Have you ever wanted to understand the power of color and use it in your artwork? I’ve created a free downloadable Color Psychology Wheel just for you.
Color is one of the most powerful ways to set the tone for our artwork. It can convey emotion, whether that be the calming effects of blue or the passion in fiery red. Every color around the color wheel has a unique emotional story.
Even if you are more drawn to neutrals, understanding color psychology can be a powerful tool in your artistic arsenal. Even if you use color in a more muted or washed-out form or in smaller amounts, it can still tell the emotional story of your painting.
Years ago, I lived in Colorado, where it was wintery, cold, and dry, and the landscape was dead and brown for a lot of the year. I craved warmth in my body and inside my house. So I painted it a golden hour sunset gold. It was magnificent. Even the burly construction workers who came into my house stood momentarily in awe and said, wow, this is a beautiful color.
Then, I moved to Florida, where I took this color with me. I set about painting my house that beautiful yellow. And do you know, it felt like my house was on fire! I felt so utterly anxious in it. It was wild how that very same color, in a different setting (hot, hot Florida), in a different home, could come across in such an obtuse way. What once felt warming and cozy, like the sun on your face, was now stressful and like you wanted to wear sunglasses.
That was a powerful lesson for me about the effects of color in a space. Color can really transform how you feel and the message it communicates.
Free Downloadable Color Psychology Wheel
That’s why I’m so happy to gift you your very own Color Psychology Wheel, which you can download free of charge to guide you on your artistic journey.
Feel free to use it the next time you create. It can be a great litmus test to see if the emotion you are trying to convey is coming across. Choose a feeling on the wheel, use the coordinating color in your artwork, and see how your art now has the feel of that color used.
Likewise, if you want to convey how you feel on the inside (as opposed to how you want your artwork to feel), use the Color Psychology Wheel as your guide to expressing those feelings in color.
So, take the Color Psychology Wheel, hang it on your wall, or place it in your journal, and use it as a reference next time you create art and hope to evoke a feeling with it through color.
I wish you all the best on your creative journey. In the comments, let us know what emotion you like to convey in your artwork and what color you use to do it.
