Color Theory - The Basics

With the rise of Canva and other basic design software, making simple illustrative graphics is easier than ever. When you decide to branch away from photography, it’s always good to know the messaging behind certain colors. Believe it or not, different colors can convey specific emotions or thoughts. I thought I’d walk you through some of the basics of color theory.

Green

I’m sure you’ve noticed a lot of natural products use bright, fresh greens. Green is usually used to communicate earthy, organic branding messages. This one is easy and comes as no surprise – it’s probably the most common ways color theory is used in branding.

Blue

Blue, often affiliated with ocean and water, is a color that can be a little trickier. It can be used to communicate sadness, but it’s also used for a lot of steady feelings like trust, confidence and stability.

Yellow and Orange

These colors are grouped together because they have similar meanings. They are both exciting and communicate high energy. Orange specifically can allude to creativity, where yellow points to feelings of joy.

Red

Red is another easy color. It’s a color of passion. This kind of passion can range from anger to lust. It is an intense shade and one that can be overused. However, due to its power, it can really pack a punch when used the right way!

Purple

Purple tends to invoke feelings of mystery and magic. It’s a very regal color, and covers a broad range of topics. Overall, it is a rich, luxurious hue with elements of mysticism. This is one of the more complex shades to use, so keep your eyes peeled for brands that use this color well.

It can be hard to remember all these individual colors! So let’s break it down a little bit into two families – active colors and passive colors. Active colors are exciting and call people to action. Yellows, oranges and reds are all warm, active colors. Passive colors are laidback and put consumers at ease. Blues, greens and purples are cool, passive colors. As long as you get in those general families, you’re already one step closer to mastering color theory!