The Psychology of Color with Summer Lydick

Psychology of Color is a playful, hands-on exploration of how we see, feel, describe, combine, and communicate through color.
About this Event

Why are you irresistibly drawn to certain colors? Why can one shade feel comforting while another makes you feel energized, nostalgic, sophisticated—or even uneasy? And what do the colors you wear, decorate with, and create with say about you?

Psychology of Color is a playful, hands-on exploration of how we see, feel, describe, combine, and communicate through color.

Rather than memorizing what certain colors are supposed to mean, we'll explore your own responses to color—and discover how dramatically those responses change depending on context, proportion, intensity, and the colors surrounding them.

We'll play with hundreds of color samples, experiment with paint, create palettes from emotions and stories, and explore how color can communicate personality and atmosphere without using a single word.

You'll discover the difference between colors you love, colors you live with, and colors that actually feel like you.

This class is for you if…

You're curious about color but don't consider yourself an artist.

You love decorating, fashion, gardening, crafting, painting, or simply surrounding yourself with beautiful things.

You tend to choose the same colors over and over and want to understand why.

You'd like to become more confident choosing and combining colors.

Or—you simply LOVE COLOR and want three hours to play with it!

Absolutely no painting or color-theory experience is required.

What We'll Explore

Your Instinctive ColorsWe'll begin by choosing the colors you're naturally drawn to—before you know anything about what's coming.

What Does a Color Say?Through rapid-fire color association, we'll explore the memories, emotions, places, objects, tastes, personalities, and sensations individual colors evoke.

Learning the Language of ColorWe'll play Hues and Cues to see just how differently we describe and interpret color—and practice finding creative language for colors beyond simply "blue" or "green."

Reading a Color PaletteYou'll explore curated 5–7 color palettes and imagine the worlds they create. Who lives here? Where are we? What season is it? What does this place feel like?

Telling a Story Through ColorGiven an unexpected prompt, you'll create a 5–7 color palette designed to communicate that feeling, place, person, or story—then we'll see what everyone else reads from it.

The Psychology of Proportion: 70/20/10Using real paint, you'll create a series of small abstract studies with the same three colors in different proportions and experience how dramatically the emotional impact changes when one color becomes dominant, supporting, or accent.

The Colors You Live InWe'll consider the colors in your wardrobe and home. Which colors do you surround yourself with? Which do you put on your body? Which do you avoid? Do those choices still represent you?

Your Personal Color PortraitWe'll finish by creating a 5–7 color palette that represents you right now. Then we'll return to the three colors you instinctively chose at the beginning and see what—if anything—has changed.

You'll Take Home

Your Custom Color Fan Deck — a personal collection of colors and discoveries from the workshop to use as inspiration for art, decorating, clothing, and future creative projects.

Mini Original Color Studies — your painted 70/20/10 experiments, small enough to frame as abstract artwork.

Color Homework — playful prompts to continue noticing how color affects your mood, environment, wardrobe, home, and creative choices long after class ends.

Supplies

Everything is provided. Paint, brushes, surfaces, color samples, palettes, tools, and materials are waiting for you.

Just show up ready to look at color differently.

3 hours | $150 per person | All supplies included | Beginner friendly