Colour Meanings
In graphic design, colour is very important. Yet for some reason, it seems the use of colour is frequently set aside when it comes to writing.
Newbie authors are always instructed to remember to include scents and sounds into their writing, but of the many seminars and writing classes I’ve attended, I’ve never heard mention of colour. Which, upon review, seems odd. If we are describing the world of our characters, should we not also be splashing it with appropriate colours, as well as the sounds and smells? Oh sure we almost always know the heroine’s hair is the colour of “spun gold” (not that I have ever seen spun gold to be able to compare it to) or the hero’s eyes were “black as night”. (Really?) But what about the rest of the fictional world? What colour is her apartment? Her office? His car? As with everything, the colours surrounding the hero and heroine also add to the romance or mystery.
After researching colour psychology for a design project, it occurred to me the list could easily transition from design to writing. You’ve seen many of these colours used to represent companies and business, but why not the world in our books?
This is a great little chart to show off some of the emotions associated with a few of the major colours. I thought it was worth sharing.
~ Nika
I just asked my wife, who has not read them in years, what color Nancy Drew’s car was. Without hesitation she replied, “the first one was blue, later she gets a red one”.
Colors are memorable. As a trait that fixes itself into people’s memory, you are quite correct that it would be foolish not to use them.
As an inverse tool using the same traits, I’ve also heard it mused upon that the heroine of Twilight was so poorly described that every reader could place herself in the role. I will not step into the question of intent versus poor writing, but it seems to have been quite effective for her audience. By leaving something absolutely without description, the reader fills in based on their own assumptions. I know that some authors have done this knowingly with race.
Finally, there is the “color beyond color”. I believe some of the horror authors of Lovecraft and Howard’s era would outright state that the color could not be defined and was difficult to interpret with human eyes. If not them, then their literary descendants have employed it enough that it risks being a cliché. Of course, Lovecraft himself did use it at least once: as the core concept in “The Colour out of Space”.
I love your wife! ^_^ I was such a Nancy Drew fan!
I agree that colour can have personal meaning, as well as the intended psychological effects, which can make it difficult to use in some cases. I myself haven’t been paying enough attention to how I use it (a fact that I will attempt to change).
I had heard that about Bella (Twilight), but it also could be the 1st person voice that’s used. Most people don’t describe themselves in flowery terms, so with the story taking place in Bella’s voice, it makes sense she wouldn’t describe herself in much detail.
In horror, I believe it’s the absence of colour that makes it work best. Without brightness you can’t help but be drawn into the world of the dark and scary.