What are Warm and Cool Colors in Art? (Easy Explanation!)

Рет қаралды 7,081

Күн бұрын

What are warm and cool colors in art? In this video I explain really simply what is meant by warm and cool colors, and how it works within individual watercolor color groups. I go through all the primaries, secondaries and neutrals so you really understand which of your individual hues are warm, and which are cool - I guarantee you won't be confused about it anymore.
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0:00 What are warm and cool colors in art?
03:48 Why are some colors described as warm and some as cool?
04:34 What are the primary colors for artists?
07:59 Warm and Cool Watercolor Yellows
10:51 Warm and Cool Watercolor Reds and Pinks
13:11 Warm and Cool Watercolor Blues
16:33 Warm and Cool Watercolor Greens
18:17 Warm and Cool Watercolor Purples
19:38 Warm and Cool Watercolor Oranges
22:02 Warm and Cool Watercolor Browns
23:21 Warm and Cool Watercolor Greys
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Пікірлер: 138

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Has this video helped you to be a little clearer about the basics of warm and cool colours?

@OzzieOzzieOzzieOyOyOy 4 жыл бұрын

I can’t seem to wrap my head around warm vs cool a lot of the time. The cools look warm, and the warms look cool. Can you help me understand why this is? The set of primary colours you already had swatched? That blue looks warm and the yellow looks cool. Also, the Daniel Smith lemon yellow you swatched looked warm to me. That first purple you painted looked warm, and the second purple you painted looked like a brown. The raw umber you said was cool looked warm. Is there something wrong with my eyes? Am I missing something really fundamental that everyone else sees?

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

I am sure you are not. Remember every single person sees colour differently. I you are also viewing through the lighting I have in the studio, the camera and the particular screen you have on your device. All of this can mean that what I see when I paint, may be different to what you see.

@beverlyrodriguez9870 3 жыл бұрын

Very helpful. Now I understand how I need to swatch all my colors. I plan to test myself after viewing this video I really want to understand mixing better. I have loved your mixing videos as well as this one. It's past time for me to go back to basics as yo mentioned in one of your videos on common mistakes I was trying to paint full landscapes without understanding the basics. Thank you so much!

@danielsutton2290 10 ай бұрын

Yes!

@danielsutton2290 10 ай бұрын

Michele is one of the most witty, intelligent, broadly informed and instructive KZfaq watercolorists there is. As a physician who likes humor and with a strong background in biology especially taxonomy (species relatedness), she always knocks me off my feet with her accuracy in things of the nonart biological nature. She had me at cats are “obligate carnivores” and, in another video, can’t remember which, (paraphrased) “playing Celine Dion over a loud speaker heard by neighbors should be illegal.” Additionally, I did not know that cats can’t taste sweetness! Thank you Ms. Webber! I’m a huge fan. 🎉❤

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 9 ай бұрын

Aw thanks :-)

@mimitovar7335 4 жыл бұрын

All of my years in art university I have never studied or understood color in this way. In fact, color theory was never taught or even mentioned. They never used the words "warm" or "cool" but instead used the terms "bright" "strong" "dull" "translucent" to describe the character of the color. I have learned a year's worth of art school in your 25-minute video. Thank you so much for not assuming that everyone who is subscribed to your channel is a professional artist. Thank you for taking the time to explain things, and not jamming all this information in a 6-minute video. I really appreciate your channel so much, especially your watercolor techniques and tutorials! I hope you'll consider getting a bit more technical with light and shadow, perspective, and compositional watercolor paintings. It is very clear that you can articulate these things in such simple ways for the layperson such myself! I will totally recommend your channel to any artist (novice or expert).

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much Mimi, I have been teaching for many years, although privately, not in schools. Formal art education varies hugely from what I have seen, from excellent to awful!

@mimitovar7335 4 жыл бұрын

@@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber I think your career on teaching art privately has proven to be more successful and beneficial to both the teacher and students. And now sharing your wisdom through social media has been even more of a blessing as now you have students from all over the world! ^_^ Thank you Ms. Webber

@jakea1035 10 ай бұрын

Three years along and this is still the very best explanation of colours that I have ever seen. Thank you,

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 10 ай бұрын

Glad it's helpful!

@teresamitchell-banks2286 2 жыл бұрын

This is the only tutorial on cool and warm colours that has made sense to me. Thank you🇨🇦

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 2 жыл бұрын

That was my hope when making it!

@debraevans8654 10 ай бұрын

Thank you for always keeping it simple for us beginners without making us feel stupid. Appreciate all that you do to teach us!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 10 ай бұрын

You are so welcome!

