Warm Colour Palette

Intro to Warm Colours and Colour Theory

Skip ahead to the art please!

Regs, oranges, and yellows tend to be categorized as warm 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 warmer than other yellows, as shown by the image below.

What determines whether the yellow above is warm 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, than the yellow which has a bias towards green.

This can be tricky to identify in isolation, but it is also somewhat intuitive. Without all that theory, you might have organically arrived at the conclusion that the yellow on the left was warmer than the yellow on the right.

Colour temperatures are relative, and it therefore helps to put colours beside each other, or to use a colour wheel, to determine their relative warmth.

Link to a great article defining warmth of colours if you really want to nerd out.

Design Considerations

• Warm colours have an “advancing” quality meaning they tend to approach the viewer visually, are generally more demanding / less passive on the eye as a result.
• Warm coloured walls can be used in larger rooms to make them feel more cozy and intimate.
• Warm coloured decor, objects, and artworks might cause a more cluttered and lived-in feel.
• Typical sentiments related to warm colours:
  Passion, Happiness, Love, Density, Comfort, Familiarity, and Wealth.
• If looking for a strong “pop” or accent in a room, a warm colour will usually make a stronger statement than a cold colour (but it depends on the room).
• To pull of a space with predominantly warm tones, having lots of natural light helps. The “advancing” quality of warm colours can otherwise make a smaller or darker room feel claustrophobic.

Paintings with Warm Colour Palettes

All of the artworks shown below have a (predominantly) warm colour palette. They might may have other tones present, but the warm colours are dominant or the painting imparts a warm feeling.

Select any artwork to learn more, or to reserve / purchase the piece.

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