Mixed Media on Strathmore 400 Series Toned Tan Mixed Media Paper by @georgina_kreutzer
Color Psychology – Purple
Color psychology suggests our mood can be impacted by different colors, each supposedly having a unique effect based on an individual’s personal experiences and culture.
Scroll down to enjoy a collection of beautiful work created by different artists on Strathmore papers; each featuring different shades of the color PURPLE.
PSYCHOLOGY OF THE COLOR PURPLE:
As artists, we know different shades of purple can be made by mixing reds and blues. Each shade of purple can carry a different meaning and evoke a different type of reaction. Common associations with the color purple include:
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Creativity and Imagination
Hues of purple are both calming and stimulating for the mind, creating a harmonious balance that promotes imagination and creativity. It’s a great color to surround yourself with when creating art and brainstorming your next project. In writing, the expression ‘purple prose’ is used to reference exaggerations and imaginative pieces.
Colored Pencil on Strathmore 400 Series Toned Tan paper by @franknitkiewicz
Colored pencil on Strathmore Mixed Media Paper by @headspace.illustrations
Mixed Media on Strathmore 400 Series Toned Tan Mixed Media Paper by @georgina_kreutzer
Colored Pencil on Strathmore 400 Series Toned Gray paper by @laurafilipovics
Soft pastel on Strathmore 400 Series Toned Gray Paper by @lenokdih
How do you feel when you see the color purple?
Using Contrast
Before looking at individual colours, you should consider how much contrast you want to achieve.
In our illustration below, we have chosen a deep rich purple shade to be our paint and paired it with three different shades of purple, from dark to light.
Let’s take a peek, as it will help in understanding this next bit:
The closer the shade of the blind or curtain is to the wall, the more discreet it appears. Therefore, if you want your window treatment to blend into the background, you should choose a colour with a similar hue and shade. However, some of you might enjoy bold window treatments, in which case you want to create a high contrast between your wall and window treatment.
When choosing combinations, several colours go with purple. From anthracite grey to navy and jewel tones such as teal and emerald look sensational paired with purple. Read on to discover some of our colour combination suggestions for purple walls.
Purple Bedroom Walls
A calming, comforting colour, purple walls are ideal for bedrooms, helping you to rest and soothe you to sleep.
Dark purple walls are a bold choice but are becoming increasingly popular because of the intimate, romantic ambience the shade creates in the boudoir.
We could choose navy curtains for purple bedroom walls to add to this deliciously dark, romantic, moody scheme.
For a softer aesthetic blue or pink curtains are fabulous complementary colours for purple bedroom walls.
Purple Living Room Walls
Your living room should offer respite from the outside world. Rich deep purple walls such as damsons and mulberry hues are perfect for creating a dramatic and romantic living room to relax and recharge with friends and family.
For a head-turning space, consider colour-blocking with contrasting jewel tones, such as this stunning example featuring ocean teal curtains and a luxurious teal velvet sofa.
Purple walls also pair well with many other colours on the colour wheel. You could choose muted shades of ochre yellow and rust orange to create a contrast with a luxurious, sophisticated feel.
Or, for a more fun, energetic and modern vibe, choose bright, vibrant coloured curtains such as electric blue or burnt orange.
9 Peaceful Paint Colors to Help You Relax
Stress can sneak up on you. It doesn’t take much to leave us feeling anxious and stressed-it could be as simple as feeling busy at work, or just feeling like you don’t have enough time in the day to get everything done. The good news is that you can help to keep your stress levels low simply by using the right paint colors in your home.
Stress Reducing Colors to Calm You
You might not even notice it, but your body and your mind both have reactions to seeing colors. Brighter colors usually stimulate your brain and energize you, potentially even making you feel a little anxious. When painting rooms in your home, you want to think about how you want to feel when you’re in the room. If relaxation is your goal, there are certain colors to consider.
Blue
Blue is a classic color that many turn to when decorating their homes. There’s a good reason for that-blue is quite a soothing color and can help to calm a busy mind. It’s an ideal color to use in a bedroom since it can actually help you sleep. As for which shades to stick to, think very soft, neutral tones since bright colors might be too stimulating.
Violet
Violet has a blue base, so it makes sense that this color would also be quite calming. A soft violet or lilac tone can bring balance and inner peace. When choosing a shade of violet, look for something soft without too much black in it.
Pink
You might not immediately think of pink as a calming color since it has so many bright and vibrant versions. However, a soft pastel pink can definitely bring an element of peace and calm to a space. When choosing the right shade of pink, think soft and light, since brighter shades with too much red could leave you feeling overstimulated.
Green
Green is quite soothing and comforting. It makes perfect sense since this is the color we associate with nature and the outdoors. Green is present in most of the spaces we visit when we want to feel relaxed; parks, our backyards, and the quiet forest. Pretty much any shade of green will leave you feeling calm, but the lighter shades will have you feeling more chilled out than brighter versions.
Gray
You might be a little surprised to see gray on this list since it’s often seen as being a bit dull and boring. Some might think it’s even a little depressing since we sometimes feel a bit low on days where the sky is very cloudy. However, the right shade of gray can actually be very calming and relaxing. It’s a perfect neutral color, which means it works well with pretty much any color or palette. It’s a great option for any room in your home.
Tan
Tan is another one that might not immediately come to mind for people. It’s a great neutral and works well as a base for highlighting other colors. There’s a warmness to it that reminds us of candlelight, which is incredibly relaxing.
White
White is an interesting one since subtle differences in the shade can create very different reactions in people. If you go too dull, it might be a bit of a downer. If you go too bright, it can seem too clinical and actually stress you out a bit. The key to keeping things calming with white is to stick to warmer, creamy versions.
Yellow
A bright yellow is very stimulating and might have your mind running a mile a minute. However, a very light, soft pastel yellow feels very soothing. The right shade of yellow can leave you feeling like you’re being bathed in warm rays of sunshine. It doesn’t get much more relaxing than that!
Mixtures
You can create variations on calming colors by blending any of these gorgeous tones together. For example, blending violet and gray will create a soothing lilac gray hue, or a pink and tan can combine to create a softer warm pink.
Gray makes a great base for blending with any brighter color to create a cool, calming tone that won’t seem too overwhelming or distracting. It works beautifully when blended with violets, greens, and blues.
What is the Most Soothing Color?
It won’t surprise you to learn that it’s blue! When we’re feeling stressed out, we subconsciously look to blue. We might look up to the sky for a bit of daydreaming to calm down or take a trip to the beach to stare out into the water and enjoy some quiet time. In fact, it’s said that looking at the color blue can produce chemicals in the body that promote calming.
If you don’t want to go full-on blue in every room in your home, you’ll still feel the calming effects by choosing colors that have elements of blue, such as a warmer gray, blue-green, or soft purple.
Want more inspiration? Read our other blog posts:
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