@therojo6902 23 күн бұрын

Such a simple and understandable explanation of warm and cool colors.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 18 күн бұрын

Thank you!

@teresamitchell-banks2286 Ай бұрын

This is a truly sensible way to teach colour theory

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber Ай бұрын

Thank you!

@sheidashannon9210 4 жыл бұрын

What a great lesson on warm and cool colors. Thank you so much!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@shaf7643 3 жыл бұрын

Just starting to get into watercolour, and your videos have been clear, succinct and extremely helpful. You have a great way of explaining things simply with simultaneous demo’s.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Mohammed, good luck with your paintings!

@barbarachappuis766 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Michelle. You're so meticulous, thorough, and patient. I think you really nailed it when you stated that warmness and coolness are relative (and subjective). It took time, practice, and thought to really start to get it.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

That's good, I am please I helped a little.

@camamaja 3 жыл бұрын

thanks for making it easy to understand. Great explanation I keep coming back to whenever someone else muddies the water for me.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

Great to hear!

@FknNefFy 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! That was the best and easiest explanation ever!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

@brendadavies3942 4 жыл бұрын

This is the best explanation of cool and a dark colours I have seen so thank you for unraveling my brain

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful Brenda :-)

@smz5302 Жыл бұрын

SO helpful, Michele. And thanks for not referring to a color wheel. Every video I've watched thus far has referred to a color wheel to explain warm and cool colors. And, for the life of me, I can't keep it in my head. Your video may do the trick. Thanks, thanks.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber Жыл бұрын

So glad!

@MaryGadsby 4 жыл бұрын

As a beginner at 60 your videos are helping me so much! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad! You are very young. One of my students started with me at age 87 :-) (and I am only a few years behind you!)

@evelyne7071 8 ай бұрын

Thank you, again. After a little more painting experience, I’ve come to appreciate the differences between the warms and cools. However, it is always good to get your perspective and refresher. Even with all other watercolor tutorials, I always like to come back to yours because of your obvious talents as a teacher. Your explanations are concise and understandable.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 7 ай бұрын

Wonderful!

@lizzy9975 4 жыл бұрын

This is probably one of the best colour theory tutorials around! Really well done!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Glad you think so! Thank you!

@awhalewatcher 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Michelle. Colours really do my head in, but with the help of your tutorials it’s becoming less muddy! Great job!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@kamalsodhi5771 Жыл бұрын

Beautifully explained and presented in the most simple language. Always greatly appreciate your videos as they provide great learning & practical lessons for artists.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber Жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

@aliciashackley5830 4 жыл бұрын

I’m so thankful for this video because I’m very new to art/watercolor and was always list when teams like green or red were added to let’s say a blue color. Lol. I was totally confused. But now I see how lemon yellow is cool (in the yellow range) and a certain orange could be considered cool too because it’s more acidic. So once again I’m do grateful to your kind sharing of your knowledge. You’re wonderful. 🥰

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Alicia, sorry didn't see your comment at first, KZfaq had put you in a folder called 'Likely Spam' (!) But I fished you out again :-)

@clairegreenslade8329 10 ай бұрын

So brilliantly explained. I finally get it 🎉

@raybeaumont7670 4 жыл бұрын

Great explanation Michele - clear and easy to understand. Thanks very much!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome Ray!

@georgyevans 10 ай бұрын

Great video, Michele. Thank you! Sitting in my garden looking at flowers with a different perspective. The swatching in this way was particularly helpful.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 10 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@anitadavidson1266 4 жыл бұрын

I think you’ve finally managed to get this theory into my thick head, thank you!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

lol, we all have stuff we are thick at - with me it's maths! Luckily we all have stuff we are good at too :-)

@jadewytch2335 2 жыл бұрын

This explained so much of what I - sort of knew - as a child but could never explain properly! I am struggling with the difference in red blues versus green blues; but what I'm doing thus far is comparing something to Ultramarine and using that as a basis for judging the red and using a turquoise to compare with the greens. There's just so much to learn here. I studied music at university and spent a lot of time on theory; so I understand why color theory is so important in compositions; I had just never considered how complex it could be. :) I appreciate your teaching style, Michele.

