Color Theory, Part 4
I made it all the way to part 4? Cool!
Time to look at Color Theory, Part 4 – If you are interested in creating your own covers, or if you are a part of selecting your cover in your published work, you will need to understand color theory.
But what does it mean when you add blue to your cover? Blue is the favorite color for so many people, you would think it would always be a good go-to for a book cover.
Er, not quite. Read on.
Part 4 of The Basics
Color theory is the associations and impressions we get when we are confronted with a certain color or set of colors. Color matters.
Blue and its Family of Colors
Here, in part 4, let’s delve into blue’s families. The subtypes of blue all have their own quirks and associations.
Blue, Glorious Blue!
Blue works as a lot of people’s favorite color. We associate it with both the navy and sadness. It is the color of both the sea and the sky. It is also has associations with the Union during the Civil War.
Many websites use blue as an accent in their designs or even in their logos. Facebook and Twitter, anyone? PayPal and Dell also use blue in their commercial logos.
Blue also figures in the colors of numerous sports teams, from the LA Dodgers to the Carolina Panthers. Often, we associate blue with masculinity, particularly as a counterbalance to pink. But there’s no particular shade of blue. Light or dark, it doesn’t seem to matter.
Blue eyes aren’t too terribly rare, but at least two famous men were known specifically for the allure of their blue eyes—Frank Sinatra and Paul Newman.
A blue moon is a rarity. Winners get blue ribbons. We also associate blue with the Democratic Party, and with business, particularly conservative business attire.
But it is also the color of blue jeans. Well-known blue books include the Uniform System of Legal Citation, Kelley’s used automobile values, and the Handbook of United States Coins.
More Blue, Please!
Also, blue can mean depression, i.e. getting the blues. Talking until you are blue in the face means going past the standard and arguing until you run out of breath. And blue babies are in physical danger. It’s only fairly recently that medicine has been able to treat them.
Blue even figures in the titles of at least 100 films!
So, there are positives and negatives when it comes to blue. And there is a ton of ubiquity. You might want to avoid blue (or at least too much blue, that is) in order to not fade into the background and be lost amidst so many choices.
Purple & Violet
Violet and purple are not exactly the same color, although we often use them as synonyms. Many people will use the two terms interchangeably. But that’s not quite right.
Violet skews bluer; purple skews redder. And purple reminds us of gay pride, grapes, and Barney the dinosaur. Purple is also a color we associate with royalty, as is blue.
Purple prose is overly flowery and ornate; we tend to see it as over the top. Both shades remind us of flowers; purple is more reminiscent of wine and cranberries.
Violet is a woman’s name. The character Violet Bick in It’s a Wonderful Life is the town bad girl. And Violet Beauregard, in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, is overcome by a gigantic blueberry.
Violet Gray was a main character in Peanuts, and she was the original mean girl. But she was relegated to the background, probably due to the popularity of Lucy Van Pelt. I imagine even Schulz got tired of writing a drawing a one-note bully.
So, even the name Violet is fraught.
Sports teams with purple or violet include the LA Kings and the Minnesota Vikings.
If you have regal or LGBT characters in your book, why not consider accents on the cover in either of these colors?
Going Green
Green is the color of early spring and Ireland. It is inextricably associated with both St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas, and is often associated with resurrection in culture, probably because of evergreens.
Green reminds us of aliens (little green men!), sickness, and poison, but also limes and mint. It means go and was also the lowest level of terror threat according to Homeland Security.
In the United States, it is also quite literally the color of money. Who doesn’t want greenbacks?
It can also mean that someone is new or has no experience. While this term is rarely in use today, the term greenhorn was once a common slang term for an immigrant.
And, we often will associate it with forests, gardens, and ecology. If you are setting your book in an agricultural society, then a green accent or two might be a good choice.
Sports teams with green as one of their colors include the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia Eagles.
The fact that green can mean both fresh and spoiled means you will need to choose your shade rather carefully if you decide to go with the green.
Upshot: Part 4
Add green to your book cover and bring out nature or evoke business, or add purple to connect with gay pride. Or add blue for a conservative look, or to evoke the ocean or sky.
Colors are going to matter when it comes to your book cover. They can make or break your sales, so choose wisely.
Color Explorations
Color Theory
Part 2
Part 3
also, Part 4
Videos: Color Theory Videos