Warm vs Cool Colours

Warm colours are associated with reds, oranges and yellows while the cool colours are associated with greens, blues and violets. The Winter and Summer seasons have colours that one might call red, orange or yellow but when it comes to Spring and Autumn seasons they have colours that one might call green, blue or violet. Artists and theorists agree that the warmest colours are between red, orange or yellow range, however the coolest colours are between green, blue or purple range. Orange is associated as the warmest colour and blue is associated as the coolest colour.

No matter what colour we talk about, temperature is relative, meaning that it depends on the temperature to define which colour is the warmest colour or the coolest colour. We might call red as the warmest colour as some reds are warmer than others. Scarlet red is warmer than crimson, which is warmer than raspberry.

We decide whether one colour is warmer than another is that we determine it by unconsciously deciding which is closer to the warmest colour on our mental colour wheel. Within the red category, we find both warmer and cooler reds. The warmer reds appear in the books of the warmer seasons; the cooler reds appear in the books of the cooler seasons. Warm and cool is not a continuous spectrum from one side of the colour wheel to the other. Warm and cool is a spectrum within each other.

Warm and Cool Colours

Truth is Beauty. (2016). Please explain WARM and COOL.. [online] Available at: http://www.truth-is-beauty.com/please-explain-warm-and-cool.html [Accessed 17 Oct. 2016].