Module 1, Lesson 2 What Colors Mean Some of these meanings contradict the earlier section. They are only to be used as a guide for combining colors in a design - as always, there are no real hard and fast rules. If there were, artists would not be stereotyped as renegades or as forward-thinking, dramatic; or a "loose cannon". Red For the ancient Romans, a red flag was a signal for battle. Because of its visibility, stop signs, stoplights, brake lights, and fire equipment are all painted red. The ancient Egyptians considered themselves a red race and painted their bodies with red dye for emphasis. In Russia, red means beautiful. The Bolsheviks used a red flag as their symbol when they overthrew the tsar in 1917. That is how red became the color of communism. In India, red is the symbol for a soldier. In South Africa, red is the color of mourning. It's considered good luck to tie a red bow on a new car. In China, red is the color of good luck and is used as a holiday and wedding color. Chinese babies are given their names at a red-egg ceremony. Superstitious people think red frightens the devil. A “red-letter day” is one of special importance and good fortune. In Greece, eggs are dyed red for good luck at Easter time. To “paint the town red” is to celebrate. Red is the color most commonly found in national flags. In the English War of the Roses, red was the color of the House of Lancaster, which defeated the House of York, symbolized by the color white. The “Redshirts” were the soldiers of the Italian leader Garibaldi, who unified modern Italy in the nineteenth century. To “see red” is to be angry. A “red herring” is a distraction, something that takes attention away from the real issue. A “red eye” is an overnight airplane flight. If a business is “in the red,” it is losing money. Green Only one national flag is a solid color: the green flag of Libya. Ancient Egyptians colored the floors of their temples green. In ancient Greece, green symbolized victory. For Muslims, green is a sacred color. Muslim prayer rugs are designed with a green background. In the highlands of Scotland, people wore green as a mark of honor. Green is the national color of Ireland. A “greenback” is slang for a U.S. dollar bill. Green means “go.” When “all systems are green,” it means everything is in order. The green room of a concert hall or theater is where performers relax before going onstage. The “green-eyed monster” is jealousy. A greenhorn is a newcomer or unsophisticated person. Green is youthful. Being “green around the gills” is looking pale and sickly. “Green with envy” means full of envy or jealousy. A person with a “green thumb” is good at making plants grow. A green, or common, is a town park. Green is a healing color, the color of nature. Blue In ancient Rome, public servants wore blue. Today, police and other public servants wear blue. In China, blue is for little girls. In Iran, blue is the color of mourning. Blue was used as protection against witches, who supposedly dislike the color. If you are “true blue,” you are loyal and faithful. Blue stands for love, which is why a bride carries or wears something blue on her wedding day. A room painted blue is said to be relaxing. “Feeling blue” is feeling sad. “Blue devils” are feelings of depression. Something “out of the blue” is from an unknown source at an unexpected time. A bluebook is a list of socially prominent people. The first prize gets a blue ribbon. A blue blood is a person of noble descent. This is probably from the blue veins of the fair-complexioned aristocrats who first used this term. “Into the blue” means into the unknown. A “bluenose” is a strict, puritanical person. A “bluestocking” used to be a scholarly or highly knowledgeable woman. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt wore blue for protection against evil. The “blues” is a style of music derived from southern African-American secular songs. It influenced the development of rock, R&B, and country music. “Blue laws” are used to enforce moral standards. A blue ribbon panel is a group of especially qualified people. Purple, Violet The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved purple. To obtain one ounce of Tyrian purple dye, she had her servants soak 20,000 Purpura snails for 10 days. In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death. A “purple heart” is a U.S. military decoration for soldiers wounded or killed in battle. Purple is a royal color. Purple robes are an emblem of authority and rank. “Purple speech” is profane talk. “Purple prose” is writing that is full of exaggerated literary effects and ornamentation. < Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases 10 times when done in a purple light, as in the purple light of stained glass. Purple in a child's room is said to help develop the imagination according to color theory. Richard Wagner composed his operas in a room with shades of violet, his color of inspiration. Yellow In Egypt and Burma, yellow signifies mourning. In Spain, executioners once wore yellow. In India, yellow is the symbol for a merchant or farmer. In tenth-century France, the doors of traitors and criminals were painted yellow. Hindus in India wear yellow to celebrate the festival of spring. If someone is said to have a “yellow streak,” that person is considered a coward. In Japan during the War of Dynasty in 1357, each warrior wore a yellow chrysanthemum as a pledge of courage. A yellow ribbon is a sign of support for soldiers at the front. Yellow is a symbol of jealousy and deceit. In the Middle Ages, actors portraying the dead in a play wore yellow. To holistic healers, yellow is the color of peace. Yellow has good visibility and is often used as a color of warning. It is also a symbol for quarantine, an area marked off because of danger. “Yellow journalism” refers to irresponsible and alarmist reporting. White A white flag is the universal symbol for truce. White means mourning in China and Japan. Angels are usually depicted wearing white robes. The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams. The Egyptian pharaohs wore white crowns. The ancient Persians believed all gods wore white. A “white elephant” is a rare, pale elephant considered sacred to the people of India, Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka; in this country, it is either a possession that costs more than it is worth to keep or an item that the owner doesn't want but can't get rid of. It's considered good luck to be married in a white garment. White heat is a state of intense enthusiasm, anger, devotion, or passion. To whitewash is to gloss over defects or make something seem presentable that isn't. A “white knight” is a rescuer. A white list contains favored items (as opposed to a blacklist). A “whiteout” occurs when there is zero visibility during a blizzard. A “white sale” is a sale of sheets, towels, and other bed and bath items. A “whited sepulcher” is a person who is evil inside but appears good on the outside, a hypocrite. “White lightning” is slang for moonshine, a homebrewed alcohol. A white room is a clean room as well as a