How to understand the expression of a color? I think we should treat colors as friends with whom we have more or less relationship. I will present them one by one, as friends must be presented. That is, subjectively …
The colors are very difficult to universalize because they are directly linked to human emotions. The emotion that transmits us a single color depends on our mood and our individual personality tendencies.
For example, If I am a positive person and I’m in a good mood, the red color will seem exciting, joy and love. If I am a negative person and I have a bad day or something bad has happened to me, the same red color can make me feel nervous, frightened and hurt. I think the colors enhance these states of mind, so we must heed their presence if we want to redirect our feelings.
In addition, each person has a personal relationship with each color, as we have with our friends. Imagine that all your life you liked the yellow color, but after getting lost in the desert three weeks, you just hate it and no longer want to see the yellow color again. Or imagine that throughout life we have seen much one color. So, is this a color / lifelong friend.
Then, I present the list of names proposed by Gavin Ambrose and Paul Harris in the book “Design Bases. Color”. A great list of adjectives proposed, with which, even so, not all of us can agree. So, I add another column with my own impressions about each color.
| COLOR | Name | Adjectives (Ambrose – Harris ) | My description |
| Red scarlet | Exciting, aggressive, dramatic, dynamic | Passionate, intense, dominant, strong, blood | |
| Red brick | Safe, natural, strong | Earth, depression, dynamism, restlessness | |
| Red warm | Seductive, provocative, sensual | Gaudy, villain, impulsive, flashy | |
| Hot Pink / Magenta | Passionate, flamboyant, flashy | Powerful, mysterious, frivolous | |
| Light pink | Sweet, delicate, feminine | Doubtful, soft, cute, subtle, sweet | |
| Grizzly rose | Romantic, exquisite, tender, sentimental | Sensible, adventurer, secret | |
| Mauve | Sereno, subtle, mellow | Intelligent, selfish, evil, powerful, modern | |
| Burgundy | Opulent, rich, intense, sumptuous | Deep, rich, vital | |
| Fashion fuchsia | Voluptuous, energetic, theatrical, fun | Quirky, exaggerated, energy, madness | |
| Gamboge | Spicy, warm, ethnic, healthy | Sunny, warm, enveloping, absorbing | |
| Orange | Funny, radiant, vital, the warmest of colors | Dynamic, feeds, electrical | |
| Peach | Healthy, soft, delicate and velvety touch | Simple, harmless, dim, friendly | |
| Yellow (Munsell) | Hope, joy, cowardice, deceit | Bright, light, sun, sympathetic | |
| Light yellow | Inspiring, warm, soothing, foggy summer | Repressed energy, amplitude, distance | |
| Golden yellow | Sunny, autumnal, cooked | Power, gold, warm, generous | |
| Greenish yellow | Lemon, sour, fruity, spicy, sharp | Striking, evocative, disturbing, impure | |
| Cream | Dense, rich, clean, classic, simple | Invisible, dehydrated, shy | |
| Beige | Responsible, flexible, soft, timeless | Practical, subtle, smooth movement, cyclic | |
| Brown | Healthy, earthy, responsible, friendly | Deep depression, horror, wet land, exhaustion | |
| offee / Chocolate | Succulent, durable, delicious | Concentration, sex, years | |
| Earth yellow | Safe, convenient, organic, rustic | Traitor, collected, tired, modest | |
| lilac | Female, refined, elegant, graceful | Dominant, subtle, intelligent, contaminated | |
| Lavender purple | Floral, aromatic, nostalgic, eccentric | Modern, extravagant, dense | |
| Purple | Sensual, futuristic, friendly | Strong, powerful, stable, modern | |
| Dark Purple | Majestic, expensive, regional | Exotic, difficult, demanding | |
| Plum | Full, plump, sophisticated, unique | Drunk, malleable, heavy | |
| Violete | Mystery, fantasy, spiritual, floral | Magic, invigorating, spiritual | |
| Teal blue | Cool, expensive, confident, modern | Trust, security, serene, welcoming | |
| Electric blue | Dynamic, sexy, bold, challenging | Vital, generous, cool | |
| Navy blue | Uniform, reliable, safe, traditional, constant | Deep, eternal confidence | |
| Dark blue | Engaged, dramatic, professional, active | Uncontrollable, promise, exaggerated | |
| Azure | Relaxing, cheerful, confidence | Sensual, cheerful, reliable, great water | |
| Turquoise | Healer, spiritual, mystical, exotic | Gentle, kind, luck, good | |
| Light blue | Beautiful, youthful, serene, quiet, cozy, dim | Soso, calm, quiet, air | |
| Sea green | Fluid, refreshing, purifying, energizing | Valuable promising futuristic | |
| Dark green | Natural, organic, abundance, exquisite | Quiet, wise, smart | |
| Light Green | Juvenil, comestible, nauseabundo | Joven, molesto, inquieto | |
| Olive | Classic, dull, murky, durable | Energy, health, life, feeds | |
| Khaki | Uniform, camouflage, military, initiative | Loaded, filled with substance | |
| Lime | Acid, citric, refreshing, juicy, enthusiastic | Acid, fun, modern | |
| White | Pure,innocent, good, clinical | Nothing, cleanliness, purity | |
| Gold | Wealth, luxury, excess, luck, tradition | Luck, generosity, brilliance, exotic | |
| Silver | Prestigious, luxurious, cool, metallic | Power, mental, brightness, absorbent quality | |
| Bronze | Warm, tradition, enduring, rustic | Material, spoiled, warm | |
| Black | Magic, dramatic, elegant, sinister, bold | Night, loneliness, death, elegance, personality | |
| Charcoal | Sophisticated, sober, professional | Quiet, modest, strong, powerful | |
| Cool gray | Austere, reputed, sad | Stupid, cool, modern, distant | |
| Warm gray | Contemplative, experienced, sober | Responsible, hardworking, practical |
Adjectives like weird, strange, wonderful or beautiful, do not really work, they do not describe anything. Neither the word unique or special, because all the colors are so.
For more baldly self-define a color you can think it it´s pleasant / unpleasant, and if it´s in a greater or lesser quantity.
* Note: The next time I have to paint the portrait of a friend, I will first define what words of her/his personality, and then paint with the colors that correspond to him/her.
* To search for an adjective to use the keyboard command Ctrl + F.
More list of colors in Wikipedia
