When I first started painting (in pastel and watercolor), instructors would talk about deciding whether to use "warm" or "cool" colors in the painting, but I wasn't sure which colors were considered warm, and which were considered cool.

An easy way to think of it is:

• Warm colors:

  • Are closer to yellow on the color wheel
  • They will come forward, and appear more dominant in the painting
    • Example:
      • When painting a bouquet of red flowers:
        • Painting a few flowers with yellow-orange (Windsor Orange) or orange-red (Transparent Pyrrol Orange) mixed in with the base red (Windsor Red) will make those flowers appear closer, compared to others that are a cooler shade of red (Alizarin Crimson).
          • This is one way to create dimension within a painting.

• Cool colors:

  • Are closer to blue on the color wheel
  • They will recede, and appear farther away in the painting
    • Example: 
      • When painting a mountain landscape: 
        • Painting mountains in the distance in a blue (diluted Indigo) or purple (diluted Dioxazine Purple) tone will make the mountains appear farther away, compared to others that are in the foreground painted in a warmer shade (Yellow Ochre or Burnt Sienna).
          • This is one way to create the illusion of depth within a painting.

How will you incorporate warm and cool colors in your paintings to achieve a particular effect?

Have a great day!

~Maria