Colour Theory – Page 3

Orange and Blue are a safe risk

April 9, 2018

Orange is the colour of autumn, and of the 1970s, so even though an autumnal palette simultaneously evokes warmth and the cozy crispness of fall, it can also cause traumatic flashbacks to shag carpeting, brutalist architecture, and questionable fashions.

Blue is similarly contradictory. It is well loved, and ubiquitous in both fashion and administrative work, but this popularity is exactly what makes it so basic, so safe, so essentially neutral.

It is these dichotomies that make the pairing of orange and blue so daring. Orange is one of the most controversial colours (only yellow is more difficult to pull off), and blue is the most agreeable. Together they allow for rather low-risk experimentation.

19-quee-orange-blueb

Green and Orange are joyful prosperity

April 2, 2018

Orange is optimism and cheerfulness. It is youthful without being infantile and warm without being hot. Green is abundance, wealth, and growth. It is calming but never stagnant. Together, green and orange are ebullient and comforting. A walk in the park on a sunny day. Do be careful though, to wear sunscreen during your walk, because orange also represents danger, and green can be sickly.

18-quee-green-orangeb

Pink and Green are interchangeable

March 26, 2018

Green is the colour of nature, and is associated with growth, freshness, fertility, and wealth, but also jealousy, and in some cultures, illness. Pink is associated with femininity and therefore nurturing and soothing qualities, but sometimes its so over the top in its sweetness that its sickly sweet. While these colours are on opposite ends of the spectrum, they are actually pretty much the same. Perhaps it is because they are opposites that they get along so well.

17-quee-pink-green

Black and Pink are on the same team

March 19, 2018

Don’t be afraid of pink. People rarely wear it in office settings, probably because they want to be taken seriously and pink still carries a girly connotation, (though this wasn’t always the case) and of course, we still live in a society that considers all things feminine to be negative or at least inferior to masculine things.

Black, on the other hand is utterly gender neutral, and is, of course, itself a neutral. Black is classic, but equally modern. Let’s face it, if all the colours (and neutrals) were to fight for dominance, black would win, but pink would put up a good fight.

16-quee-black-pink

Black and White are not at odds

March 12, 2018

In light, black is the absence of colour. In pigment, it’s all colours mixed together. Either way black represents space, the infinite, never-ending, all-encompassing. It is dark and mysterious, and symbolizes mourning and evil in Western cultures. In clothing, an all-black outfit can be goth or elegant, depending on styling. Black is the easiest neutral to work with because it goes with absolutely everything. It is safe, and no-fault, while simultaneously evoking power and sophistication.

White symbolizes purity, innocence, and cleanliness. It is the opposite of black: in light it is all colours, in pigment it is none. White is a blank slate, an empty canvas. While black is the colour of death and mourning in western culture, in other cultures white fills this role, due to the idea of death being the beginning of a new life, of renewal.

15-quee-black-white

White is pure

March 5, 2018

14-quee-white

White is pure,
good.
The taste of white is snow,
bland but refreshing.
The sound of white is snow,
falling lightly,
quiet calm.
The feel of white is snow
like cotton.
White is kind,
bright,
unspoiled,
appropriate,
and goes with
everything.

Grey is anonymous

February 26, 2018

13-quee-grey

Grey is anonymous,
wise.
The taste of grey is nothing,
just the smell of smoke.
The sound of grey is whistling
kettle.
Repetitive.
The feel of grey is steel,
flat, cold,
strong, flexible.
Grey is neither
good nor bad,
neither this nor that,
sitting on the fence.
Opinionated.

Black is mysterious

February 19, 2018

12-quee-black
Black is mysterious,
stunning.
The taste of black is licorice
black,
a good bad,
an acquired taste.
The sound of black is silence,
universal void.
The feel of black is emptyness,
universal void.
Black is introverted
power.
Seen from afar,
feared and admired.
Enigma.

Brown is basic

February 5, 2018

11-quee-brown
Brown is basic,
mud.
The taste of brown is chocolate
unsweetened.
The sound of brown is falling
with a thud.
The feel of brown is leather
affected by the rain.
Brown is not bad
just blah.
Inconspicuous,
there.
Complimenting,
not insulting,
detracting.

Burgundy is thoughtful

January 29, 2018

10-quee-burgundy

Burgundy is thoughtful,
contained.
The taste of burgundy is tourtiere
with ketchup on the side.
The sound of burgundy is your boss,
announcement to the staff.
The feel of burgundy is cotton
Sensible and cheap.
Burgundy is professional
A blazer with a skirt.
Hardworking,
perceptive,
never wrong but never right.
Alone and independent.
Smug.