Color Theory and Emotional Effects

The element of color is created when light passes through an object and it's reflected back to the eye. This means that we do not see objects, we only see light. Three property of color are the hue, which is the name we give to the color. The second one is the value, which tells us how dark or light the color is. The third property is intensity, which means the strength of the color. An image would not be able to portray the same amount of emotion if the image does not use colors. Different colors have individual and cultural associations. In our culture, we often see the color pink as feminine and blue as being masculine. Colors in themselves do not have a meaning or representation since they are just light. Our culture created the idea that pink and blue should represent each gender. It has been proven that men will usually find women more attractive if they wear red or pink. This is because our culture has attached into our brains that emotional response into that given color.

The most theoretical aspect of color that most fascinates me is the fact that we can only see color because of the light hitting an object and being reflected into our eyes. This would mean that in reality, color does not exist and it is just an effect created by our eyes. It really changed the way you look at the world around you and makes you see life and the human body as the amazing creation that it is.

The video "color" is very interesting. It shows how color is the most powerful artistic element. It is difficult to get an emotion out of your painting if it does not include colors. Colors can also make it easier for people to understand the message that the artist is trying to present.

In the "feelings" video, it impacted me how works of art can change a person's feelings towards an event or the person that is being depicted. Works of art has always been used to send a message to the viewer. In the past, many art works tried to depict religious figures which created an idea inside the person's brain of how that person from the past looked like and behaved. It also gives you the feeling of being there at the moment of the important event shown in the image.