Writing Notes: On Colour
Describing Colour in your Poetry and Stories
BLACK Shadow Black, Dusk, Midnight, Blackbird, Blackberry, Ebony, Black Honey, Darkness, Jet Black, Ink Black, Soot, Onyx, Licorice, Ivory Black, Pitch, Char, Gloom, Outer Space, Creosote Black, Melanite, Goth Black, Gunpowder
BLUE Blueberry, Sapphire Blue Metallic, Tiffany Blue (Pantone 1837), Cobalt Blue, Denim, Aquamarine, Turquoise, Sky Blue, Topaz, Ultramarine Blue, Azure, Cerulean, Oxford Blue, Periwinkle, Electric Blue, Baby Boy Blue, Pthalo Blue, Robin's Egg Blue, Persian Blue, Marino Blue, Prussian Blue
GREEN Leafy Green, Olive, Moss Green, Jade, Lime, Sour Apple Green, Emerald Green, Mint, Kiwi Green, Phthalo Green, Praying Mantis Green, Viridian, Greenback, Shamrock, Sap Green, Chartreuse, Sea Green, Pistachio, Teal, Bamboo, Sea Salt, Celadon Green, Celery, Asparagus Green, Fern Green, Neon Green, Jungle Green, Pear Green
ORANGE Pumpkin, Burnt Orange, Carrot, Sunset Orange, Tangerine, Persimmon, Salamander, Tennessee Orange (Pantone 151), Jack-o'-lantern Orange, Florida Orange, Summer Squash, Pale Daffodil, Smashed Pumpkin, Saffron, Autumn Orange, Macaroni and Cheese, Cadmium Orange
PINK Pink Flamingo, Neon Pink, Bubblegum Pink, Salmon, Peach, Fuscia, Cotton Candy Pink, Rose, Carnation, Thulian, Apricot, Atomic Pink, Barbie Pink, Hot Pink, Amaranth, Flushed, Glitter Pink
PURPLE Lavender, Purple Haze, Grape, Eggplant Purple, Plum, Violet, Orchid, Psychedelic Purple, Amethyst, Lilac, Boysenberry, Mulberry, Wisteria, Bruised Plum, Indigo, Mauve
RED Blood Red, Copper, Maroon, Strawberry, Watermelon Red, Crimson, Candy Apple Red, Tomato, Brick Red, Scarlet, Cardinal Red, Cherry, Ruby Red, Coral, Sunburn, Hot Lava, Cadmium Red, Auburn, Blush, Alizarin Crimson, Fire Engine Red, Raspberry, Vermillion, Lipstick, Burgundy, Magenta, English Vermilion, Mahogany
WHITE Dirty White, Albino, Chalk, Alabaster, Cotton, Titanium White, Vanilla, Bone White Egg Shell, Marshmallow, Ivory, Pearl White, Almond, Champagne, Blond, Cream, Milky White, Corn Silk, Bleach, Navajo White, Ghost White, Light, Cloud White
YELLOW Canary Yellow, Lemon, Banana, Egg Yolk Yellow, Mellow Yellow, Chanterelle, Mustard Yellow, Corn, Goldenrod, Amber, Pineapple, Metallic Gold, Cadmium Yellow, Wheat, Tuscan Sun, Butter, School Bus Yellow, Yellow Ochre, Citron, Dandelion
BROWN Mud Brown, Beaver, Caramel, Rust, Macaroon, Toasty Brown, Coffee, Sandy Tan, Cocoa, Honey, Chocolate, Burnt Sienna, Mocha, Seashell, Antique Brass, Bronze, Brown Sugar, Chestnut Brown, Taupe, Burnt Umber, Khaki, Dark Sienna, Light Chocolate, Sepia
GRAY Stone Gray, Ash, Metallic Silver, Platinum, Smoke, Concrete Gray, Mercury, Steel Gray, Mist, Titanium, Charcoal, Slate, Sterling Silver, Tungsten, Old Coin Gray, Iron Gray, Chrome, Magnesium, Overcast
MIXED Candy Cane (red and white), Zebra (black and white), Chameleon (many different colours), Ladybug (black and red), Wildfire (yellow, orange and red), Tiger (orange, black and white), Yellow Jacket (black and yellow), Christmas Lights (red, white and green), Rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet), Black Pepper (black and gray), Leopard (spotted gold and black), Creamsicle (orange and white), Candy Corn (orange and white), Iceberg (a bluish gray), Marbled
COLOURS: Symbolisms, Associations & Psychological Effects
Black. Especially in Gothic literature from the West, a black colour choice often represents death, evil, grief, and depression. Associated with fear, the unknown and often has a negative connotation. Black clothes can make you look thinner. A black background severely diminishes the readability of most type. Often the go to colour for funerals and grieving. It symbolizes stability and power, which gives a sense of authority. Thus, the black colour often represents professionalism and expertise.
