Psychology of Color

Posted on 28 October, 202528 October, 2025 by pablosikosia

‘The Psychology of Color: How Colors Act on Feelings and Reason’ by Eva Heller, one of my favorite books, has been instrumental in my understanding of color palettes when designing.

Eva Heller, a German sociologist and psychologist, has devoted her entire career to exploring the connection between colors, emotions, and human behavior. A wide range of combinations is possible with 10 base colors, each with their own variations due to more or less light and each one produce different effects. The following points are a summary of the theory formulated in this book:

1. The color is not neutral

Colors are not just aesthetics; they affect our emotions, thoughts, and decisions. Heller argues that color reactions are cultural, emotional, and psychological, and are often unconscious.

2. Color and feelings are connected

Each color generates coherent and universal emotional associations (although with cultural nuances). For example, red can represent love and passion, but also danger or aggression. Blue conveys both confidence and serenity, as well as coldness or distance.

3. Colors can have both positive and negative connotations

The meaning of a color is determined by the context and how it is combined with other colors.

Color	Positive meanings	Negative meanings
Red	Love, energy, vitality.	Danger, aggression, prohibition.
Blue	Confidence, calm, intelligence.	Coldness, melancholy.
Yellow	Joy, creativity, optimism.	Envy, jealousy, warning.
Green	Nature, hope, balance.	Poison, jealousy, decadence
Black	Elegance, power, sophistication	Death, fear, oppression
White	Purity, peace, innocence	Emptiness, coldness, sterility
Pink	Tenderness, romanticism	Weakness, sentimentality
Violet	Spirituality, creativity, nobility	Arrogance, sadness
Orange	Energy, enthusiasm, sociability	Superficiality, restlessness
Gray	Neutrality, balance	Boredom, indecision

4. Color combinations are also a means of communication

Heller emphasizes the importance of combining colors to create new meanings. For example:

Red and Black: aggressive, dominant.
Blue and White: clean, trustworthy.
Green and Yellow: natural, fresh.
Black and Gold: luxurious, elegant.

5. Color symbolism is connected to both personal and collective experiences

Meanings are formed through real-life experiences and learned associations.

Red is associated with fire and blood, which are both energy and danger.
The combination of blue with sky and water brings serenity and freshness.
Green color with nature means life and growth.

6. Colors reflect personality

Heller believes that personality traits can be reflected through one’s favorite colors.

Blue is the preference of those who seek stability and harmony.
Red is the color of choice for those who are passionate and active.
Green color is a favorite color of those who value independence.
Black color is a preference for those who seek sophistication or an expression of rebellion.

Finally the application of his color theory can be done in:

Design and branding: consistent visual identity with emotional message.
Architecture and decoration are spaces that influence mood.
In advertising and marketing, colors are used to attract or build trust.
Fashion is a way to express identity and mood through colors and design.

The relationship between color and personality is what interests me the most and is addressed in my portraits. This point will be briefly summarized below.

Colors and Personality

Eva Heller’s work is captivating because it connects the psychology of color to self-expression and personality traits. Heller contends that the colors that are most appealing to someone reveal stable aspects of their character, values, and way of relating to the world.

A favorite color is a way of feeling, thinking, and acting, not just a matter of aesthetic taste. I will explain the relationship between color and personality below:

Blue, stability and confidence

Personality:

Calm, rational, and loyal people.
They seek balance, harmony, and truth.
They tend to be introspective and trustworthy.
They dislike conflict or improvisation.

Emotional motivation:

Their desire is for order, serenity, and security.
They are of the opinion that things should be done well rather than quickly.

Application in design, branding & art:

Blue connects with trust, which is ideal for conveying professionalism and reliability (which is why banks and technology companies use it).

Red, energy and passion

Personality:

Impulsive, lively, intense.
Loves action, risk, and challenges.
Individuals who are emotionally invested and aim to leave their mark.
They have the potential to be temperamental and dominant.

Emotional motivation:

Their desire is to live intensely and feel powerful.
The color red symbolizes desire, conquest, and life force.

Application in design, branding & art:

It creates a feeling of dynamism, urgency, passion, or danger. It is used to draw immediate attention.

Green, independence and balance

Personality:

Self-confident people who value freedom and authenticity.
They enjoy nature, natural things, and simplicity.
They seek inner stability and emotional balance.
They have empathy, but they don’t let themselves be dominated.

Emotional motivation:

Their needs include autonomy, coherence, and serenity.
Green represents self-affirmation and personal harmony.

Application in design, branding & art:

Sustainability, health, and growth are all represented by it.

Yellow, optimism and curiosity

Personality:

Cheerful, imaginative, and communicative people.
They love ideas and intellectual challenges.
They are spontaneous, sociable, and enthusiastic, although sometimes inconsistent.

Emotional motivation:

Their desire is for happiness, creativity, and recognition.
Yellow is associated with quick thinking and a sense of humor.

Application in design, branding & art:

Yellow represents the combination of youth, innovation, and mental energy.

Black, power and introspection

Personality:

Deep, reserved, and perfectionist people.
They seek control, authority, and elegance.
They tend toward critical thinking and emotional independence.
At times, they wear black to protect their vulnerability.

Emotional motivation:

Their autonomy, respect, and own space are essential for them.
Black is a color that conveys sophistication and inner strength.

Application in design, branding & art:

Black represents luxury, exclusivity, and mystery.

White, purity and order

Personality:

Meticulous, ethical people with high ideals.
They love clarity, cleanliness, and sincerity.
They seek perfection and spiritual balance.

Emotional motivation:

Their desires are for peace, transparency, and simplicity.
Beginning, neutrality, and renewal are all represented by the color white.

