THE LANGUAGE OF COLOUR

by Sandy Robson

While some species do not discern much colour at all, and others like bees focus on ultraviolet and other spectrums, to our human eyes the world is indeed a colourful one. Collins Dictionary defines only 32 shades of blue, from aquamarine to Wedgewood, and over 40 shades of red, but the human eye is capable of distinguishing millions of different colours within the visible light spectrum.

Rubidium spectrum. Nineteenth-century scientists, Robert Bunsen and Gustav Kirchhoff discovered this element through spectroscopy, observing that the flame created by the burning of the new element created a unique spectrum.

And yet colour is an illusion… a trick of the light, if you will. The white light that floods our world from the sun is actually a spectrum of visible light ranging from red through orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. We see a lemon as yellow because the outer peel absorbs all of the light that shines upon it, except for the yellow light, which reflects back to the viewer and that is translated by the intricate structures in our eyes and brain to become what we call yellow. The process is beautifully complex, and after heading down a rabbit hole of research including mind-bending science ideas from Michael Stevens (Google Vsauce on YouTube for some science-y fun.) I decided to leave well enough alone and focus on why and how colour plays such an important role in the life of us humans.

Colour is used to describe almost everything in our world, so “learning our colours” is one of the first tasks we are given as children. Colour gives us the cues we need to zero in on our surroundings. We pick up the red block and place it in a blue box; put on our green and yellow boots, watch for gramma’s purple car to arrive outside. From an early age we learn to love colour, and associate it with food, things, seasons, people, and activities.

How many of you recall fondly the beginning of each school year and the sight and smell of a new box of crayons? And the excitement of graduating from the 8-pack to 24, and eventually 96 colours? Ahh, the thrill of so many to choose from! We wear out our red and green crayons at Christmas time, and Hallowe’en takes a toll on the orange and black. And how often are we asked, “what is your favourite colour?” We all seem to have one, although it can change over time. According to Crayola, in a recent poll, blue was voted the most popular colour, followed by: red, violet, green, carnation pink, black, turquoise blue, blue green, periwinkle and magenta (my girlhood favourite).

Colour trends and forecasting for fashion, décor and the design of everything from automobiles and packaging, to toys and logos, is a big business, with professionals from around the world strategizing about how colour preferences are shifting, and developing colour palettes two or more years into the future. According to researcher J.A. King in “Colour trend forecasting and its influence on the fashion and textile industry” (2011), colour forecasting involves “the systematic evaluation and synchronisation of past seasonal colour influences, socio-cultural and economic factors, fashion trends and the forecasters’ intuition, to create several colour palettes applicable to a variety of market sectors each season.” Researchers look at consumer trends, interests, purchasing patterns and cultural and political shifts to determine where we are moving in our collective preferences and attitudes toward colour.

Forecasters conduct tests and surveys to gauge our global colour mood, and every year the “colour of the year” is declared by the global authority on colour, Pantone. For 2021, they actually selected two colours: Ultimate Gray (PMS 17-5104) and a bright yellow called Illuminating (PMS 13-0647). According to Pantone “this color combination’s ability to evoke positivity and optimism, at a time when we may need it the most, is a reason for the selection. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted… this is essential to the human spirit.”

Colour has been studied for a very long time. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published his treatise Theory of Colours in 1810, one of the first formal explorations on the nature, function and psychology of colour and drew many conclusions. According to his studies, yellow for example, “in its highest purity always carries with it the nature of brightness, and has a serene, gay, softly exciting character.” Through the years and development of colour theory, yellow has kept that sunny meaning. Others such as red are associated with passion and love; green with new beginnings, abundance, and more recently both the term and the colour denote ecologically minded practices; purple is aligned with creativity and wealth, while blue reflects serenity, and also sadness. Black has long been equated with darkness and evil, but also mystery and elegance; while gray is considered moody, formal and conservative.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published Theory of Colors in 1810.

The light we receive from the sun and how it translates into colour is also particular to where we live on the planet. Ask any painter and they will tell you the natural colours and palette of Vancouver Island differs considerably from places that experience intense overhead sunlight. In the northern hemisphere the light from the sun hits us at a considerable angle, making our skies a paler shade of blue and almost silvery in winter months. There is an underlying grey undertone to colours here as well, something we become accustomed to and are comfortable with. If you head south, the direct sunlight and colour intensity increases as you move toward the equator, with the sky taking on a deeper turquoise hue. Natural light and how it effects colour perception impacts everything from clothing to the colours we use to paint the living room… and explains why that shirt you bought in Maui looked perfectly fine when you wore it there, but somehow looked out of place when you brought it back home.

Some colours—the sky, water, trees and earth—naturally surround us, and often they inform the choices we make for ourselves because they feel most comfortable to us. Anyone staging their home for sale knows the value of applying a neutral paint colour—a lovely grey or beige, perhaps— that won’t disturb potential buyers’ visual impression. Overall, we tend to pick quieter, calming tones for our home interiors that draw from our natural environment, but the range of paint colours available is vast and making a final selection can be a rather involved process employing paint swatches and sample boards and observing how the colour changes with the light throughout the day. And as a side note, I have always wanted the job of naming paint colours… how fun to conjure up Skipping Stones (beige), Sweet Innocence (pinkish), and Sunset in Italy (peachy)!

Natural colours in our surroundings often inform our colour choices. They feel most comfortable to us.

When we are choosing colours for our homes, décor, phones, cars, clothing, and even garden plants, we do so hoping to find just the right shade to reflect our personality, style and mood. Colour trends come and go, and those who follow them may all busily paint their feature walls navy blue one year and pale mauve the next, but I believe that in the end, surrounding ourselves with colours that make us feel good, happy and at home is the right choice. We are always drawn to our favourites, because as Coco Chanel once advised…

“The best colour in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.”