Blue. Has positive and negative connotations in colour psychology. Some writers may use blue to represent serenity and tranquility, instilling a scene with a calming effect. Blue can also signify sadness, melancholy, or isolation. People who find someone very loyal and faithful are often called "true blue". Blue is often considered to be more masculine which is why it is often the colour of choice when choosing a suit. Lighter blues are associated with tranquility, softness and healing. Darker blues are associated with power, knowledge and seriousness. Blue is actually shown to suppress appetites a bit. The colour blue symbolizes wisdom and hope. It’s the colour of peace and confidence. Blue has been shown to reduce blood pressure and pulse rate. It fosters serenity and a sense of belonging.
Green. The colour green often symbolizes rebirth, growth, peace, jealousy, and greed. Green colours may also represent spring and renewal. It is a colour that is very easy on the eyes. Dark green is often associated with ambition. Green suggests stability, safety and hope. At the same time, it may denote a lack of experience in a particular field. Green symbolizes peace, growth, and nature. It is the colour of success, promoting healing and tranquility.
Orange. The colour orange often represents energy, excitement, joy, and creativity. Since orange is the colour of fire, it may also symbolize heat. Since orange is not as aggressive as red, it can actually stimulate brain activity. It is very useful to catch someone's attention, which is why it's used a lot to advertise food and toys.
Pink. The colour pink symbolizes love, kindness, femininity, innocence, and playfulness. Certain shades of pink can limit aggression. Pink may be associated with unconditional love and caring.
Purple. Often associated with royalty, the colour purple symbolizes bravery, spirituality, and luxury. Light purple usually brings up romantic or nostalgic feelings; while a darker shade can make you feel gloomy or sad.
Red. The colour red symbolizes some of the most powerful human emotions, like passionate love or lust. On the other side of the spectrum, this warm colour is also the colour of blood, often symbolizing anger, danger, and violence. It stimulates the appetite.
Red is an emotionally intense colour associated with energy, danger, anger, passion and determination. The symbolic meaning associated with the colour red is passion, excitement, and love. It’s the colour of urgency, power, and desire. Red is said to boost hunger and is believed to inspire confidence and excitement. This colour has also been found to increase blood pressure and heart rate.
White. This primary colour traditionally symbolizes innocence, peace, and cleanliness. In Western cultures, the colour white also represents purity and virginity, while it symbolizes mourning in some East Asian cultures. Usually has positive connotations when used and thought of as safe. Associated a lot with healing, simplicity and sterility, which is why it's used in hospitals and healing centers as much as it is. The symbolic meaning of the colour white is truth and sometimes even indifference. It encourages feelings of safety and cleanliness. Clean, white clothes and linens show sterility since stains are easily visible. That’s why doctors and nurses frequently wear white lab coats and scrubs.
Yellow. Writers may use the colour yellow to symbolize creativity, happiness, optimism, and warmth—think of a yellow ray of sunlight poking out from a dark cloud. A common negative connotation of the color yellow is cowardice, popularized by the phrase “yellow-bellied.” Warming effect which stimulates body and mind. Gold is associated with the highest of luxury. When bright yellow is used with black it's one of the easiest colour combinations to see from long distances; when uses with lighter colours it's not so easy to see. Yellow ribbons are worn as a symbol of hope and used quite often to welcome home loved ones. Yellow is the colour of warmth, kindness, and happiness. It’s often associated with optimism and well-being and promotes energy.
