Week 1 of Watercolor Color Theory

The color wheel…

How to Identify Warm vs. Cool Colors

Basic Idea:

• Warm colors feel like sun and heat: reds, oranges, yellows

• Cool colors feel like water and sky: blues, greens, purples

But did you know that you can get even more specific by characterizing your primary colors and too warm and cool colors. Let me explain.

Identifying Warm vs. Cool Primary Colors:

Yellows:

• Warm Yellow: Leans toward orange (e.g., Cadmium Yellow, New Gamboge)

• Cool Yellow: Leans toward green (e.g., Lemon Yellow, Hansa Yellow Light)

Reds:

• Warm Red: Leans toward orange (e.g., Cadmium Red, Pyrrol Scarlet)

• Cool Red: Leans toward blue/pink (e.g., Quinacridone Rose, Alizarin Crimson)

Blues:

• Warm Blue: Leans toward red (e.g., Ultramarine Blue)

• Cool Blue: Leans toward green (e.g., Phthalo Blue, Cerulean Blue)

How to Tell by Eye:

1. Compare two versions of the same primary side-by-side. Which one leans more toward another color?

2. Think about what it would mix well with.

   
   

   • A cool red will mix cleaner purples with blue.

   • A warm yellow will make cleaner oranges with red.

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