Cool Colour Palettes
Browse our collection of artworks with cool colour palettes.
Intro to Cool Colours & Colour Theory
Blues, greens, and purples tend to be categorized as cool colours, but unfortunately it’s not QUITE that simple.
Since each colour hue, aside from the pure primary colours, is developed by mixing of the primary colours (red, blue, and yellow), each colour has an element of warmth and an element of coolness. Certain yellows can be considered cooler than other yellows, as shown by the image below.

What determines whether the yellow above is cool or not is the “undertone” or “bias” of the yellow. This bias is defined by the primary or secondary colour which the colour in question leans towards.
For example, when thinking about yellows, the primary and secondary colours which surround it on the colour wheel are green/blue (on the cooler side) and orange/red (on the warmer side). In the image above, the yellow which has a stronger bias towards red is a warm yellow, while the yellow which has a bias towards green is a cool yellow.
This can be tricky to identify in isolation, but it is also somewhat intuitive. Without all that theory, you might have naturally arrived at the conclusion that the yellow on the right was cooler than the yellow on the left.
Colour temperatures are relative, and it therefore helps to put colours beside each other, or to use a colour wheel, to determine their relative coolness.
Link to a great article on colour theory if you really want to nerd out.

Design Considerations
- Cool colours have a receding quality and are generally less demanding / more passive on the eye.
- Cool coloured walls can be used in smaller rooms to make them feel more spacious.
- Cool coloured decor, objects, and artworks might contribute to a cleaner, less cluttered feel.
- Typical sentiments related to cool colour palettes:
Refreshing, Clean, Delicate, Earthly, Playful, Peaceful, Innocent, Loyal, and Comforting. - Neutrals such as browns and beiges tend to look excellent when paired with cool palettes. They provide contrast and coziness without taking away from the clean feeling.
- The 80-20 rule, while just a rule of thumb (which can and should be broken if you want), is a good fall-back when using cool tones in your palette. 100% cool tones might result in a sterile or (dare we say) COLD feeling.


Paintings with Cool Colour Palettes
All of the artworks shown below have a (predominantly) cool colour palette. They might may have other tones present, but the cool colours are dominant or the painting imparts a cold feeling.
Select any artwork to learn more, or to reserve / purchase the piece.
If you are a collector local to the artist, shipping is complementary and the artist is usually able to deliver the painting in person and tell you about their inspiration. Our mission is to build local connections!
Showing 1–45 of 178 results
Give Me Five
Laurie Thompson
36 X 48 in
$1,700.00Sunlit Maples
Janie Lockwood
20 X 60 in
$2,100.00La Perle | Générations
Patricia Lortie
5.5 X 5.5 in
$75.00 – $150.00In All His Ways
Patricia Lortie
10 X 10 in
$275.00Fluid 3
Patricia Lortie
40 X 60 in
$4,100.00Fluid 1
Patricia Lortie
40 X 60 in
$4,100.00Blue Suede Shoes
Lynette Melnyk
48 X 36 in
$1,800.00A Soft Exhale
Lynette Melnyk
36 X 48 in
$3,400.00Elbow Falls Formations
BJ Sosa
24 X 30 in
$1,250.00Cloudy Yet Calm
Alison Philpotts
60 X 48 inSold $4,600.00
On the Shore
Alison Philpotts
72 X 24 in
$3,200.00Above & Below | May on the South Lake Road
Susan G. Abbott
19 X 19 in
$525.00Sumacs
Susan G. Abbott
25 X 25 in
$775.00Tree II
Susan G. Abbott
24 X 18 in
$500.00Distant Trees
Susan G. Abbott
18 X 24 in
$500.00Algonquin Paddle
Jean Grady
30 X 40 in
$1,300.00Winter Shadows
Jean Grady
18 X 24 in
$460.00Memories Come Alive
Sheila Schaetzle
25.5 X 19.5 inSold $700.00
Hot And Cold
William Parker
36 X 36 in
$1,300.00Gotta Bounce
William Parker
36 X 36 in
$1,300.00Pale Woods
Alexandre Da Silva Maia
60 X 48 in
$3,700.00Shannon Lake
Dawn Thrasher
24 X 48 in
$2,400.00Cerebral Storm
Ryan Oulton
24 X 18 in
$825.00Tale of Two
Ryan Oulton
12 X 16 in
$525.00Premonition
Steve Potter
32.5 X 26.5 in
$1,000.00Woodsedge #3
Steve Potter
22 X 26 in
$800.00Bugaboos
Amanda Maglis-Long
36 X 24 in
$1,500.00Moraine Magic
Amanda Maglis-Long
30 X 24 in
$1,250.00Tanker Tags
Amanda Maglis-Long
16 X 40 in
$1,150.00Chester’s Larches
Amanda Maglis-Long
40 X 16 in
$1,150.00Nottawasaga Bay
Amanda Maglis-Long
24 X 30 in
$1,250.00Petals Floating in the Wind
Lynette Melnyk
36 X 48 in
$1,800.00Waterfall
Mary Ann Tarini Hews
30 X 20 in
$900.00Streams of Light
Mary Ann Tarini Hews
24 X 20 in
$750.00Alleyway
Mary Ann Tarini Hews
20 X 24 in
$750.00Morning Hustle
Mary Ann Tarini Hews
24 X 16 in
$575.00Mountain Lake
Mary Ann Tarini Hews
30 X 30 in
$1,300.00My Path
Dania Al-Obaidi
37 X 37 in
$3,200.00Fraser Robson
BJ Sosa
36 X 36 in
$1,950.00Pink Reflections with Two Jack and Rundle
BJ Sosa
36 X 36 in
$1,950.00Dark Winter
Anne-Marie Olczak
40 X 30 in
$2,250.00September Song
Barb TenEycke
40 X 30 in
$2,800.00Spirit of the North
Jean Grady
30 X 40 in
$1,300.00Some Work of Noble Note
Susan G. Abbott
20 X 24 in
$500.00Ancient Megalith Warriors
Eleanor Boyden
48 X 60 in
$2,880.00
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