Starry Night – Vincent van Gogh (1889)

Red Hill and Bones – Georgia O’Keeffe (1941)

Colours in Art:

The Importance and Meaning

A large part of the power, and joy, of Art is colour. The reason colour is so important, is because it affects how we experience the Art, our emotions about it, and what it actually means to us. Art is a powerful tool for communication and storytelling, and colours create emotion and mood. Have a look at these two painting and see how you feel about them.

For me, Vincent’s Starry Night, with its deep blues and yellows, has a feeling of calm and emotion. It is almost dreamy. Georgia’s Red Hill and Bones exudes energy and shows her passion for the untouched scenery in New Mexico. The colours here tell a story and give the paintings a deeper meaning.

What are your thoughts?

Colours attract attention and guide the eye. By using contrasting colours, i.e. warm vs. cool, artists can guide our focus. Colours give depth and perspective. Warm colours (reds, oranges) appear to be closer, whereas cool colours (blues, greens) seem further away.

There are artists who go through a certain ‘colour period’.

Think of Picasso’s Rose Period (1904-1906) when he used warm pinks, reds, and oranges and created a softer, romantic, more optimistic mood. He happened to have fallen in love and his life had improved. A good example of this is Garçon à la Pipe (1905).

Or Henri Matisse’s Fauve Period (1904-1908) when he used bold and vivid colours like reds, yellows and blues that created expressive and energetic paintings such as Woman with a Hat (1905).

Colour periods reflect changing emotions, artistic revolutions, and cultural influences.

Colours are not just visual. They have a direct effect on our health and well-being through interaction with our brain, hormones, and physiological responses such as heart rate. Colour exposure affect the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates dopamine production. Dopamine is our ‘happy, or feel good hormone’. Certain colours stimulate brain activity and can trigger dopamine release. If you are looking for a dopamine booster, go for bright and warm colours such as red, yellow, and orange.


Cool colours like blue and green are linked to serotonin, our ‘feel good hormone’ that will make you feel calm, happy, and focused.

Garçon à la Pipe (1905)

Woman with a Hat (1905)

‘Every artist dips his brush in his own soul and paints his own nature into his pictures’

HENRY WARD BEECHER

Let’s look at the different colours. 

Artists do not just choose colours because of their artistic, visual impact. They use them to give the artwork meaning, create a mood and connect with human emotions. Colour is one of the most formidable tools for artistic expression.


Ask yourself the following questions:

  • What colours affect you the most?

  • What is your favourite use of colours in Art?

  • What piece of Art has a special meaning to you?

  • And what was the role of colour in this?

Colours Explained

Blue

The colour blue has a calming effect on your body. It is relaxing, soothing, lowers stress and anxiety, and can lower your heart rate and blood pressure. Blue gives a feeling of stability, balance, and trust.

Red

The colour red is energising and stimulating. It can even raise your heart rate and make you feel more alert. Red is the colour of passion and excitement.

Yellow

Yellow is the colour of happiness and optimism. It increases our ‘feel good hormone’ and has a positive effect on focus, memory, metabolism, and energy levels.

Green

Like the colour blue, green has a calming and soothing effect. It is a healing colour that reduces stress and creates a feeling of harmony. It reminds us of Nature, growth, and renewal.

Orange

This colour is a combination of red and yellow, so it puts the energy of red and optimism of yellow together, creating a wonderful mood improver. It is a warm colour that stimulates energy and appetite.

Purple

This colour is a combination of red and blue, combining red’s energy and blue’s calm. Purple stimulates creativity, and it is the colour of spirituality.

‘Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life’

Pablo Picasso