Confusing Colour Complexity

It is absolutely bucketing down here in Sydney, 53mls of rain overnight, and the day is producing just as much

Its a really good time to stay warm, which is a great Segway into a discussion about Warm and Cool Colours

There is so much to learn about colour, and knowing the implications of using warm and cool colours is a must.
There is so much complexity to colour that this post may seem confusing and believe me it can be.

When I was studying Painting, I learnt to use colours by weight, this was not physical weight but a perceived weight, a density you might say.

This weight can be utilised as a way of determining Warm and Cool in the colour Range, I , perceive Heavy colours , or those with the most density as being cool, and the lighter ones as being warm. Of course, this is not hard and fast and a purely subjective interpretation based on my own usage.

So what is a Warm Colour, well typically warm colours are Red, Yellow and various combinations of these. eg, tones of Orange

Cool Colour is typically Blue, and various Derivatives, eg; add blue to red and you get purple, add yellow to blue and you get green

Now depending on the weight of mix, how much yellow or blue, that you add will determine its Coolness or Warmness,

Eg; add Yellow and Blue with more blue than yellow and you get a deeper green, add more yellow and you start to get a more lime green which changes a cool colour into a warm colour.

Now to confuse even more, these days you can get warm and cool tones of each colour, eg; Warm Blues and Cool Blues, however when you look at the tones you can determine what has been mixed with them to determine if they are warm or cool.

This is where my own method of perceived weight/ density comes into play.

I suggest that you get a base level paint set and play with colour to see what results you get. Remember to always keep your brush clean.

Now how does this effect you in the Digital realm ??

Comes down to implied feeling and perception

Warm colours look as though they come closer, or advance

Cool Colours look as though they recede -

I use cool colours as a depth factor in my artworks, it allows me to create greater 3 dimensionality

Warm Colours are often associated with Passion, Playfulness and Joy

Cool Colours can be associated with being relaxed, feeling calm and feeling refreshed.

Just remember that when creating something, think about the mood you are wanting to portray. Mix it up a bit

Use warm colours if you are wanting to create a warm and fuzzy feeling and temper it with cool colours to give it depth. Always strive for a balance so that the work you produce is dynamic without being too much in your face.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to theories on colour, and the complexity can be very confusing. However, if you stick with some basic principles of colour management and application you can achieve some very dynamic and attracting imagery.

As mentioned above, invest in a basic paint kit, I recommend acrylic paint for the starter as the colour is more robust than watercolours and less intrusive than oils. Play around, mix colours together, you may just get mud, but that’s the beauty of experimentation. Try putting colours next to each other

Get yourself a colour wheel, there are many that can be printed out online, experiment, you will be surprised what you come up with.

I believe that everyone has the ability, its just persistence that creates the masterpiece.

Now there may be a Gem in the post, but then it may just get all too much for some. But believe me when I say the more you play the better results you will get.