

It can therefore be useful to look up the hex code of your color if you are trying to determine if it is a warm or cool color. Hexadecimal or hex codes are used to communicate the exact color you are referring to whilst also giving you an idea of the proportions of the colors used to create that color. In contrast, warm colors conjure warm imagery of fire and sunlight, and so warm colors consist of orange, red, yellow, and their combinations.īlue is the only primary color in the cool color group and therefore all cool colors contain some blue or have a blue undertone. When thinking of cool colors, it is helpful to imagine cool subjects such as water, clear skies, and snow and the colors that go with them. The most common cool colors definition is any color that falls within the blue, green, and violet hues as well as all the intermediate and tertiary colors that they can form. Now that you know the basics of the color wheel and how colors are formed, we can delve deeper into what makes a color a cold color. Black, white, gray, and earth tones are all considered neutral colors. Brown and other earth tones are the results of mixing together all the primary colors. Traditionally, gray is created by mixing white and black together, however, gray can also have different undertones if another color is mixed into it. Simply speaking, black is the absence or complete absorption of color, while white is the complete reflection of all visible colors. Mixing a primary and secondary color together creates intermediate colors, while tertiary colors are the result of mixing together two secondary colors.īlack and white are not considered true colors and so are not included on the color wheel. By mixing two primary colors together in equal parts, you can create the secondary colors on the color wheel, which consist of orange, green, and violet. The primary colors consist of three colors, namely red, yellow, and blue. The color wheel clearly illustrates the relationship between the primary and secondary colors, as well as the intermediate and tertiary colors that they form. Hue does not tell you anything about that color’s saturation or value, which is its intensity or how light or dark it is. It is important to note that hue refers to the actual color and its position on the color wheel. The basic color wheel model usually consists of 12 different color hues which are roughly grouped into warm and cool colors. The color wheel provides a fantastic tool for understanding color temperature. Understanding what cool colors are and how they are created and used is fundamental to being able to not only identify them but also utilize them effectively.

They tend to evoke feelings of tranquility and refreshment whether they are painted on your canvas or walls. 5.3 Why Would an Artist Use Cool Colors?Ĭool colors are associated with ideas of harmony, reliability, and trust.5.1 What Are Cool Colors and Warm Colors?.2.1.1 Famous Paintings That Used Cool Colors.2 The Importance of Color Temperature in Art.