Application in design, branding & art:

White represents minimalism, clarity and honesty.

Violet, spirituality and creativity

Personality:

Dreamers, sensitive, and artistic.
They have a strong inner life and a developed aesthetic perception.
They seek meaning, beauty, and emotional depth.
They may appear reserved or melancholic.

Emotional motivation:

They want to transcend common reality by connecting the emotional with the intellectual.

Application in design, branding & art:

Violet represents luxury, wisdom, mystery and spirituality.

Orange, sociability and vitality

Personality:

Extroverted, active, and optimistic.
They love to share, motivate, and celebrate.
They have great energy, but can be impulsive.

Emotional motivation:

Pleasure, recognition, and companionship are the things they yearn for.
The energy of red and the joy of yellow are combined in orange.

Application in design, branding & art:

Orange represents closeness, enthusiasm, dynamism.

Pink, tenderness and sensitivity

Personality:

Empathetic, caring, idealistic.
Their emotional capacity is high and they have a sense of beauty.
Their values include kindness, harmony, and emotional bonds.

Emotional motivation:

Their desire is for love, emotional security, and understanding.
Affection and compassion are associated with the color pink.

Application in design, branding & art:

Pink represents sweetness, empathy, care.

Gray, prudence and reserve

Personality:

Realistic, analytical, and discreet people.
Their preference is to observe before taking action.
Their goal is not to stand out, but rather to maintain balance.

Emotional motivation:

Control, stability, and emotional neutrality are what they are looking for.
Gray is a symbol of maturity and protection from excess.

Application in design, branding & art:

Gary represents professionalism, neutrality and sobriety.

In a future post, I will also show another aspect of Heller’s theory that I find very interesting: the association between color and feelings.

Building Portraits Part 1 by Pablo Sikosia

Building a Portrait Part. 1

Posted on 8 October, 202523 October, 2025 by pablosikosia

There is more to good portraits than just drawing of people. The best portraits are interpretations of personality. Instead of just recording what the sitter looks like, the best ones reveal what is unique about them and perhaps what they are feeling. It’s more difficult to create a successful portrait of someone you don’t know.

It’s crucial to quickly acquire a basic understanding of character. You must choose a color palette that matches your subject. And then you must find a pose that is telling and which at the same time makes the person feel good about themselves and comfortable.

Portrait drawing requires a process of collaboration between the portraitist and the model. If someone agrees to pose for a portrait, ensure that you both agree that you will work together to achieve a good result from the beginning. Many people have a private liking for the idea of a skilled Artist taking photos of them and then turning them into a unique design.

It’s very important to get people relax before taking the first picture, which is the first step towards drawing the portrait. Communication between the artist and the model is the key to success. Let compliments flow freely. For example, if your model is frowning, encourage them to change their pose. As soon as one becomes involved and feels things are going well, the frown will naturally disappear.

For me, these are the most important points to bear in mind when building a portrait:

Closing in.
Capturing Faces.
Interpreting Personality.

1. Closing in

Portraits that are tightly cropped, similar to a close-up shot with only one face, convey limited information about a person, but have a compensating effect and intimacy. It is especially true when these portraits are displayed in large prints that display the person’s features in life-size.

2. Capturing Faces

Each face is distinct. A good portraitist capitalises on the sitter’s individuality by scrutinising their features and then considering how best to present them. Portraits that are successful are not always flattering, but an image that emphasises negative features and hides positive ones is not a good representation of the model.

The tension in someone’s eyes or mouth can be a sign of nervousness when they’re in front of a camera or front of a portraitist. The result may be a strained, tight smile or a hypnotic stare, both of which can ruin the most carefully composed portrait. Again, the key is to relax.

3. Interpreting personality

It’s not easy to get to the core of someone’s personality, as each person has a public image that protects their true self. In order to form a clear impression of what you want the portrait to show, it’s important to establish rapport with the model.

It’s crucial to identify the visual cues – in expression, manner, gesture, and dress – that reinforce the impression you want in the portrait about the personality of the model.

In a future post about ‘ Building Portraits Part 2’ , I will provide more tips on this. It’s worth noting that I can work with you to create your own portrait. If you’re interested, send me a message here.

Four Headshots tips

Posted on 30 September, 202523 October, 2025 by pablosikosia

What are some helpful tips for taking close-up headshots?
The Professional photographer @chrisbaileyheadshots reveals his four tops tips for capturing headshots using only natural light. There are:

Background.
Find the direction of light.
Shadows are your friend.
Background separation and Bokeh.

1. Background

When selecting a background for your headshots, bear in mind that our eyes are drawn to the brightest part of an image. Try not to choose a background with too much highlight as it takes attention away from the face. You ideally want the face to be the brightest part of your image.

2. Find the direction of light

The beauty of working with daylight is that it’s one of the best qualities of light available and it’s free! You don’t need to invest in expensive studio lights – those studio strobes just try to imitate daylight. When the sun is high, the light is harder and produces strong shadows, but when the sun is low, the light is softer and produces more even results. Placing your subject in relation to the sun is crucial.

3. Shadows are your friend

Creating shadows on the face adds character, shape and dimension. You can completely change the look of a person’s face by where you allow the shadows and highlights to fall. Try placing the side of your subject’s face near a wall and watch their face gently fall into shadow.

4. Background separation and Bokeh

Bokeh is a term photographers use to describe the softness of a background white the foreground stays sharp in a focus. Bokeh is achieved by using a low f-stop such as f/2.8 or f/4 to help make your headshot ‘pop’ from the image and separate your subject from the background. After all, we are trying to make a two-dimensional image looks as three dimensional as possible.

Remember, If you want to work with me to create your own custom portrait, like the ones in this post, just send me a message here.