the psychology of color
Colors effect people and they are connected with certain feelings and meanings. These connections are defined by our culture(s) as well as our personal experiences. E.g. my wife tells me guys are attracted to the color red whether it looks good on a woman or not (like a bull).
This is a summary on how colors are perceived in the Western world. Other cultures can perceive colors very differently.
Here is a collection of color schemes using cascading style sheets. There is a myriad of color combinations to experiment with. Here are a few examples from the the book "color index" by Jim Krause and a few that I have put together. Click on a scheme name to view a page with those colors.
monochromatic schemes
| schemes | feelings & meanings | colors | |||
| black | sophistication, elegance, seduction, mystery, death, rebellion, strength, evil, authority, power | ||||
| blue | truth, dignity, power, coolness, melancholy, heaviness, trust, reliability, belonging, coolness, peaceful, tranquil, cold | ||||
| brown | genuine, sad, wistful | ||||
| gold | prestige, expensive | ||||
| green | nature, health, cheerfulness, environment, money, vegetation, nature, freshness, cool, growth, abundance, the easiest color on the eye, relaxing, masculine, wealthy, fertility, conservative | ||||
| orange | playfulness, warmth, vibrant | ||||
| pink | softness, sweet, nurture, security | ||||
| purple | wealth, royalty, sophistication, intelligence, spirituality, dignity, romantic | ||||
| red | urgency, passion, heat, love, blood, excitement, strength, sex, speed, danger | ||||
| silver [gray] | prestige, cold, scientific | ||||
| white | purity, cleanliness, lightness, emptiness, virginity, clean, youth, mildness, innocence | ||||
| yellow | warmth, sunshine, cheerfulness, happiness, cowardice, brightness, attention getter, optimistic, enhances concentration, speeds metabolism, overpowering if overused | ||||
multi-color schemes
| schemes | colors | ||||
| active tone | |||||
| basic tone | |||||
| burgandy | |||||
| earth tone 1 | |||||
| earth tone 2 | |||||
| earth tone 3 | |||||
| greens | |||||
| muted tone | |||||
| progressive tone | |||||
