The Colour Red: A Comprehensive Guide to its Meaning

The colour red is the colour that attracts attention, excites curiosity and arouses action. Red is psychologically stimulating and can be used to increase blood circulation. Representing passion and power, red is the colour that will attract the most attention. Red is the colour of fire and blood, associated with danger, war, energy, strength, determination, desire, and love.

Red is one of the primary colours; it was the first colour to be given a name. As a striking colour, too much can make people uncomfortable. Hence, in design, its use is recommended only to highlight the relevant information.

Colour of Passion

Red is the colour of passion, love, and hate. It is visceral and, in many regards, is the colour of the body. Red symbolises love in the most erotic sense. We go red when we are angry or embarrassed. We give red roses to our lovers.

Red represents desire, energy, heat, and pleasure by being associated with fire. Red is the colour of extroverts.

Like blood, red is also associated with war aggression and anger. The workers chose red during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Communist parties and the extreme left have adopted red, symbolising the blood spilled in these struggles.

Warning Signals

Red is quickly noticed by the human eye, long before other colours. For this reason, red is mainly used at night to warn of impending danger. Red flashing lights are used on emergency service vehicles. Red is used to indicate fire exits in theatres., factories and hotels and to mark the dangerous parts of machinery.

If any colour needs our attention, it sounds like a warning that the colour is red. It stops us in our tracks at a traffic light. Even those with only a passing interest in football know that a player is leaving the pitch when shown the ‘red card’.

Royalty

Red has been associated with nobility and has symbolised power and wealth. Even today, the red carpet is used in events where celebrities or distinguished persons are acknowledged.

Light red represents joy, sexuality, passion, sensitivity and love.
Pink signifies romance, love, and friendship. It denotes feminine qualities and passiveness.
Dark red is associated with vigour, willpower, rage, anger, leadership, courage, longing, malice, and wrath.
Brown suggests stability and denotes masculine qualities.
Reddish-brown is associated with harvest and fall colour colour

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Colour schemes for red

Colour gets its meaning from its relationship with other colours. The effect of a colour is determined by many different factors: the light reflected from it, the colours surrounding it, or the subjective perspective of the individual experiencing the colour. Here are some colour schemes I generated using Adobe Color.

Complementary

Monochromatic

Triad

Analogous

Compound

Shades

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