Warm vs Cool colors: The real difference between them

Warm tones and cool tones, you may have heard of them but not many know the difference between them. Hopefully, after reading this article you will have gained a better understanding of those two colors. 

What are they?

Red, orange and yellow can be defined as warm colors. This is because the feeling they evoke is warmth. On the contrary, green, blue, and purple belong to the cool category as they evoke a sensation of calmness.

The effects they have:

A misconception that people may have is that warm colors radiate heat while cool colors radiate coldness, while in art, these colors are used to show the weather, they are also used in different terms. Warm colors can be used to give the feeling of joy, warmth, and coziness, whilst cool colors give the feeling of calmness, quietness, or sadness. Neither colors are superior or inferior to one another, they just seem to give off different effects.

Its purpose in Interior Designing:

The temperature of these hues is also significant in the interior design industry. The color of the walls can actively define the tone of the room. That's why an engaging room may have warm tones while a bedroom or a bathroom may have cool colors as they help you to fall asleep.

Reminder:

However the temperature of a color isn't absolute, a warm color can have a cooler version while a cool color can have a warmer version. For example, if you blend bright yellow with a bright blue you can get a warm green. So it's important to identify the warmth or the coolness of color when you're illustrating. For instance, a greenish-yellow can't be identified as a warm color and a yellowish-green can't be referred to as a cool color. So it is vital to know the temperature and the tone of the color or else the picture can get misinterpreted.