Red Clipart
Red is a color that exists at the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye. In terms of the visible spectrum, red has a dominant wavelength just a bit longer than orange at approximately 720–630 nanometers. When all wavelengths of light are combined, the resulting sensation is white light. When just the wavelength for red is isolated, it produces what we know as the color red.
Scientifically speaking, what we call “red” is light vibrating at a lower frequency that creates a sensation of warmth in the human brain. Red has the lowest frequency of visible light after infrared. Red also represents the highest color temperature.
Symbolic and cultural meanings of red
The color red carries a great deal of symbolism and meaning within cultures across the world. Red is most commonly associated with love, passion, heat, fire, danger, aggression, excitement, action, energy, blood, war, violence, desire, and even revolution.
However, red holds different meanings in various cultures. In China, red symbolizes luck, joy, and happiness. In India, red carries religious and spiritual meaning. Red has different connotations across Eastern and Western cultures. Context also matters, red can have positive or negative associations depending on how it is used.
Shades and varieties of red
There are many rich and vibrant shades of the color red:
- Crimson – A strong, deep red with hints of purple
- Scarlet – A bright vibrant red, sometimes with a slightly orange tint
- Ruby – A darker yet rich shade of red, named after red rubies
- Cherry – A bright red named after ripened cherries
- Burgundy – A darker red, similar to the color of red wine
- Cardinal – A vivid red named after the cardinal bird
- Fire engine red – A very bright intense red
Red can also mix with other colors to create reddish hues like red-violet, red-orange, red-brown, and dusty red.
Red in nature
Red appears throughout the natural world including plants, animals, rocks and minerals, and astronomical bodies.
Familiar examples of red in nature include:
- Blood
- Roses
- Strawberries
- Ruby gemstones
- Redwood trees
- Poppies
- Ladybugs
- Red pandas
- Cardinals
- Sunrises and sunsets
- Mars (The Red Planet)
- Red supergiant stars like Betelgeuse
Red is a popular natural color, essential to life in animals and flowering in plants.
Red in human culture
Humans have long included the color red in tools, clothing, accessories, decorations, and imagery including:
- Red ochre and iron oxide pigments used in ancient rock art
- Chinese red lacquerware
- Ancient Roman vermillion red dyes
- European paintings with saturated reds in medieval times
- The red English post box
- Traditional Japanese red torii gates
- Santa’s red coat lined with white fur
- Wonder Woman’s flowing red hair
- Bloods and Crips red gang colors
- The Red Cross and Red Crescent humanitarian symbols
Whether appearing in nature or culture, red attracts attention and carries strong visual meaning.
History of the color red
Prehistoric artists used red ochre and iron oxide pigments to create some of the earliest known red paints. Ancient Egyptians created the first synthetic red dyes from organic compounds. Chinese lacquerware masters perfected the formula for dazzling “cinnabar red” lacquer. European medieval painters used expensive powdered cinnabar and vermillion to impart luxurious reds.
Before the 19th century, red dyes and pigments came primarily from mineral and organic compound mixtures that were expensive and difficult to produce. New modern synthetic red dyes emerged from the growing chemical industry, making vivid reds more widely accessible.
Red as a primary color
Red is considered a primary color, meaning it cannot be created by mixing other colors. In the RYB (or subtractive) color model, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. In the RGB (additive) color model, the primary colors are red, blue, and green. All other colors are derived from combinations of these primary colors.
Red mixed with yellow makes orange. Red mixed with blue makes purple. Mixing pure red with black produces darker shades of red. Adding white to red makes pink. Combining red with varying mixes of other colors creates all other red hues and tints.
Uses of the color red
The color red serves many symbolic and aesthetic purposes including:
- Stopping danger as seen in stop signs, stoplights, and red safety alerts
- Grabbing attention with warning labels, advertising, and announcements
- Political affiliation with communist and socialist use of red flags and banners
- Enhancing food appeal and appetite as seen with tomatoes, apples, steak, and red candy
- Inspiring action and excitement like the red carpet for celebrity events
- Signaling emotions including romance, with red roses, lingerie, lipstick, and Valentine’s day motifs
Designers carefully apply shades of red depending on the desired response. Dark red provokes heavier emotions while pink can seem playful.
Red in art
Artists throughout history, working in painting, dyed fabrics, mosaic, glass, and other mediums have utilized the color red for its visual appeal.
Famous examples featuring red include:
- The Lascaux cave paintings using iron oxide minerals
- Chinese red lacquerware with multiple red layers
- Ancient Greek red-figure pottery with red silhouettes
- Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints with red ink dominating
- Henri Matisse cutouts with red paper shapes
- Mark Rothko’s signature red rectangular paintings
- Andy Warhol’s iconic prints of red Campbell’s Soup Cans
Modern graphics programs provide digital artists access to every imaginable shade of red.
Red clipart
Clipart refers to ready-to-use images that designers can access to illustrate communications, websites, presentations, advertisements, documents, and more. Red clipart contains red images relevant to various topics and themes.
Common categories of red clipart include:
- Love and romance motifs like red hearts
- Christmas and holiday elements such as ornaments
- Food images of apples, cherries, pizza, etc.
- Objects like red cars, roses, lipstick, flags
- Shapes including red circles, triangles, squares, etc.
Red clipart comes in photographic, illustration, solid, line, and silhouette styles. Designers can access red clipart through online databases and edit images to fit specific needs.
In this page clipartix present 58 red clipart images free for designing activities. Lets download Red Clipart that you want to use for works or personal uses.