Picking color schemes: psychology, strategy of color

COLOR IS POWERFUL

Did you know that color can influence the way you taste your food? It can increase the effectiveness of placebos. Color schemes can make women look more or less attractive to men. It can draw your attention to danger and effect your emotion just by looking at certain hues. 

As artists, color is a powerful choice. Color can influence how people feel when they look at your work. Certain colors encourage different buying patterns in your customers. Consistent color can increase brand recognition. 

What colors are you using and how are they affecting your business?

PSYCHOLOGY OF COLOR

Whether or not you stick to a definitive color palette is up to you. Personally, my work is overtaken by cool tones — blues, greens, purples — and it never varies. People ALWAYS comment on it specifically. They use words like “dreamy,” “meloncholy,” “sad,” “comforting,” “childlike,” and “simple.” 

Because of this, I’ve started to do a little research online about color psychology. It’s clearly what draws people to my work, and clearly I’m attached to certain colors myself. And what I’ve found is amazing. 

Unfortunately, studies disagree on which colors bring out which emotions. Scientists and psychologists say that color perception actually varies by culture and location — people living in Michigan are affected by color differently than people raised in Germany. 

But marketers have been strategically using color for decades. And they’ve learned a few things that are important for you to know as a creative salesperson:

• Knowing your audience helps you choose your color. If you’re aiming to get sales from masculine, heterosexual men in the U.S., a pink painting may not be your best bet. If you want to attract office space owners, then a black and white piece with a splash of one accent color may be best — not a rainbow. Think of what your customers may want. Or conversely, think of what type of customers your current color choices are already attracting. 
• Color meaning is based on both learned meaning and biologically innate meaning. Your culture or upbringing can teach you that white is the color of weddings and purity. Your human instincts can make you feel relaxed by blues and greens because for generations we’ve ingrained the idea that lush plants and blue lakes means food, water and shelter. 
• Blue is the preferred color for 35% of Americans, but reds inspire more spontaneous purchases than any other hue. 
• A person’s first impression of a painting or product is made in the first 90 seconds. Up to 90 percent of that judgement is based on color!! 
• Our brains prefer immediately recognizable brands, with color dominating the brand as a signature trait. We like things that feel familiar. Keeping your color choices consistent — whether it’s to use a rainbow in every piece, only blues and reds, or all warm tones — will turn your customers into repeat buyers and idle watchers into raving fans. 

MAKE YOUR OWN MEANING

Your color choices are already affecting your viewers. They match their tastes, or they don’t, based on how they make people feel. If you want to attach a more specific meaning to your color choices, TELL PEOPLE.

Post about it on social media and explain the meaning behind each detail. On your online shop, write a blurb in the product description. Customers will have a chance to get familiar with the meaning when they first see it on your profile, and again when they are ready to buy. When you do art shows, tell the meaning or story behind the colors in the piece when you see someone eyeballing that painting. People will learn to associate these meanings with your artwork when you repeat it a few times in a few different paintings. 

For example, if you want the color green to represent personal growth, either for you or for any character represented in your work, explain that. Otherwise people will associate green with what they always do (freshness, food, health, etc. depending on culture). 

Tell the story of how your high school graduation ring held a green gem in it, and that represented moving from one chapter to the next for you and how it remains a constant motivator in your life. Or you can simply compare the color green to plants and how you grow like a houseplant does, bigger and bigger every time you’re moved into a new pot. It doesn’t have to be intricate — in fact it should be relatable. 

If you’re not sure what to say or why you should attach any meaning to your work, check out my article on artist storytelling. It’ll show you what’s up in that category. 

Half of our understanding of color is learned, of course. Be the teacher! 

COLOR IN BRANDING

Color in individual paintings is a hard choice as it is, but what about a color scheme for your whole brand?

I mean, that’s a tough one. 

Logos, price sheets, art show booth decor, your Instagram feed, shipment packaging — it can be overwhelming. 

That’s why I love using color as my main factor in branding. It’s simpler than choosing one single image to be your logo for the rest of your life ‘til death do you part (just kidding you can change it, but it takes a lot of work once established!). Choosing color schemes makes it simpler until you’re ready to commit. 

And you don’t have to transfer this color scheme into every single piece of art you ever make, unless you’re an obsessive person like me. You can still vary your illustrations. But making your brand colors recognizable is good for business. 

Like I mentioned above, studies show people love familiar things. And people recognize color first. 

MAKE THE CHOICE

What color do you want to represent you?

I hope you’re not neglecting the power of a certain hue to attract or repel the type of audience you want. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed already, there are some sites that will help you understand color basics and think a little deeper about it. Try these resources:

Color wheel basics: https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/basic-color-theory

Color psychology basics: https://www.verywellmind.com/color-psychology-2795824

Marketing with color: https://www.purelybranded.com/insights/the-color-of-marketing/

After today, make it a goal to be more mindful of this essential part of art! Try to stick with a color scheme in your next piece, and see how you feel about it.