Arts
What are warm and cool colours?
Quick answer
Warm colours are reds, oranges and yellows, which remind us of sun and fire. Cool colours are blues, greens and purples, which remind us of water, ice and sky.
In one sentence
Warm colours (red, orange, yellow) feel hot and lively, and cool colours (blue, green, purple) feel calm and cold.
Explained
Look at the colour wheel and imagine drawing a line through it. On one side are warm colours: reds, oranges and yellows. These are the colours of fire, sunshine and hot desert sand. On the other side are the cool colours: blues, greens and purples. These are the colours of water, ice, grass and a night sky.
sun
snow
paintbrush
Colours do not actually change the temperature, but they change how we feel. Warm colours are often energetic and exciting, and they can make a room cosy. Cool colours feel peaceful and fresh, and they can make a room seem larger and quieter. That is why some schools use soft blues and greens in quiet corners, and why sports brands often use red.
Artists use warm and cool colours to create depth. Warm colours seem to come forward and cool colours seem to sit back. In a landscape painting, distant mountains are often painted in pale blue, while objects close to you use stronger, warmer colours. You can also paint a picture with only warm colours for a cheerful scene, or only cool colours for a calm, wintery one.
Almost every colour has a warm and a cool version. A red with a little yellow in it (like tomato red) is warmer, and a red with a little blue (like raspberry) is cooler. Green with more yellow looks warmer, like spring leaves, and green with more blue looks cooler, like the sea. Neutral colours such as grey and brown can lean warm or cool as well.
Seasons link to colour too: autumn leaves are warm, and winter scenes are cool; see seasons. To learn how to mix them, see primary and secondary colours.
Examples
| Warm | Cool |
|---|---|
| red, orange, yellow | blue, green, purple |
| sunset, fire, autumn leaves | ocean, ice, forest |
| cheerful, energetic | calm, quiet |
| seems close | seems far away |
Common mistakes
- "Green is always cool." Yellow-green can look warm.
- "Warm colours are only for hot places." You can use them in winter scenes for cosy windows.
- "Colours have the same effect for everyone." Feelings about colours can vary between people and cultures.
Quick quiz
Warm and cool colours
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
Which of these is a warm colour?
Practise it
Try it
Colouring pages for warm and cool colour practice
For grown-ups
Related topics
The colour wheel
The colour wheel is a circle that arranges colours to show how they relate. Colours opposite each other, like blue and orange, are complementary and make strong contrast.
Primary and secondary colours
Red, yellow and blue are the primary colours in painting: you cannot make them by mixing. Mixing two primaries gives a secondary colour: orange, green or purple.
Seasons
Seasons happen because Earth is tilted. As Earth orbits the Sun over a year, each half of the planet takes turns leaning towards the Sun, getting more direct sunlight and longer days.
Musical instruments
Musical instruments make sound in different ways: by plucking or bowing strings, blowing air, or hitting. In an orchestra they are grouped as strings, woodwind, brass and percussion.
Musical notes
Musical notes are written symbols that show which sound to play and for how long. Their position on a five-line staff gives the pitch, and their shape gives the length.
Perspective drawing
Perspective drawing is a way to make a flat picture look three-dimensional. Things that are farther away look smaller, and parallel lines seem to meet at a vanishing point on the horizon.