Hello Guys,
Been painting busts now for a couple of years and still consider myself just starting (but learning).
I've heard and read the term "Warm and Cold"when it comes to painting and honestly have no idea how it applies to actual painting,mixing,and application.IE:...is there a warm side to shading?..Is there a warm and cold when painting flesh? And and in reality is it only a term and something else to think about.
Thanks for any help in answering this question..........Best regards...........Wayne

I'm no expert but, as I understand it, it's the old 'fire and water' contrast (broadly 'warm' refers to reds, oranges, yellows etc; cold to blues, greens, purples). We are primed to react differently to different colours and therefore the colours you choose will have a lot to do with the impact your paint-job makes. Your colour scheme can tip either way or deliberately use a contrast between the two.

Adding green and blue tones to your fleshy areas can also be surprisingly effectively. Look at how the French impressionists used it.

(There's a great tutorial on this somewhere)

The simple answer is it really doesn't. The fuller answer would probably reach the character limit for a single post.

My advice, and I can't put this strongly enough Wayne, is don't even go there. Buying into the artists' notion of 'colour temperature' wholesale can be a terrible handicap because it can hold you back from, even prevent, learning about colour in a more meaningful (and useful) way.

Einion

Einion,
Thanks for your reply; that's all I needed to hear.
Sippog,
Thanks also,.................Thank you both............Best regards...........Wayne

Welcome Wayne. If you'd like to explore any colour differences that someone described like this in a way that's more useful I'd be happy to try to help.

Einion

Thanks for the offer Einion,
I could use a little help on a recipe for the lips.Right now I'm using mostly acrylics but have oils and have done a little experimenting with them but don't have a full blown confidence in their use yet.
Thanks and regards........Wayne

Personally, I have always believed the terms 'warm' and 'cold' have a valid place in describing how we perceive colours. These terms are commonly used by almost all painters at some point.
They are the simplest of terms to use and, most people I know have always used them, for that very reason.
As 'sippog' said, the use of 'termed' colours can create more impact in a colour scheme, if they reflect the scenario the figure is portrayed within, i.e., snow or desert is best described as cold or warm.
You wouldn't stand at the arctic circle and say, "it's bloody blue here", so why not define a colour by how we experience it.
I have spent the best part of my life working with colours, both as a printer, and as a figure painter/modeller. I cannot imagine how I would have got by without those terms.
Just my personal thoughts.

Ron

Thanks Ron,
I also worked in the printing industry;but not as an ink mixer.Thanks for your reply though;...interesting analogy.
......Best Regards.......Wayne

Lip colour is a common problem for learners Wayne, for some good reasons. It's hard to perceive the colour accurately, as I mentioned here, because there's a natural optical illusion to see the colour as more toward magenta or violet than it is. Relates to this previous thread of yours also.

It's best to use photographic references to show you the types of colours present, so if you can find any photos (paintings too if you like) that you'd like to have a closer look at I'll show you the colour differences between areas of the skin and the lips themselves.

I can understand that Ron, most people who use the terminology have the same view. Believe me, I've talked to enough people who would agree with you, even one of my colour gurus believes it has more of a place than I; it's one of the few things we fundamentally disagree on.

Almost all would be overstating it, however it's true that 'colour temperature' terminology is in very widespread use amongst painters (in the West at least). But that doesn't actually support its utility.

The two main issues with it are it's vague, and subjective, additionally it's also relative to other things. Better colour terminology exists which is none of these, and it is hugely valuable to learn it as a result.

Rather than just launch into the explanations of why, if you'd like to delve into it further just shout, but if you're happy with it your belief will probably be stronger than any explanation I could provide.

Einion

Thanks Wayne, small world mate.

Einion,
in my personal experience, I have found this to be a consistent term in use with the many painters I have met, talked too and worked with, as well as learned from.
But, you are right to say there are more definitive terms available. However, and again this is only my personal opinion, many of the terms I am thinking of are very technical in nature.
What I was trying to point out in my previous post, is that for many painters, simple everyday teminology works best.
Whilst it may seem out of context, I was recently browsing colour guides for emulsions etc., for decorating our bedroom. Low and behold these very terms were used in all of them.
I accept your point of view Einion, as you have graciously accepted mine, but would like to hear your explanation to broaden my understanding further when you have the time.

Regards

Ron

Einion,
Sorry for for changing the subject;..RE: lips,....Should have been a separate post...appreciate your knowlege though..............Wayne

I've always found the fact that I have arts education and understand colour theory really helpful with my modelling. It means I can alter stock paints to achieve a far more sophisticated pallette than what just comes out of the jar. It's actually not that complicated although I have found that an ability to be a pompous git can have its advantages.
There are some colours that simply scream 'Look at me, I'm that awful brown by Tamiya straight out of the jar'. It also helps if you can mix up a batch of oil paint that matches your acrylic base coat. I don't know how many litres of paint I wasted trying to do that before I learned colour theory. My two cents.

One of the best basic guides to mixing colours I have read is by Rick Priestley in "How To Paint Citadel Miniatures" ( it so impressed me that I copied it out and put it on my site for anyone interested).

People often assume you know this stuff - speaking personally, I didn't. But then I never had the benefit of an art school education.

Thanks for the tip "Sippog"......printed it out.....Great info........Wayne

Thanks also Sippog.

I've been struggling mixing paints, I've just read through that article and it highlighted some of the "errors" I've been making when Lightening/Darkening.

Well, it's a question of perception, we are not equal in colours perception
And the light is important . Just look one of your bust on the shelder, then take it for a walk in the garden and ... there is a big difference .
Some point about warm and cold colours
Let's speak about grey : add a tiny spot of red in your mix and you have a warm colour
add a tiny spot of blue and you have a cold colour, just try on a piece of plastic/paper/porcelain

and about flesh, here I can show you the same figure painted by 2 dif peoples ( some 30 years ago ), both oils


left of the screen, painted by my friend Pierre; cold
on the right , painted by myself ; warm
But it's how I perceive it
How do you perceive those figures ?

Pictures taken the same day, same place , same light ( natural), same camera,