@gorway7 4 жыл бұрын

Loved how you tackled this hot topic which can be most contentious. You are the first person I have heard to tackle this from a "relative and perceptual perspective" which makes sense to an artist. Although the colour wheel is a great tool, it can be an obstacle when you take the colour spectrum which is liner and try and wrap it into a circle. I have always had a problem with the blues, especially things like cerulean and cobalt turquoise which many describe as cool but for me have such strong emotional links to warm tropical waters and sunny skies.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Peter, it's funny, artists will describe the green blues as cool, and yet the fashion industry describes them as warm :-)

@richardlevasseur6771 4 жыл бұрын

This is great! Here I appreciated the discussion on the purples and violets. I love working with Payne's Gray and havent thought to add yellow, but I will try that today. I am still referencing the video for mixing greens. Also, practicing from the Clouds video (need a lot of practice and confidence here). As you can probably tell, I am a newbee!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Richard! Add pink to Payne's grey and get a lovely storm cloud colour 🙂

@miriammolloy5900 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks Michelle that was a really interesting colour mix lesson.

@leslie-annepepin8927 Жыл бұрын

I have always been confused about warm vs cool colours. Thank you!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber Жыл бұрын

Happy to help!

@snowyart3338 4 жыл бұрын

GREAT tutorial, very well explained indeed!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Many thanks!

@OneTrueWord1988 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Michele! Even though I understand the concept of warm and cool colors, this was such an interesting and thorough video, and I enjoyed it very much. You always take such care to explain things so completely, and in a way that's easy to understand. Excellent video! Thank you!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Yay, thank you!

@OneTrueWord1988 4 жыл бұрын

In the Studio with Michele Webber: 😊👍😻💐👏🏻

@TimRoseOfficial 4 жыл бұрын

*_Great explanation Michele! Love what you're doing and congrats on the channel you've built up so far! Keep it up my friend!_* 💙

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching ☺️

@annettefournier9655 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Michele. Excellent lesson.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome Annette!

@HemuArtWorld 4 жыл бұрын

Information is awesome and great upload 👍

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Cheers!

@linesymons9488 4 жыл бұрын

Great description! Easy to understand although complexe. Thank you!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome!

@wallen308 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I've watched colour wheel videos but this has helped me understand the differences in warm and cool (finally). I was starting to think I was thick as a brick (a warm brick)!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

Warm brick 😂

@MerrrryBeth 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!😘 This is so helpful!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad!

@brownsauce30 3 жыл бұрын

Great indepth lecture Michelle. Thanks

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

You're very welcome!

@evelyne7071 4 ай бұрын

This video is so excellent. I learned so much, especially about color mixing, Thank you, as always.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 ай бұрын

That's fab!

@voliabrandaolaveneremachad7849 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great explanation!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

My pleasure!

@melaniebaynes2730 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for doing this tutorial Michele, as usual it is extremely helpful! I have saved it so I can refer back if I need to. I think you are very kind for sharing all these videos, you make learning fun🤗😊.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

You are so welcome - art should be fun!

@AkuZeku 3 жыл бұрын

I always wondered about that warm/cold colours people were talking about and this video just got recommended to me. It's super helpful! I think I understand this a lot better now. Thank you for this video!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

No problem!

@DeborahHillman-gr8uo 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for this video. I needed it so much! This was great!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 11 ай бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@DavidStockford 3 жыл бұрын

Just bought my first watercolour set (Windsor & Newton Cotman). Now I understand why it has the colours it has. Thank you

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

You are welcome David!

@DavidStockford 3 жыл бұрын

I have been watching your videos for a month now. I like your teaching style. Now looking at your courses.

@michaelbeckett7656 4 жыл бұрын

i am partially red/green color blind so a lot of my color choices HAVE to be based on color theory. i can often see where the color is 'off', but i am at a loss to figure out why. the concept of warm and cool blue has always felt strange to me. i had never thought of the fact that blue was the lone cool primary. your explanation is so much clearer! thank you!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

No problem Michael, I have taught many men who are color blind, it's genetic. The thing to remember is that colors are the sum of their parts, by which I mean you can't mix two warm colors and get a cool color. I have simplified for this video, if you want a warm green for example, not only should it have a yellow bias but ideally you want to use a warm yellow.

@annwong1946 4 жыл бұрын

This is such an informative tutorial. I have been struggling to understand and have difficultly in identifying the warm and cool colours. You made it so much easier and it finally it make sense. Going to try swatching and mixing again. Thank you so much.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

@debrabartman6749 4 жыл бұрын

Very helpful information. Thank you for the video.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

You are welcome!

@raggedyroad 4 жыл бұрын

Wnderful lesson. Thank you!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it!

