Vampire by Edvard MunchVampiric Colors
"Color?" said the vampire. "Is that all? Color iss eazy-peazy. How soon do you vant it?"
—Terry Pratchett, The Truth, 2001
Black silk, white incisors, blood-red lips, pallid complexions, deep purple velvet. Truly, "the horror of vampirism is expressed in color" (Diane Negra, The Irish in Us, 2006). The timeless lore of vampires has left a colorful and enduring mark on world culture. If you think most vampires sport Transylvanian accents and Carpathian fashions, think again. Chinese vampires (Geung-Si), for example, have a rich history of their own. Their limbs stiffened by rigor mortis, Chinese vampires move by hopping, their arms outstretched like zombies to seize their prey. They have long fangs and even longer fingernails, which they use to stab their victims and suck out the life energy. They wear traditional Manchu robes of black silk and round black hats from the Qing dynasty. What turns a corpse into a Chinese vampire? A lingering lust for revenge, an improper burial, a violent death, or a mischievous spirit. Chinese vampires can be stopped only by Taoist priests armed with magic talismans. The priest paints red calligraphy onto a yellow strip of parchment and slaps the talisman onto the vampire's ghastly white forehead, rendering him immobile. Makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin has a tip for making very dark vampire colors less extreme and severe. He recommends surrounding the vampire color with taupe or brownish-gray (Jessica Pallingston, Lipstick, 1999).
Because vampires are allergic to sunlight, vampiric colors often evoke the shades of midnight:
by LOKAOTICO
As vampires are sustained by blood, it comes as no surprise that there are a great many sanguinary colors:
by Wellstone
It takes a pointed tooth to draw blood:
Immortality carries with it the dust of the ages:
by Jim Frazier
No bedroom of the living dead would be complete without a coffin:
Some vampires sport unnatural complexions:
The classic vampire mane is black:
Vampiric wardrobes reflect the height of gothic fashion:
Has there ever been a vampire with garlic breath?
by msmall
The easiest way to break a vampire's heart is with a wooden stake:
A talisman can also do the trick:
[Read the entire article in my guest blog at ColourLovers.com.]
