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      How Can I Understand Colors and Their Temperature? A Complete Guide to Color Theory

      Master the color wheel, warm vs. cool colors, and the role of neutrals with this detailed guide.

      Basics of the Color Wheel
      To truly understand colors, you must start by looking at the color wheel. This tool provides valuable insight into how colors are positioned and what they derive from.

      A color wheel is an illustrative model of color hues arranged in a circle. It shows the relationship between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors and helps display color temperature.

      Understanding the Color Wheel
      Many color wheels feature 12 colors. Using this color wheel as an example, you can see the following:

      • The 3 primary colors (Ps): Red, Yellow, Blue
      • The 3 secondary colors (S'): Orange, Green, Violet
      • The 6 tertiary colors (T): Red-orange, Yellow-orange, Yellow-green, Blue-green, Blue-violet, Red-violet, created by mixing a primary and a secondary color.

      Primary colors are red, yellow, and blue and cannot be created by mixing other colors. Secondary colors are made by mixing equal parts of two primary colors. They are called secondary colors because they are more closely related to the primary colors than any other color set – they are derived directly and exclusively from the primary colors.

      Tertiary colors are each a mix of a primary color and a secondary color.


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      Shade, Tint, and Tone: What Do They Mean?
      Simply put, shade, tint, and tone are variations of colors or the colors on a color wheel. Tint is a color to which white has been added (e.g., red + white = pink). Shade is a color to which black has been added (e.g., red + black = burgundy). Finally, a tone is a color to which both black and white have been added (e.g., red + gray). This makes the original color darker while appearing more subtle and less intense.

      These terms describe variations of a color:

      • Tint (light tone): A color mixed with white (e.g., red + white = pink).
      • Shade (dark tone): A color mixed with black (e.g., red + black = burgundy).
      • Tone (toning): A color mixed with both black and white (e.g., red + gray).

      KDB ARTICLE PICTURES (3)

       
      Neutral Colors and Their Characteristics

      Neutral colors are muted tones that appear to lack color pigments but often have underlying hues that change under different lighting. Examples of neutral colors include beige, taupe, gray, cream, brown, black, and white. Although neutral colors are not part of the color wheel, they complement primary and secondary colors. You can combine primary colors—such as red, yellow, and blue—to create a variety of other colors. Secondary colors are the result of mixing two primary colors, such as green (yellow + blue), orange (yellow + red), and purple (red + blue).

      Neutral colors can be complex in tone because mixing different colors creates unique shades. For instance, greige, a blend of light gray and beige, may appear yellow under natural light and gray under fluorescent lighting.

      Pure Neutral Colors:
      The pure neutral color palette includes black, white, brown, and gray, which fall into the category of pure colors. This means they are fully saturated and lack an undertone (underlying color). Mixing different pure neutrals with primary colors can influence a color's saturation and vibrancy.

      Nearly-Neutral Colors:
      Mixing a primary color with a pure neutral color creates a nearly-neutral shade. For example, to achieve a nearly-neutral tan, mix the primary color yellow with the pure neutral brown. Nearly-neutral colors have lower saturation than pure neutrals.

      Warm and Cool Neutrals:
      Blending different pure neutrals with primary colors creates either warm or cool neutrals.

      • Warm neutrals have yellow, orange, or pink undertones, such as beige, tan, and gold.
      • Cool neutrals have blue, purple, or green undertones, such as gray, taupe, and ivory.

      Examples:

      • Pure neutrals: Black, white, gray, and brown with no undertones.
      • Nearly neutrals: Created by mixing a neutral color with a primary color (e.g., greige is gray + beige).
      • Warm neutrals: Yellow, orange, or pink undertones (e.g., beige, tan).
      • Cool neutrals: Blue, green, or purple undertones (e.g., taupe, gray).

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      How Can I See Colors?

      Is my pink warm or cool?
      Pink is technically considered a warm color because the hue of pink is red. However, pink with magenta undertones is considered a cool color.

      Is my gray warm or cool?
      Gray is considered a neutral color. However, some grays are classified as warm if they have a hint of yellow, while others are considered cool if they have a hint of blue.

      The same applies to all other neutral colors. Adding warm or cool undertones determines whether the neutral color appears warm or cool.

      Light pink shades are often warm, while true pink shades tend to be cool.

      • Pink: Typically warm due to its red base, but pink with magenta undertones is cool.
      • Gray: Neutral, but can appear warm with yellow undertones or cool with blue undertones.

      Surrounding colors also affect perception: A pink shade might appear cool in one context but warm in another.

      KDB ARTICLE PICTURES (2)

      Warm vs. Cool Colors on the Color Wheel

      A color is typically considered warm if it has shades of red, orange, or yellow, and cool if it has shades of blue, purple, or green. However, this perception can change depending on the colors surrounding it.

      Warm vs. Cool Colors

      The truth is that colors are relative. In one situation, a color can appear warm, while in another, the exact same color can appear cool. Generally, colors are divided into two temperature groups: the warm group and the cool group.

      To easily identify whether a color is warm or cool, you need to locate it on the color wheel in relation to its hue range. If the color is closer to the warm group, it is considered warm. If it leans towards the cool group, it is considered cool.

      For example, if you look at the images below and place the two colors on the color wheel, you will notice that the green color on the left is positioned near the orange or yellow hues, making it a warm color. Meanwhile, the color on the right is positioned closer to purple or blue hues, indicating that it is cool.

      Even though green is generally considered a cool color, it becomes warm when it leans towards yellow. Similarly, red becomes cool when it leans towards blue.

      The Relativity of Colors

      The placement of a color on the color wheel determines whether a hue is warm or cool. For instance:

      • A green hue near orange or yellow appears warm.
      • A green hue near blue or purple appears cool.
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