Brown. This warm, earthy brown colour may symbolize dependability, comfort, and a sense of being grounded. Brown is also a neutral colour, and writers may use it to represent dullness and predictability. Brown is a colour that is related to very grounded traits such as simplicity, practicality, common sense and hard work. Can also be associated with those that are frugal and not too flashy.
Gray. Lighter grays are often thought of as more feminine while darker grays more masculine. Gray is considered by many to be a neutral colour; the perfect balance between light and dark / good and evil. Pop up the lighter grays and add a little shine to it, and thought immediately turns to silver, which correlates to wealth.
Sources & other related articles: 1 2 3 4 5
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Colour Words
White: French beige, Navajo white, alabaster white, albino white, antique white, arctic white, argent white, ashen white, beige, birch, biscuit white, bisque, blanched almond, blanched white, bleached white, blonde, bone white, buff, camel, canvas beige, linen white, marshmallow white, milk white, mocassin, mother-of-pearl, mushroom, neutral white, nude, oatmeal white, off-white, old lace white, opal, paper white, pearl white, piano key white, polar white, porcelain, powder white, pure white, raw cotton white, coconut white, contrast white, cotton white, cream, diamond, dove white, ecru, eggshell white, flax, flour white, fog white, frosted white, ghost white, goose white, hemp, ivory white, lace white, latte, light tan, lily white, sandstone, seashell white, sheep white, sheet white, shell white, shining star white, silvery white, smoky beige, snow white, solid white, spotless white, sugar white, toothpaste white, vanilla, waxen white, wedding white, whey, white, white chocolate, white smoke
Yellow: Chardonnay, French fry yellow, Titanium yellow, amber, banana yellow, bleached blond, blond, buff, bumblebee yellow, butter yellow, buttercup, butternut squash yellow, butterscotch, cadmium yellow, canary yellow, champagne, citrine, corn yellow, lemon peel, lemon sherbet, lemon yellow, linen, lion yellow, maize, marigold yellow, mellow yellow, metallic gold, mimosa yellow, mustard yellow, ochre, olive, omelette yellow, palamino, papaya, parakeet yellow, pencil yellow, cream, custard yellow, daffodil yellow, dandelion, duckling yellow, egg yolk yellow, electric yellow, flax, flesh tone, gold, gold yellow, golden bronze, golden yellow, goldenrod, highlighter yellow, honey yellow, lemon chiffon, lemon drop, pineapple yellow, popcorn yellow, raincoat yellow, saffron, school bus yellow, squash yellow, straw yellow, sunflower yellow, sunglow yellow, sunset yellow, sunshine yellow, taxi cab yellow, topaz, vanilla, wheat, yellow, yolk yellow
Orange: amber, apricot, basketball orange, blood orange, bourbon, burnt orange, butterfly orange, candlelight orange, candy corn, cantaloupe orange, carnelian, carotene, carrot orange, cheddar orange, cinnamon, mango, marigold orange, melon orange, neon orange, old gold, orange, orange juice, orange peel, orange sherbet, orange soda, orange-red, papaya, peach, persimmon, pumpkin orange, copper penny, coral, dark orange, dark salmon, dayglo orange, ember orange, fall leaves orange, flame orange, ginger orange, gold, golden orange, goldfish orange, ice pop orange, light orange, light salmon, rust orange, safety orange, saffron, salamander orange, starfish orange, sunrise orange, tabby, tangelo, tangerine, tawny, tiger orange, tiger stripe orange, traffic cone orange, yam orange
