Colour - A form of expression or mere perception?

In the expanse of aesthetics, are general conventions and theories of colour for the artist and the masses on the whole, or is this au courant admiration of colours governed exclusively by subjective opinion? Colour to me, has always been a subject of bedazzlement. It has always intrigued me with its assortment of expressions! Colour – an anomaly in expression and perception is not merely an objective constituent or an attribute of a substance. Colour is an idiosyncrasy of vision. It acts as a stimulus for the eyes in acquiring the interpretive response of the brain to wavelength characteristics of light above a certain brightness level. Colour is a sensation and not a substance! The theory of colour has undergone drastic changes over a period of time and now it’s an accepted fact that colour is in the eyes of the beholder. Different people see and perceive colours differently. For some, magenta is “bishop’s purple” or “an amethyst” or a “heliotrope” or simply "fuchsia" depending on the external factor (light) or how they perceive it. Having said this, colours are also capable of creating illusions and perfect camouflage for various functions. Hence a lot of Fashion stylists and designers tend to manipulate to cover the extras of those charming Mademoiselles out there. Let’s take a sneak peak into how colours can be helpful in slenderising ones figure! We all know that some colours tend to advance and some recede, therefore creating a make-believe delusion of bulky or petite silhouettes. The three attributes of colours – Hue, Value and Intensity are of importance when using colours to slenderise a human silhouette. Hue is the actual name of a colour. Some colours, like red, yellow and orange, seem to project a feeling of warmth. Warm colours are advancing. They tend to make you appear closer and increase your apparent body size. Colours like blue, green and purple, seem to project a cool feeling. They tend to recede and decrease your apparent body size. Value is the lightness or darkness of a colour. Light attracts the eye, therefore, lighter coloured garments will cause the wearer to appear larger than medium to dark shades of a colour. Intensity is the range of colour from bright to dull. When wearing garments of intense colours the wearer will seem to appear larger. To appear smaller choose a cool colour in a medium value and a less intense colour for large areas of your clothing. However, if you want to use warm colours in your wardrobe, select shades of warm hues instead of intense values. (example: Select rust instead of orange; maroon instead of pink.) If you like bright warm colours, use them as accents at the neckline or in your accessories. You might select a scarf or pin or collar which is emphasized because it contrasts with the different value and intensity of your outfit. If Red is your favourite colour, select a red blouse that will be worn under a grey or navy suit. The red around your face will keep the focus on your face rather than your not-so-perfect figure. One-color outfits are generally slimming. When wearing two shades in one outfit, select with care. Use the darker shade in the area you want to de-emphasize. The lighter shade can be used to balance the larger areas.