Did you ever notice that many cartoon characters seem to be yellow these days? Some of the most popular shows, like The Simpsons, Pokemon, and SpongeBob, SquarePants have many yellow creatures populating the scene. You probably noticed on some level, but never really gave it all that much thought. It turns out, though, a lot of thought actually goes into it!

Part of it is simple art theory. ChannelFrederator explains that characters’ colors are usually given as a contrast to their background. For example, the ocean in SpongeBob SquarePants is a rich blue, so the title character was made yellow, blue’s most contrasting color, to make him stand out. This also applies to shows that take place on land as well, since the blue sky is frequently a backdrop.

The rest is psychology. The color yellow is frequently associated with feelings of happiness, warmth, friendliness, and playfulness, traits we like to see in our cartoon heroes.

Another reason is that yellow stands out and grabs people’s focus. In this day and age of increased technology and short attention spans, a bright yellow family like The Simpsons is easily recognizable and catches the eye while quickly flipping through channels.

Fascinating!

For the full explanation on the importance of the color scheme, watch the video below!

Video Credit: YouTube/ChannelFrederator