Red: Bordeaux red, Indian red, alizarin crimson, amaranth, apple red, auburn, autumn leaf red, barn red, beet red, blood red, blush, bougainvillea, bourbon, brick red, bright red, burgundy, burnt sienna, candy apple red, cardinal red, carmine, carnelian, cerise, cherry red, chestnut red, chili pepper red, magenta, magma red, maroon, orange-red, paprika, pepperoni red, persimmon red, pink red, pomegranate red, poppy red, rabbit eye red, radish red, rare steak red, raspberry red, red, red apple, red berry, red carpet, red licorice, red lipstick, red nose, red pepper, red potato, red rose, red velvet, claret, copper, coral red, crab red, cranberry red, crimson red, dark cerise, dark red, deep pink, devil red, faded rose, fire engine red, fire red, fire truck red, flame red, florid red, fruit punch red, garnet red, geranium red, henna, hibiscus red, hot pink, ketchup red, ladybug red, lipstick red, red wine vinegar, redwood, rosewood, rouge, ruby red, russet red, rust red, sangria red, scarlet, sports car red, stop light red, stop sign red, strawberry red, tawny port red, tawny red, terra cotta, tomato bisque, tomato red, torch red, vermillion, watermelon flesh, wine red, winter apple red
Pink: Pepto Bismal pink, Persian rose, amaranth, apricot, ash rose, baby cheeks pink, baby pink, bacon pink, ballerina pink, ballet pink, ballet slipper pink, begonia, blush pink, bougainvillea, bubblegum pink, cameo, carmine, carnation pink, cerise, cherry blossom, mulberry, neon pink, orchid, pale pink, pastel pink, peach, peach puff, peony pink, petunia pink, pig pink, pink, pink Cadillac, pink champagne, pink cheeks, pink diamond, pink grapefruit, pink lemonade, pink sherbet, polka dot pink, powder pink, conch pink, coral pink, cotton candy, cranberry, cupcake pink, dayglo pink, dusty rose, eraser pink, flamingo pink, flesh, flesh-colored, fuchsia, grapefruit pink, hibiscus pink, hot pink, jellyfish pink, lavender pink, light plum, lipstick pink, magenta, rose, rose petal, rose pink, rose quartz, rosy red, ruby, ruddy pink, sand pink, seashell pink, shocking pink, soft pink, strawberry jam, strawberry milkshake, sunset pink, tea rose, thistle pink, tongue pink, tulip pink, turnip pink, worm pink
Purple: Concord grape, amethyst, aubergine, beet purple, bilberry purple, blackberry, blackcurrant, blue violet, blueberry, brandywine, bruise purple, byzantium, cerise, claret, currant, dahlia, magenta, mauve, monster purple, mulberry, opal purple, orchid purple, pale plum, pansy purple, passionfruit purple, pastel purple, periwinkle, plum, prune, purple, purple cabbage, purple jam, dark raspberry, dark violet, eggplant purple, fandango, grape crush, grape jam purple, grape jelly purple, grape purple, heliotrope, hyacinth, inky purple, iris purple, juice purple, lavender, lavender blush, lilac purple, quartz, raisin purple, raspberry, rhubarb purple, royal purple, thistle, true purple, turnip purple, violet, violet red, wild berry purple, wild grape, wine, wisteria
Blue: Caribbean blue, Caribbean turquoise, Dodger blue, Pacific blue, Prussian blue, Tiffany blue, alice blue, aqua blue, aquamarine, azure blue, baby blue, blue belle, blue ice, blue jean blue, blue-green, blueberry, bluebird blue, bluebonnet blue, cadet blue, lapis lazuli, light blue, marine blue, marlin blue, midnight blue, navy blue, neon blue, nighttime blue, ocean blue, pale blue, pastel blue, peacock blue, police officer blue, pool blue, powder blue, ribbon blue, robin egg, royal blue, sapphire blue, cobalt, cornflower, cyan, dark blue, dark slate blue, deep sky blue, denim blue, dolphin blue, electric blue, frostbite blue, glacial blue, heather, iceberg blue, icy blue, imperial blue, indigo blue, inky blue, jay blue, lake blue, slate blue, snowflake blue, stained glass blue, steel blue, stone blue, summer sky blue, surf blue, swimming pool, teal blue, true blue, turquoise, ultra blue, ultramarine, verdigris, violet blue, washed denim blue, whale blue