@janedoe1790 3 жыл бұрын

So precise thanks 🌻🐝✨✨✨✨

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

You’re welcome 😊

@kendataylor6386 Жыл бұрын

Really helpful - thank you!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber Жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

@angelahorner6012 4 жыл бұрын

Lots here to take in but it is comprehensive and well explained. Hopefully, Michele will follow this with a video on uses for each warm and cool colour

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thank you :-)

@SharonH11100 4 жыл бұрын

This was very helpful to me ~ not purely scientific, but logical ~ thank you! 🙋🏼‍♀️

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it Sharon 🙂

@MJSTAMAND 4 жыл бұрын

Keep up the good work.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks, will do!

@smchalk3535 4 жыл бұрын

easy explanation, did not know that about green.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Me neither until recently!

@carolshappyplace5828 4 жыл бұрын

Excellent video - I especially appreciated the discussion of warm and cool oranges and browns, and also how manufacturers designate blues. This video also confirmed the importance if having both warm and cool colors in my palate which as a beginner I’m finding to be very useful in mixing. And you demonstrated the warm/cool greens in your outfit too - fun!

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Totally on purpose 😂

@MaisnerProductions 9 ай бұрын

super helpful

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 9 ай бұрын

Glad you think so!

@FeathPymArt 4 жыл бұрын

Very informative! I kept up well through the primaries, but when we hit the secondaries, I had a bit more trouble. I can understand what you're saying, but when I look at them, I still don't see the cool/hot. Think I'll watch this a couple more times! *takes notes*

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

There is more to it than I have put in the video but I wanted to keep it simple. For example a warm green would not only have a bias towards yellow but typically that would be a warm yellow.

@FeathPymArt 4 жыл бұрын

@@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber Of course :) (I actually understood that.)

@tammysunderman4734 4 жыл бұрын

thank you Michelle for all the wonderful tutorials. I've got a palette of senniler paints, what other brands could be used with the Sennliers?

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Hi Tammy, thanks for watching! You can use literally any other brand, they are all interchangeable. I would start with colours you have but don't necessarily like that much, or suspect that might be nicer in other brands. Then think about where there might be 'gaps' in the colours you have, ones that are missing perhaps.

@tracypowell2459 4 жыл бұрын

Really useful video, than you.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

You are welcome Tracy!

@sofar_sogud4929 Жыл бұрын

The retinas in our eyes have receptors for red, green and blue only.

@liamwatson5125 4 жыл бұрын

Orange seems to be a warm colour altogether because it’s in between red and yellow. When I mixed ultramarine with warm red, I got grey instead of purple.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

Yes that's because of the yellow element in the warm red. 3 primarys heavy on the blue = grey.

@martynsmith630 3 жыл бұрын

Hi Michelle Phthalo blues usually have a colon with it to denote red or green shade. What about when it says just PB15. Also is Indanthrone cool or warm. Your channel is a great watch. Thanks.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 3 жыл бұрын

Idanthrone is a red leaning blue, if that is what you consider warm. There's not really warm and cool with blue because either direction you have warm colours (red and yellow/green). PB15 simply means the manufacturer doesn't want to disclose the exact type of pigment.

@pollysmith2710 3 жыл бұрын

So being a complete beginner im taking the warm colours to mix with PR122 or PV 19 to be Indanthrone, Ultramarine & Phthalo Blue RS, is that correct.

@KMiller63 4 ай бұрын

❤

@deborahruth5072 4 жыл бұрын

I am going to have to watch this a few more times. I understand the logic behind it but that is not how I perceive color. I don't know why that is. It is really hard for me to get my mind wrapped around it. lol I am both logical and artistic. I am told I think with both sides of my brain but, that has not always served me well.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

At the end of the day, it's only the common perception, everyone's brain sees colour a little differently!

@cvb123ist 4 жыл бұрын

I am less confused about warm and cool colors, Thanks.

@deborahruth5072 4 жыл бұрын

@@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber thanks for that and thank you for the video. Coming from a mixed media background I just like what I like. It is more intuitive than anything else.

@MrApolloTom 4 жыл бұрын

6:13 I suspect this is part of the reason bright tube greens looks so bad unmixed, they reflect a green that can't be obtained from the implied lighting in the scene, so it looks like it doesn't belong in there or like some kind of glowing Simpsons nuclear waste.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

I think I have seen that episode :-)

@grandma.p 4 жыл бұрын

I only have red, yellow and blue gouache and I have mixed a lot from them. However, you waste a lot of paint only working with a few colors and mixing them.

@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 4 жыл бұрын

That's true :-)