Using Colours to Transform Your Writing | Writing Wizard

       |“Lips red as the rose. Hair black as ebony. Skin white as snow.”

Upon reading this quote, who is the first character that comes to your mind?

We live in a world of colours. Undeniably, there is no quicker way to help someone visualise and remember a scene, or a character, than to use colours in our descriptions. 

The use of colours is not just useful in helping us craft literal descriptions of a luxuriantly green forest or a sparkling sapphire ring. Apart from characterisation and setting depiction, we can also use colours figuratively to illustrate various feelings and moods. 

In this colourful blog post, I will be showing you how we can use different colours to sketch strong and vivid images in our writing. 

1. Red  

Red is a bright and intense colour that symbolises passion, anger and danger. We can make use of this fiery hue to induce emotional intensity in a story. Here are some examples of how we can use the colour red in our descriptions: 

Expression	Type/ Meaning
cherry red lips	Appearance
crimson blood oozed out of his gaping wound	Appearance/ Description
his face flushed scarlet	Appearance -> to describe embarrassment
the brick red walls	Description
the ravenous reddish orange flames devoured the building	Setting depiction/ Description
as red as a beetroot	Simile -> to describe someone’s face when he/she is shy or embarrassed
- face turned red with fury  - face turned an ominous red	Appearance -> to describe someone who is angry
seeing red	Idiom -> to be extremely angry

2. Pink 

Regarded as the more toned down version of red, pink is a soft and sweet colour that represents compassion, love and gentleness. We can use this colour to describe positive energy and feelings, as well as ideas that are on the feminine and delicate side. Let’s take a look at some examples! 

Expression	Type/ Meaning
rosy/ coral cheeks	Appearance
her face glows with a hint of pink	Appearance
his cheeks turned pink	Appearance -> to suggest embarrassment
- the pastel pink mochi  - a sweet bubblegum colour	Description
a flamingo-coloured dress	Description
as pink as a rose	Simile -> to describe the appearance or colour of something

3. Yellow 

Yellow is the figurative colour of sunshine! This energetic colour emanates a sense of positivity, optimism and happiness. By introducing this colour to our writing, we are able to inject an imagery of delight and joy. Let’s see how we can do so! 

Expression	Type/ Meaning
- the fiery sun hung high in the sky, painting the firmament in hues of yellow and gold - the canary radiance of the sun rays	Setting depiction/ Weather
the moon emitted a buttery glow	Setting depiction
- a lemon yellow jacket - her dress was the yellow of the brightest sun	Appearance/ Description
healthy honey-coloured skin	Appearance
as yellow as a blooming sunflower	Simile -> to describe the appearance or colour of something

4. Green 

The colour of nature and life — Green is a fresh colour that symbolises renewal, growth and health. There are numerous ways in which we can use this colour to describe our characters or settings. 

Expression	Type/ Meaning
- the verdant green hues of the forest - lush green lawn	Setting depiction
the calm sea reflected tinctures of jade and teal	Setting depiction
the mint-coloured icing on the cupcake	Appearance/ Description
the emerald shimmer of her pendant ring	Appearance/ Description
- as green as grass - as green as emerald  - as green as fern	Similes -> to describe the appearance or colour of something

5. Blue 

Blue is the colour that surrounds us. Proven to be a colour that has a calming effect on us, this cool colour manifests tranquility, peace and relaxation. However, it can also give off feelings of sadness and loneliness. While we often use this colour to describe natural elements like the sky and the ocean, we can also design bluish expressions to depict different feelings.  

Expression	Type/ Meaning
- the azure sky  - the cerulean sky	Setting depiction
the deep ocean glistened in coruscating shades of arctic blue	Setting depiction
- icy blue dress  - sapphire necklace	Description
- as blue as cobalt - as blue as the cloudless sky	Similes -> to describe the appearance or colour of something
- feeling blue  - have the blues	Idiom -> to feel sad, depressed or gloomy

6. White 

White is often associated with purity, light and innocence. The lightest colour of the spectrum encapsulates the qualities of perfection and goodness. However, we can also use this colour to describe the absence of expression, colour or energy. Here are some examples of how we can use white to vamp up our descriptions: 

Expression	Type/ Meaning
magnolia clouds	Setting depiction
his face turned alabaster white	Appearance -> to describe someone who is pale looking, often out of fear or shock
- a chiffon maxi dress  - a cream-coloured handkerchief  - the pristine white wall	Description
- porcelain skin - complexion was fair like ivory	Appearance/ Metaphor -> to describe someone with fair and flawless skin
- as pale as a sheet - as white as a ghost	Similes -> to describe someone who is pale looking, often out of fear or shock

7. Black 

At last, we have come to the darkest colour of the spectrum. This inky colour is related to notions like mystery, fear and evilness. When we present descriptions that involve this intense colour, we evoke feelings of darkness in the reader. 

Expression	Type/ Meaning
- raven tresses  - sable black hair	Appearance -> to describe black hair
the obsidian night sky	Setting depiction -> to describe the night sky as being extremely dark
an onyx ring	Appearance -> onyx is a dark coloured stone that reflects different shades
an eerie, dark feeling crept up on me	Description/ Metaphor
as black as coal	Simile -> to describe the appearance or dark colour of something
face turned as black as thunder	Simile -> to describe someone who is full of fury or hostility (like how the thunder/ thunderstorms would be)
a black cloud hanging over my head	Idiom -> feelings of unluckiness, misfortune or irritation

That’s all I have for you today. Are you ready to paint some brilliant colours in your next composition? I sure hope so!