Features of colour visual image formation in the urban space of Shandong Province with consideration of regional aspects

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of colour in the visual image design of cities in Shandong Province based on the analysis of regional characteristics. Methodology. The study is based on the analysis of collected representative graphic materials from selected cities in Shandong Province using the visual sampling method, which allowed obtaining real visual information about the city. The manual colour extraction method is used to extract the dominant colour in the selected image material from a colour recognition website, record its HEX CODE and name it. Finally, the ‘The main theme’ colours of 10 cities in Shandong Province were extracted using colour analysis. Based on their art historical analysis, which includes an analysis of colour trends, cultural background, and urban development orientation, their spatial colour characteristics and visual images were highlighted to form a system of colour representation with narrativity and locality. Results. The study of urban colour characteristics based on regional aspects demonstrates the diversity of urban colours in Shandong Province and explains the importance of colour in urban development. The colour types of cities in Shandong Province are classified and four categories of urban colour system are distinguished: Coastal freshness, Ecologically wilderness type, Cultural warmth type and Comprehensive type. Each type also presents colour structure and visual characteristics that are closely related to the natural geography and cultural background of the local urban area. The results of the study indicate that regional environment and urban characteristics are inextricably linked in the urban colour system. Scientific novelty. Based on regional aspects, the study proposes for the first time a method for classifying the visual image of urban colours based on geographical environment, history and humanities, and urban functions. Compared with previous studies focusing on the colour of individual urban regions, considerable attention is paid to the visual correlation between the colour structure and the overall unity of urban space, which highlights the aesthetic value and systematic role of the urban colour system. Practical relevance. The research results provide a clear classification basis and methodological support for the design of urban visual image and related urban colour research. The proposed classification of urban colour systems can provide designers with effective design guidelines for their visual practice in different cities. In addition, the research contributes to the formation of a more holistic visual space of the city, the enhancement of public identity, and the enhancement of regional content communication to create a more accurate and vivid image of the city.