Image source: Fanpop.com
Most of our association with the color yellow comes from the sun. In order to understand yellow, just think of how you feel on a warm spring day when the air is fresh, the sky is blue, and the weather is perfectly warm. You instantaneously feel like smiling and exploring the great outdoors.
That’s the power of yellow: it captures the cheerful optimism that we feel during perfect weather.
The only downside to yellow is that it’s visually intense. Much like staring at the sun for too long, a bunch of yellow can be hard on the eyes. This is especially true for yellow and black — these two colors look jarring side-by-side, which is why they’re used for caution signs and warning labels.
Famous examples
Image source: Pixar.wikia.com
This pudgy little explorer was bursting with enthusiasm. No matter what dangers he faced in the movie Up, Russell stood beside his elderly traveling companion and faced adversity with unwavering optimism and childish naivete.
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How would you describe Woody? He’s loyal, kind, and constantly optimistic. Even when the other toys had lost all hope because they thought that Andy had abandoned them, Woody stood strong his belief that the bonds of friendship would persevere. Pixar’s choice to give Woody his iconic yellow plaid shirt was more than mere coincidence — it helped show audiences that Woody would never give up on his friends.
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Po is easily one of the most optimistic characters you’ll ever see on the silver screen. I’m honestly not sure what excited him more: meeting the Furious Five or chowing down on a bowl full of dumplings. Po was so absurdly happy that he wasn’t even willing to let constant insults from his idols slow him down. Po’s overburdened yellow pants were just like Po himself: humble, cheerful, and able to take on even the greatest challenges.
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Pikachu may not be the most physically imposing Pokemon, but with his rosy red cheeks and bright yellow coat he more than makes up for it by being adorable. Have you ever seen the Pokemon show? C’mon — don’t be ashamed. We’ve all seen an episode or two when we were younger (okay, I won’t lie — I loved the show). Pikachu is incredibly optimistic and friendly in the TV series, rivaled only by his fearless trainer.
Overall, yellow’s a great color, especially if your main goal is to make your audience smile. Just be careful about overusing yellow — you might have to cut the intensity a little bit by bringing it closer to brown (see Woody’s shirt or Po’s pants for an example), but if you use yellow effectively then you can create an endearing 3D character.
