be used to evoke different emotions

Let’s do ✔ One color can be both positive and negative

a quick emotions

review! ✔ Combining colors to create a contrast adds depth

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