Color mixing is both an art and a science, and understanding the temperature of pigments—whether they are warm or cool—is essential for achieving vibrant, clean mixtures. Every color family has both warm and cool variations and knowing how they interact will elevate your painting skills.

Warm vs. Cool Pigments: Why It Matters

Each pigment has an undertone that leans toward either a warm (yellow/red-biased) or cool (blue-biased) spectrum. Mixing pigments without considering their temperature can lead to muddy colors instead of the vibrant hues you intend to create.

When mixing secondary colors (orange, green, and purple), choosing the right warm or cool pigments ensures clean, bright results. Conversely, intentionally using opposing temperatures can create muted and neutralized tones, perfect for atmospheric depth and shadows.

Warm and Cool Pigments by Color Family

Yellows	Warm Yellows (lean toward orange/red): Cadmium Yellow Deep Indian Yellow Yellow Ochre Benzimidazolone Yellow Deep	Cool Yellows (lean toward green): Lemon Yellow (Bismuth Vanadate Yellow, Hansa Yellow Light) Cadmium Yellow Light Aureolin (Cobalt Yellow) Nickel Titanate Yellow
Reds	Warm Reds (lean toward orange): Cadmium Red Light Pyrrole Red Scarlet Lake Vermilion	Cool Reds (lean toward blue/purple): Alizarin Crimson Quinacridone Red Permanent Rose Carmine
Blues	Warm Blues (lean toward red/purple): Ultramarine Blue Cobalt Blue	Cool Blues (lean toward green): Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) Cerulean Blue Manganese Blue
Greens	Warm Greens (lean toward yellow): Sap Green Olive Green Cadmium Green Hooker’s Green (Warm Shade)	Cool Greens (lean toward blue): Phthalo Green (Blue Shade) Viridian Hooker’s Green (Cool Shade)
Purples/Violets	Warm Purples (lean toward red): Quinacridone Violet Dioxazine Violet Mineral Violet	Cool Purples (lean toward blue): Ultramarine Violet Cobalt Violet
Neutrals & Earth Tones Even neutral colors can have warm and cool versions:	Warm Neutrals: Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber	Cool Neutrals: Raw Sienna, Payne’s Gray, Blue Black

How to Use This Knowledge in Your Painting

Mixing Bright, Clean Colors: To achieve vivid secondary colors, use warm pigments together or cool pigments together. For example, mixing a warm red (Cadmium Red) with a warm yellow (Cadmium Yellow Deep) creates a bright orange. A cool red (Alizarin Crimson) and a cool yellow (Lemon Yellow) will produce a more muted, earthy orange.
Avoiding Muddy Colors: Mixing a warm yellow with a cool blue (like Cadmium Yellow Deep + Phthalo Blue) may create a dull, less vibrant green. Instead, pair cool yellow with a cool blue (Lemon Yellow + Phthalo Blue) for a bright, fresh green.
Creating Atmospheric Depth: Cool blues and purples recede into the background, ideal for distant landscapes, while warm tones advance, bringing elements forward in a composition.
Neutralizing Colors with Complements: Complementary colors (those opposite on the color wheel) can be used to neutralize brightness and create sophisticated grays and browns. However, this technique only works effectively if the complementary colors share the same temperature. For example, mixing a warm red (Cadmium Red) with a warm green (Sap Green) will result in a rich, warm neutral, whereas mixing a cool red (Alizarin Crimson) with a cool green (Phthalo Green) will create a cooler, more balanced gray. This principle is essential for creating depth and realism in paintings.

Final Thoughts

Mastering warm and cool pigments allows for greater control over your color mixing, helping you achieve both intense vibrancy and nuanced subtleties in your work. By understanding these relationships, you can create depth, harmony, and expressive palettes that elevate your paintings to the next level.

Recommended Resources for Further Study

If you want to take your understanding of color mixing and composition even further, these online resources offer great insights:

Books & Online Courses

Books by Stephen Quiller - the inventor of Quiller wheel and comprehensive classification of pigments. I own and often use this one: Color Choices: Making Color Sense Out of Color Theory
Will Kemp Art School – Structured lessons on color mixing, warm vs. cool colors, and painting techniques.
Draw Paint Academy – Free articles and guides on color theory, mixing strategies, and artistic techniques.
School of Color by Michael Wilcox – Focuses on color bias and pigment analysis for effective color mixing.
Udemy - Color Theory Courses – Various courses covering warm and cool colors, mixing techniques, and pigment properties.

Color Theory & Mixing Guides

Handprint – A deep dive into color science, pigment characteristics, and watercolor mixing.
Gamblin Oil colors propertie: https://gamblincolors.com/color-temperature-list/
Golden Paints - Color Mixing Guide – Interactive tools for testing different pigment combinations.
Color Mixing Guide | Golden Artist Colors downloadable
Color Mixing with 8 Curated Acrylic Colors | Golden Artist Colors
Munsell Notation listing - Heavy Body Acrylics | Golden Artist Colors
Classic Color Mixing Poster | Golden Artist Colors Downloadable
Color Mixing Modern - Acrylics | Golden Artist Colors
Cool to Warm Listing for GOLDEN Heavy Body Acrylics

YouTube Channels

Lena Danya – Covers color mixing, painting techniques, and pigment selection.
Marco Bucci – Offers excellent videos on color theory for both traditional and digital artists.
Proko – Great educational content on color mixing, values, and painting techniques.