What is colour?

The colour of something is the appearance that it has as a result of the way in which it reflects light. Red, blue, and green are colours.

Important Terms

• Primary Colours/Hues: These hues are known to be classed as primary, as they cannot be created by mixing other hues together. These are red, blue & yellow.
• Secondary Colours/Hues: Secondary hues can each be produced by mixing two primary hues. These are orange, violet and green.
• Colour wheel: Primary, Secondary & Tertiary colours.

Basics of Colour

Why is colour important?

As a storyteller, either through motion or still pictures, color is one of the most important tools you have in your kit. A simple tweak of the color could give your image an entire new symbolic or literal meaning to your image. For example, see the picture below. (via premiumbeat)

Image: Psycho III via Universal Pictures

How is colour used? Examples of colour:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnkP9zQPlxF/

High contrast to stand out and to the point communication

via IDEO

via 99Designs

Greenpeace monotone poster

Colour association with emotion and culture: Colour psychology

Psychology of colour as it relates to persuasion is one of the most interesting — and most controversial — aspects of marketing. The study of how colours affect perceptions and behaviours. Color is too dependent on personal experiences to be universally translated to specific feelings.

Ask yourself: what do I want my brand’s personality to be, and how can I use color to convey that personality?

Joe Hallock did a study of colours a few years ago on the preferences of colour but limited it to the two genders. This gives us an insight into what feminine and masculine inclinations are: