In the course of the 20th century many colourists were studying colour and its impact and their research made new discoveries in this area. The biggest authority was undoubtedly Faber Birren who wrote 40 books and over 250 articles on the topic of colour. At the University of Yale he has founded a collection of about 2000 books - still the biggest collection of books about colour in the world.

Colour Theory

British psychologist Angela Wright defined the fundamental idea that combines scientific aspects of colours (based on their physical characteristics such as wave lengths)  with the impact colour has on human psyche.  Wright theory of colours is a scientific system that Angela Wright has been working on from the early 1980's and   in a major way completed our knowledge about psychological influence of colour on human being.  The idea that colour influences mood and behaviour has been long known but little understood. Often the prevailing thinking on this subject portraits colour psychology as a purely subjective with no objective criteria, since it has been assumed that people react to colour through individual likes and dislikes. 

The Wright Theory of  Colours answered the following crucial questions:

• Why do individuals have different reactions to colours and different aesthetic colour preferences?
• What impact do different shades and tints and tones of the same colour from the colour spectrum have on human behaviour?
• Do universally attractive colours exist?

System of combining colours has two levels
-takes into account basic psychological properties of hues: red, blue, etc.
-together with combinations of particular tones, tints and shades which ensure visual harmony and the desired psychological effect

Various intensity and addition of black, white or grey to hue influence how basic quality of hue influence mood and behaviour. This explains why, for example, strawberry red and burgundy colours have different affect, although their origin is common - red colour. Every shade, tint or tone could belong only to one of four main colour groups. Membership of the group defines how will  the colour influence human psyche, mood and, consequently, behaviour. This also explains why strawberry red and burgundy have different affects on people, although both could be described as certain types of red. In above mentioned case strawberry red is in a different group then burgundy. Each group has proven mathematical relationships between the colours it contains . Colours from different groups don't share these relationships.
Colours belonging to one group are always in harmony while colours from different groups never are. This theory was explored and approved through scientific research at University of Leeds where  the above mentioned mathematical relationships between colours were also proven.

Colour preferences based on personality

 It has been proven that each person is psychologically affected by colours. Angela Wright has defined psychological affects that colours belonging to each of the four groups have on people.  This lead her to an assumption that people also could be allocated a place in one of the four groups based on their main internal drive, attitude to life (similar to melancholics, cholerics, etc.).  This theory has been proven through her scientific research. People from one group also share similar psychological features and also (to a certain point) physical characteristics and have similar aesthetic needs when it comes to colours.

Universally attractive colours do not exist but colours from one group will be more attractive to people from that group because they are in tune with their psychological characteristic and needs. Bonus to this psychological fit with the colour group is the fact that these colours also suit them visually. (For example you might have encountered a sitiation where you said  "These are nice colours!" But then you see other colours from your colour group based on the affect these colours have on a person and their fit with your personality and you said:and you realize: "These are MY colours! "  It has been proven that we are all affected by cours around us.

Advantages of using Wright Theory when creating colour combinations
 
Wright Theory leads you to choose colours from one colour goup, hence leading to an innate harmony of the final design to which every human reacts positively. If you had an opportunity to see a few colour combinations and one of them would be in compliance with above mentioned Theory - you, as a vast majority of people, will recognize the harmony of that combination and will consider it to be the most agreeable. This is important to emphasise that even harmonious combination can be very unusual and completely unexpected; harmony can be also captivating and positively shocking.

 Design based on the Wright Theory

Each colour group has represented all basic hues therefore it is not necessary to combine colours from different groups. Using colours from different groups could have a negative affect on otherwise positive qualities of the final design. That is why cold colours seem to be too cold or impersonal, pastels too cheap or unprofessional. On the contrary, if one uses colours from one colour group, the natural relationship of colours enhances positive qualities of each colour, resulting in a harmonius design.

Design work based on Wright's Theory gives creative freedom to a designer and guides him/her to consciously use  colour based on understanding of their relationships to ensure that a design will be succesfull and will achieve its goal.

Once we understand the rules and relationships between colours, we can break  usual  patterns and find new, unexpected, although still harmonious combinations. Wright's Theory made our work an intriguing game and provides a valuable guide in the search for colour harmony.

www.colour-affects.co.uk/

History of understanding of colour and light characteristics.

People have been exploring colours over the last several thousands of years. For certain ancient cultures colour "science" had been included in religious sciences; ancient Egyptians used colour for healing of the body and soul. Colours were examined from philosophical point of view also in Greece (Aristotle, Pythagoras and other). Historical search  to understand colour as a phenomenon is very similar to any other science or art development .