Color Theory, Part 2
Time to look at Color Theory, Part 2 – If you want to create your own covers, or if you are a part of selecting your cover in your published work, you need to understand color theory. Knowing what works together—and what does not—will help you and your cover artist, big time!
The Basics of Color Theory, Part 2
Color theory is the associations and impressions we get when confronted with a certain color or set of colors. Color matters, even when we unconsciously do not realize that it does.
Red and its Family of Colors
Red tends to be a bold, standout color. It works with a lot of other colors. It can also help if you’ve got a mainly black, white, or gray image for your cover. Red lettering can potentially work with such a background.
However, if the value (brightness) of the red is the same as the gray behind it, you may find it feels like the color is vibrating.
Red means stop or anger or ripeness. It can also feel like excitement or danger, as it can remind us of everything from sports cars to raspberries to stop signs. The Twilight book covers in particular rely on red accents to great effect.
Red is also common in sports teams, like the Boston Red Sox and the Arizona Cardinals. But the latter, clearly, is getting its red from the name of the bird.
We also associate red with the College of Cardinals in the Catholic church. But it evokes heat, too. Red eyes mean someone is either tired, or they have been crying. Drinking too much alcohol can eventually give you a somewhat red face. And, a classic clown will wear a big, red nose.
Pink
Pink comes across as a softer version of red. We often associate it with health and ballerinas, but also baby blankets and Barbie dolls. But its current association with femininity is fairly recent. Until about the Second World War, people considered it more of a masculine color.
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation has leaned rather heavily into pink being seen as feminine, and essentially appropriated the color for its own use. And, this may do a bit of a disservice to the men who get breast cancer (yet, it’s possible). The fatality rate for men is far higher than it is for women, and men may even feel a stigma that to get breast cancer is somehow unmanly.
But I digress.
Sports teams tend to not use pink as a color. But they will break out the pink for Mother’s Day, and for breast cancer awareness.
Color Theory, Part 2: Orange
Orange is more likely to be associated with hunters or the harvest or prisons. But it can also be associated with traffic safety. It can remind us of sunshine and, of course, oranges, but also the toxin, Agent Orange.
And, let’s face it, we also associate it with the forty-fifth president of the United States. But a part of that has to do with spray-on tanning gone awry.
Sports teams which wear orange include the Syracuse Orangemen and the Baltimore Orioles.
Copper
Closely related copper associates best with pennies or cookware more than anything else. However, we also associate it with bronze (about 90% of bronze consists of copper). And so we may link it to the idea of third place medals.
Sports teams rarely use copper. In fact, the only example I could find was the football team at Arizona State University!
It might be a good idea to choose a color from the red family for your cover or for its accents. And expect some strong associations but also a cover that can really stand out.
Want More of the Color Theory?
If color theory resonates with you, then check out my other articles about how color can work with covers and more.
Color Explorations
Color Theory
Part 2
Part 3
also, Part 4
Videos: Color Theory Videos