Artist Colours: Hot or Cold? You Decide!

Artist Colours: Hot or Cold? You Decide!

by Ron Gribble

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Hot or Cold? You Decide!

When mixing colours, don’t aim for something that’s neither hot nor cold. That “in-between” often turns grey—and grey is just a step away from mud. Understanding this early can simplify your colour mixing and open up creative possibilities.

Decide first: do you want a hot colour or a cold one? Then choose pigments that help you achieve that goal. You don’t have to exclude the opposite temperature entirely, but favour one to give your painting clarity and impact.

Using hot and cold colours in contrast creates depth and vibrancy that you’ll miss if you ignore it. Every colour has elements of both, but the way they appear changes with light: shaded areas tend toward cooler tones, while highlights lean warmer.

Take a close look at your subject. Can you see the difference between hue and colour? Notice how value—the lightness or darkness of a colour—often matters more than the actual hue.

Can you see the difference between the hue, and the colour?

What Value Do You Want to Mix?

Let’s break it down:

Hue: Where a colour sits on the colour wheel—its actual “colour.”

Value: The lightness or darkness of a colour if converted to black and white. Blues, for example, are darker than yellows.

When mixing, consider the value first. If you want a sky-blue, start with a lighter blue like Cobalt rather than Ultramarine. You can tweak the hue later by adding a touch of another colour.

Here’s a key insight that took me 30 years to fully appreciate: value is more important than hue.

With the right values, you can paint a tree, hill, or any object in almost any colour. Your brain will recognise the form as long as the value is correct. Shapes matter too, but getting the value right gets you halfway there.

Mastering hot vs. cold and value gives your work depth, vibrancy, and freedom. Decide early, mix wisely, and watch your paintings come alive!

Happy Painting

Ron Gribble