Color Theory and Emotional Effects

1. Color is the visual element that probably gives the most pleasure. Color can effect psychological and physiological responses. For example, red can promote hunger and pink can calm aggressive and agitated behavior. Colors can be described as warm and cool. Warm colors are reds, oranges, and yellows, while cool colors are blues and greens. Colors can be made more intense when two from different ends of the color wheel are mixed together. The more intense the color, the more intense the feeling. Colors can be associated with different things, such as red and green for Christmas.

2. To me, the color theory that most intrigues me is optical color mixture and pointillism. Optical color mixing is small patches of different colors being close together so the eye can produce a new color. With pointillism, a work of art looks like a bunch of dots mixed together, but at a closer look, the dots change into shapes, where the image can emerge. In Georges Seurat's Evening, Honfleur, the dots do not fuse completely, giving the painting a texture and a sort of shimmer due to the colors interaction with each other. I love how this painting looks. It promotes happiness within me due to the warm colors.

3. Artist can evoke an emotional response just by using color. The more intense the color, the more expressive the emotion. Artists, like Vincent van Gough, can express their own feelings into their work. Van Gough put his feelings of depression into one of his works about a café, with the colors of green and red. He used color to express himself with the clashing of the colors. He hoped that the clash of the colors of green and red would show to viewers his negative feelings. I find that, to be the most interest thing I've learned from this video regarding colors and its effects to emotions.

4. Francisco Goya, was dark, for he painted the unasked for, the uncomfortable,  and the unwanted. He painted his own imagination. Goya shows freedom going negative in his works. I find when looking at Goya's works, I feel disturbed. The way he uses color, he promotes negativity.