Shape

Shape communicates on flat surfaces and in three dimensional spaces. Shapes do not exist by themselves; they have color, texture, transparency, scale, and perhaps patterns and motion. Beyond the basic shapes described here is a lot of room for complexity and interaction. This is to get you started thinking about shape.

2D
Circles and curves: A circle has no beginning or end, and is the shape of eternity. It represents a whole, and can be separated into parts. Curved shapes are natural and organic, and can communicate growth.

Squares and right angles: Use right angles to represent solidity and stability. A city skyline is primarily made up of right angles. Square shapes are associated with cold, hard surfaces.

Triangles: To represent movement, progress, or aggression, use triangles. Their connotation is derived from arrowheads and mountain peaks. Triangles are active shapes.

3D
The 2D shapes described above have 3D counterparts that have similar meanings. In addition, three-dimensional shapes have weight or mass.

These concepts are familiar to visual artists, and can translate into other forms as well. Music, light, storytelling can all have shapes.

Color

Color communicates at a subliminal and emotional level. Colors stimulate all the senses and leave an impression on the viewer. These descriptions give a verbal profile of the most common colors. In the visual arts, hue is another word for color. Color can be applied to sound as well, and is referred to as timbre.

All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites. --Marc Chagall

Hues

Red is the color of fire and blood. Humans are programmed to respond with energy and excitement. Red is passionate, dynamic, provocative, and daring. It is hard to ignore. When red is darkened to burgundy, it conveys richness, luxury, and elegance. When lightened to pink, it becomes romantic, innocent, soft, and sweet. Pink is a healthy, optimistic color.

Yellow radiates warmth, enlightenment, and happiness as it commands attention. Dark yellows have an earthy or spicy quality, and pale yellows evoke creamy, delicious foods.

Blue is the color of the sky, and has its unlimited depth and constancy. It is seen as dependable, trustworthy, confident, and calm. Dark navy blue is the most authoritative and credible of colors. Pale blue is crisp, clean, and cool.

Green is the color of nature itself. It is nurturing and secure. Deep greens are lush and prestigious. Light green is minty and refreshing.

Brilliant orange can make your mouth water with its tangy sweetness. It is hot, playful, and alive. Orange has a youthful energy. Darken orange and you get rust—warm, earthy, and natural. Lighten orange and you get peach—tasty, appealing, and flattering to most skin tones.

Purple mixes the excitement of red and the tranquility of blue, making it a complex color that takes on different meanings depending on its environment. Bright purple is glorious and bold. Dark purple is regal and majestic. Lavender is fragrant and delicate. All shades of purple have a mysterious or spiritual quality that can add mystery and unpredictability wherever they are used.

Neutrals include grays, beiges, and taupes. They are solid, enduring, timeless, and classic. They are not associated with any time period and do not go out of date. They are safe and inoffensive, but can be perceived as dull. Neutrals can be warmed up or cooled down, darkened or lightened, or paired with other colors for differing effects.

Black has power, weight, and strength. It is associated with the darkness of night, and too much black becomes ominous and gloomy. Used judiciously it is dramatic, sophisticated, and upscale.

Pure and simple describes white. The absence of color makes it clean and bright. Large expanses of white can be stark and uninviting. Off-whites are more approachable. White is often the blank canvas that other colors embellish.

Additional Characteristics

Saturation describes a color’s intensity. Highly saturated colors are bright, vivid, or true. They are playful and festive. Less saturated colors are muted, dusty, or low key. They are relaxing and unobtrusive.

Value describes the lightness or darkness of a color. Tints are lightened hues, and are used for a delicate, wistful, or romantic look. Shades are darkened hues, and are used for a robust, traditional, or strong appearance.

Warmth is generated by reds, oranges and yellows. Coolness is evoked with blues, greens, and violets. Temperature can be contrasted, for example, by putting a red object on an aqua background.

Mixing Colors

Many different effects and emotions can be achieved by mixing colors. Combining colors creates a more complex or intense message. Palettes of two or more colors can be created for every mood by keeping some of these definitions in mind.

Harmonious colors are the friends that Marc Chagall refers to in the quote above. Combining colors that are related multiplies their common characteristics.

Complementary colors are the opposites that attract. They enhance and intensify each other, creating energy and excitement. The more saturated the colors, the more attention they command. In some cases, they can even appear to move or vibrate.

Find out more about color by reading a book by Leatrice Eiseman.

Parallelism

When you have more than one thing grouped together, keep them parallel. A simple example: in a list of actions, use the same verb tense for each. In a more complicated work such as a movie or novel, parallelism helps the audience know how diverse characters and timelines relate to each other. In the visual arts, parallel elements have the same weight or color. Parallelsim is a unifying concept that tells the audience what elements are congruent.

Metaphors

Using one thing to represent something else is metaphor. Sometimes a metaphor helps your audience understand a concept better, or see it in a new way. Once you have found a metaphor for your message, take the opportunity to explore it fully. Go beyond clichés for real creativity. Don't mix metaphors!

Cliché: He weathered the storm of scrutiny.
Mixed: She kept her nose to the grindstone until all the pieces fit together.
Creative: As thoughts ricocheted between neurons, his eyes lit up with the 1000 point bonus idea.

An example from the master:
"I think our country sinks beneath the yoke;
It weeps, it bleeds, and each new day a gash
Is added to her wounds."
—Macduff to Malcolm, in Macbeth

Mythology and Folk Lore

A rich source of symbolism and imagery is found in mythology and folk lore. To find out why these stories resonate so strongly across cultures and ages, read Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth and The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Studying mythology can put you in touch with a dreamlike world at the deepest level of human consciousness. Many great works of art were inspired by myth.