temperature-controlled, dust-free room for precision instruments. White water is the foamy, frothy water in rapids and waterfalls. Black The ancient Egyptians and Romans used black for mourning, as do most Europeans and Americans today. The “Blackshirts” were the security troops in Hitler's German army, also known as the S.S. Black often stands for secrecy. Black humor is morbid or unhealthy and gloomy humor. In China, black is for little boys. A “blackhearted” person is evil. If a business is “in the black,” it is making money. A “blacklist” is a list of persons or organizations to be boycotted or punished. Black is associated with sophistication and elegance. A “black tie” event is formal. A black belt in karate identifies an expert. A black flag in a car race is the signal for a driver to go to the pits. A blackguard is a scoundrel. The ancient Egyptians believed that black cats had divine powers. Black lung is a coal miner's disease caused by the frequent inhaling of coal dust. Blackmail is getting things by threat. Black market is illegal trade in goods or money. A black sheep is an outcast. “Blackwash” (as opposed to “whitewash”) is to uncover or bring out in the light. A blackout is a period of darkness from the loss of electricity, for protection against nighttime air raids, or, in the theater, to separate scenes in a play When you “black out,” you temporarily lose consciousness. Color Psychology A very important aspect of our visual experience is color. Lesson 1 described the color sensing mechanisms of the eye and brain. Yet the nervous impulses of the color channel don't only go to the brain. Some pulses travel to the pituitary and pineal glands through the hypothalamus It is logical to assume that what we see, especially color, can affect the systems of the body. Psychologists and physiologists belive this to be true and are investigating exactly what each color can do to our bodies. Red Physiological Effect: Red has been shown to increase blood pressure and stimulate the adrenal glands. The stimulation of the adrenals glands helps us become strong and increases our stamina. Pink, a lighter shade of red, helps muscles relax. Psychological Effect: While red has proven to be a color of vitality and ambition it has been shown to be associated with anger. Sometimes red can be useful in dispelling negative thoughts, but it can also make one irritable. Pink has the opposite effect of red. Pink induces feelings of calm, protection, warmth and nurture. This color can be used to lessen irritation and aggression as it is connected with feelings of love. Red is sometimes associated with sexuality, whereas pink is associated with unselfish love. Orange Physiological Effect: Orange has proven to be a stimulus of the sexual organs. Also, it can be benefitial to the digestive system and can strengthen the immune system. Psychological Effect: Orange has shown to have only positive affects on your emotional state. This color relieves feelings of self-pity, lack of self-worth and unwillingness to forgive. Orange opens your emotions and is a terrific antidepressant. Yellow Physiological Effect: Yellow has proven to stimulate the brain. This stimulation can make you more alert and decisive. This color makes muscles more energetic and activates the lymph system. Psychological Effect: Similarly to Orange, Yellow is a happy and uplifting color. It can also be associated with intellectual thinking: discernment, memory, clear thinking, decision-making and good judgment. Also aiding organization, understanding of different points of view. Yellow builds self-confidence and encourages optimism. However, a dull yellow can bring on feelings of fear. Green Physiological Effect: Green is said to be good for you heart. On a physical and emotional, green helps your heart bring you physical equilibrium and relaxation. Green relaxes our muscles and helps us breathe deeper and slower. Psychological Effect: Green creates feelings of comfort, laziness, relaxation, calmness. It helps us balance and soothe our emotions. Some attribute this to its connection with nature and our natural feelings of affiliation with the natural world when experiencing the color green. Yet, darker and grayer greens can have the opposite effect. These olive green colors remind us of decay and death and can actually have a detrimental effect on physical and emotional health. Note that sickened cartoon characters always turned green. Blue Physiological Effect: In contrast to red, blue proves to lower blood pressure. Blue can be linked to the throat and thyroid gland. Blue also has a very cooling and soothing affect, often making us calmer. Deep blue stimulates the pituitary gland, which then regulates our sleep patterns. This deeper blue also has proved to help the skeletal structure in keeping bone marrow healthy. Psychological Effect: We usually associate the color blue with the night and thus we feel relaxed and calmed. Lighter blues make us feel quiet and away from the rush of the day. These colors can be useful in eliminating insomnia. Like yellow, blue inspires mental control, clarity and creativity. However, too much dark blue can be depressing. Purple Physiological Effect: Violet has shown to alleviate conditions such as sunburn due to its purifying and antiseptic effect. This color also suppresses hunger and balances the body's metabolism. Indigo, a lighter purple, has been used by doctors in Texas as an anesthesia in minor operations because its narcotic qualities. Psychological Effect: Purples have been used in the care of mental of nervous disorders because they have shown to help balance the mind and transform obsessions and fears. Indigo is often associated with the right side of the brain; stimulating intuition and imagination. Violet is associated with bringing peace and combating shock and fear. Violet has a cleansing effect with emotional disturbances. Also, this color is related to sensitivity to beauty, high ideals and stimulates creativity, spirituality and compassion. Psychic power and protection has also been associated with violet. Brown Psychological Effect: Brown is the color of the earth and ultimately home. This color brings feelings of stability and security. Sometimes brown can also be associated with withholding emotion and retreating from the world. Black Psychological Effect: While comforting and protective, black is mysterious and associated with silence and sometimes death. Black is passive and can prevent us from growing and changing. White Psychological Effect: White is the color of ultimate purity. This color brings feelings of peace and comfort while it dispels shock and despair. White can be used to give yourself a feeling of freedom and uncluttered openness. Too much white can give feelings of separation and can be cold and isolation. Gray Psychological Effect: Gray is the color of independence and self-reliance, although usually thought of as a negative color. It can be the color of evasion and non-commitment (since it is neither black nor white.) Gray indicates separation, lack of involvement and ultimately loneliness.	Tip here.