Green: Granny Smith apple, Kelly green, Kermit green, Persian green, absinthe, algae green, alligator green, apple green, aqua, army green, artichoke green, asparagus green, avocado green, bay leaf green, bluegrass green, boxwood green, broccoli green, cabbage green, cactus green, caterpillar green, celery green, chartreuse, chive green, chlorophyll green, iceberg lettuce, iguana green, ivy green, jade green, jadestone, jungle green, kelp green, key lime green, leaf green, leprechaun green, lettuce green, lichen green, light cyan, lime green, lizard green, melon rind green, metallic mint, mint green, moss green, myrtle green, neon green, olive drab, olive green, parrot green, crocodile green, cucumber green, cyan, cypress, dark khaki green, dark olive green, dollar bill green, drab olive, eel green, emerald green, evergreen, fern green, forest green, frog green, grass green, grasshopper green, green, green apple, green olive, green pepper, green tea, green-yellow, holly, honeydew green, pea soup, pear green, pickle green, pine green, pistachio, sage green, sea green, seafoam green, seaweed green, shamrock green, spinach green, spring bud green, spring green, sprout green, spruce green, summer grass, swamp green, tea green, turtle green, verdant, verdigris, wasabi green, zucchini green
Brown: October brown, acorn brown, auburn, autumn leaf, barbecue sauce brown, bark brown, bay, bear brown, beetle brown, biscuit brown, branch brown, brick brown, bronze, brown, brown sugar, brunette, burnt sienna, burnt umber, butterscotch brow, cafe au lait, camel brown, cappuccino brown, caramel brown, cardboard brown, chestnut brown, kangaroo brown, khaki, leather, lion brown, liver brown, mahogany, maple brown, maple sugar brown, maroon, meatball brown, milk chocolate, mink, mocha brown, mud brown, nougat, nude, nut brown, nut brown ale, nutmeg, oak brown, pancake brown, peanut butter brown, potato brown, pretzel brown, raisin brown, cinnamon brown, cocoa, cocoa brown, coffee bean brown, coffee brown, coffee stain brown, copper, dark chocolate brown, dark citrine, deer brown, desert sand, dirt, doeskin, dun, earth brown, earth yellow, earthenware brown, fallow, fawn brown, football brown, fox brown, freckle brown, ginger brown, golden brown, hazel brown, rich earth, roan, root beer brown, rosewood, ruddy brown, russet brown, rust, saddle brown, sand, sandy brown, sea lion brown, semi-sweet chocolate, sepia, sienna, sorrel, steak brown, tan, tan brown, tan-nude, tawny, toast brown, tumbleweed, tweed brown, walnut brown, wheat,
Gray/Grey: argent silver, ash gray, battleship gray, cadet gray, charcoal gray, chrome, cloud gray, cloudy day gray, concrete gray, cool gray, cool grey, dim gray, dolphin gray, dove gray, overcast gray, owl gray, oyster gray, pewter, pigeon gray, platinum, rainy day gray, rhinoceros gray, river rock, salt and pepper gray, sardine gray, seal gray, shark gray, silver, elephant gray, fog gray, grandma gray, granite gray, gray, grey, gunmetal gray, haze gray, hippopotamus gray, iron gray, koala gray, metal gray, mist gray, moon gray, smoke gray, soot gray, steel gray, stone gray, storm gray, stormy sea gray, taupe gray, thunder cloud gray, warm gray, wed sidewalk gray, wool gray, zinc gray
Black: Mars black, black, black cat, black coffee, black licorice, black pearl, black pepper, black tar, blackboard black, blackout, blue-black, bow tie black, kettle black, kohl black, licorice black, mascara black, mica, midnight black, molasses black, night sky black, ninja black, obsidian, onyx, outer space black, caviar black, chalkboard black, charcoal black, coal black, ebony black, eclipse black, eyelash black, fig, gothic black, hearse black, ink black, jet black, piano key black, pitch black, pupil black, raven black, sable black, shadow black, smoky black, sooty black, spade black, spider black, tar black, tarmac black
https://www.words-to-use.com/words/colors-names/
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