MOD 3: Color Theory and Emotional Effects

1.)    Emotional responses to color are both culturally conditioned and extremely personal. For example, most Americans associate the complimentary colors green and red with Christmas time. Personally, I think of a time off happiness and togetherness with my family. To someone else, who might have spent the holiday alone year after year, that color combo may not have the same cheery response to the colors. Colors can also be used to set a mood or to represent something. For example, cool toned colors such as blue might represent a feeling of sadness.  Warmer toned colors can communicate a feeling of happiness and positivity to the viewer. Saturation of colors also evoke certain emotions in someone. Softer, less pigmented, pastel colors might create a more carefree feeling in one's head. While if those same colors were more intense it might instill an emotion of excitement.

2.)    One theoretical aspect of color that fascinates me is how the combination of hue, value and intensity all play a role in the creation of a color and the emotional effect on the viewer. These properties play such an important role in the physical appearance of color which I find very intriguing.

3.)    In the color video, I was most intrigued by the artist’s process while working with color. One process of hers that resonated me was, “keeping the whole thing going”. She allowed the colors to move her and really the whole process was quite fascinating. Working to cover as much of the canvas as she could with furious brush strokes of color. I felt like her process using color is something I can greatly relate too. The colors moved her emotionally, and she was greatly involved in her creative process. 

4.)    In the Feelings video, I was impacted by the use of color in the Renaissance Age.  The line from the video of “humanity has it’s radiating power”  stuck out to me. Many painters from this age used bold, strong colors to communicate an idea and power in their piece. Most humans are painted using warmer tones of color, especially a yellow aura around them. This creates a sense of power and really ties in with the age of free thinkers.