Color

     Colors have not only different meanings, but there's a lot of terminology that goes along with that as well.  Color harmonies are used to make choices in what is visually pleasing to the eye of the viewer.  Businesses use complementary colors on logos and retail displays to appeal to buyers.  Artists use analogous colors because they are harmonious and pleasing to the eye.  Computer color schemes and powerpoint presentations use a split-complementary color scheme to avoid eye fatigue if looked on for a long period of time.

  The terminology for colors is vast and each one, used properly, can have an extreme or slight change to the feeling of the color.  A hue refers to the purest form of the color on the color wheel.  Hues can be used in art for attention getting or for something as simple as a child's playroom.  A tint is when one adds white to a hue to make the color lighter.  Usually tints can produce pastel colors which can be associated with a feminine environment.  A shade is when one adds black to a hue to make the resulting color darker.  Most artists use black sparingly as it can quickly destroy their main color.  Shades can be a little overpowering and they are usually associated with a masculine environment.  A tone is when one adds the color grey to a hue.  This is a good strategy in interior design as it leads to a more diverse and interesting color pallet.

     Color symbolisms are not just limited to what you and I think where we are.  There is a broad spectrum of meanings that spreads through hundreds of years of history all over the world.  For example, when I think of the meaning of the color red, I think of anger or energy.  But in other cultures, such as Asia,  the color red is a symbol for celebration and good luck.  I think that the color pink is more of a feminine color and should not be worn by men.  In the Japanese culture however, the color pink appeals to all genders.  Also in the catholic church,  the color pink is used during the time of advent.   There is however one color that means the same in every culture in the world in some form or another.  The color black is a universal symbol for evil and mystery, but it is also used as a symbol of submission as evident by clergymen in the catholic church.