Colour Theory In Writing

Colour surrounds us everywhere. We pick colours to show something about ourselves and our spaces. Do you prefer the cool, calm vibe of pastels or the energetic feel of bright colours, or maybe a mix of both? The colours we wear can influence our mood, and the colours others choose can shape our perception of them. In simpler terms, colours might have psychological effects that are generally understood or unique to us for various reasons.

I haven’t really found much in my reading about this subject when it comes to creative writing. Sure, we’re advised to describe colours to engage the visual senses and make the fictional world more vivid for the reader, but what else should we think about? As an artist, colour is something I hold dear. Like many artists, I blend it, apply it to canvas, and strategically place one colour next to another. It’s not just about red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, and white. It’s about tints, tones, and shades – adding white, grey, or black respectively. It’s about how one colour relates to another – if two colours or their variations are opposite on the colour wheel (known as complementary), they boost each other for maximum visual effect, like purple and yellow. It’s about an endless array of colour combinations. It’s about warm and cool – adding yellow or blue, respectively. Any decent beginner painting course will cover colour theory. So, I thought I’d dive into how we can incorporate colour into creative writing, keeping some colour theory and psychology in mind.