Colours ~ Colori

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most ” John Ruskin

The colours have a “temperature” and are divided into warm, cool and neutral, according to the different sensations which convey, the images and situations that call to mind.
The reds, yellows and orange are bright and are associated with sunlight and sun’s heat, while the blues, purples and greens evoke snow, ice, sea, sky.

1) “Warm colours” are the colours that tend to orange and red.
“Colori caldi”:     ,    ,   

2) The “cool colours” tend to purple and blue.
“ Colori freddi”:      ,   

3) “Neutral colours” tend to black, white and grey.

“Colori neutri”:    ,  ,  

RED, BLUE, YELLOW, cannot be generated by other colours and they are “basic colours”.

,     , 

ORANGE, GREEN, PURPLE are the “secondary colours” and they are made by mixing two primaries in equal parts.

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As far as wall painting concerns, one of the largest factors in choosing paint colours is the mood, the atmosphere we are attempting to create. Colour has a powerful effect on how we feel; it can make us feel hot, cold, thoughtful, relaxed, happy and energetic or any other strong emotions. Even if, walls’ colours radiate just a tiny quantity of energy, it is able to affect for a long time positively or negatively our physical and mental health; that’s why the colours’ selection should not be random, either on the walls or on fabrics. When you redecorate your home, remember that, cool colours are suitable for bedrooms/restrooms and warm for the activities’ rooms.

More analytically,

   YELLOW: a warm colour, which stimulates mental and psychological functions and sharpens the mind. However, the environment dominated by yellow favour migraines, muscular rheumatism and creates fatigue.

   RED: a warm colour, which stimulates inspiration and mental effort, but annoying if you remain in space for long hours.

   AMBER: a warm colour, milder than red. It increases energy, without creating hostility. It causes euphoria and optimism and reduces depression. When used in the form of light, stimulates the functioning of the circulatory and respiratory system.

   GREEN: a cool colour, which soothes and rejuvenates the body and spirit. Fills the child optimism and helps to treat insomnia.

   BLUE: a cool colour, which relaxes the nervous system and promotes the study and meditation.

For the painting of the external walls should be taken into account the reflectivity of the selected colour. Remember that, dark colours absorb solar radiation.

What to avoid:

The oil paints can be volatile (evaporate in the air) and for this they may be able  to create or aggravate existing respiratory problems.

The aniline colours, used to paint some furniture, are highly toxic when heated or when surfaces are scraped off.

The varnish containing organic solvents, such as benzene and ammonia.

The best choices are:

Plastic colours or any colour that dissolve in water and not in organic solvents, such as petrol and turpentine.
Coatings containing casein and milk are safe for children, when inhaling.
Enamel soluble in water paint, suitable for wood and metal surfaces, which is odourless and offers good cosmetic result.
Water-soluble primer, suitable for priming wood and metal surfaces, odourless and easy to use.
Water soluble varnish impregnating fungicide action, to ensure long term protection and is environmentally friendly.
Water soluble acrylic wood paint with special UV filters, which make it suitable for outdoor use.

Finally:

The colour will change, depending on the lighting in the house, the flooring and the colour that is already on the wall; paint applied to a white wall will look different than paint applied to a beige wall.
The colour will also change depending on different light at different times of the day.
The colour on the wall isn’t true, until it dries.

All the above is for information only.

Italian Tutorial, 2012. All rights reserved.