A New Way to Think About Colors

When I learned the idea of color temperature it radically changed the way I select color and made light SO much easier to understand. Here I'll talk about the theory and also put it into practice with a live painting demo
Music licensed by artlist.io
Wishes - Lane King

[@azerix4168]

Here's my obligatory "how is this not a channel with 100s of thousands of subscribers?!" Your examples are so clear that I feel I might be able to actually apply these 'rules' and techniques. In the past I knew of them, but applying them was a different story. The video production is great too. Wishing good things for the future of the channel!

[@mrussoart]

give it time... it will reach it :)

[@coolamericano]

it's a new channel

[@azerix4168]

@@coolamericano yeah mb, I didn't even look at the number of videos 🤣 the current count is well deserved however

[@MuhamadAzmy]

Have been asking myself the same question

[@LightingMentor]

Aww thank you all! I hope sometime this channel takes off to reach more people, but for now I'm just focused on trying to make great videos and be relaxed about it. I am overwhelmed with the support everyone is giving :) Thanks again!!

[@Trubbelman]

As a SLIGHTLY color blind person I've always been nervous about "inbetween", muddy or desaturated colors because I never trust myself, "Is there too little pink or too much yellow in this skin tone? Does it look unnatural?" and so on. This way of thinking about it however, as warm and cool light, forgetting the "base color" of the skin completely and showing the color wheel and explaining the very specific pattern this warmness/coolness of light follows, is the best bit of information on color I've ever gotten, thank you very much.

[@Lobstrique]

i feel so blessed watching this :) this is why i love the internet, you can be a nobody and get lessons from great people, from the comfort of your home, for free. it blows my mind :) thank you so much, Jeremy. your videos are changing the way i feel about digital painting and the way i feel while i'm painting. I started doing light studies almost daily and it's FUN! i don't know why i struggled with it so much before! always wanted to be the kind of person who sketches daily with ease and now i'm that person :) your algorythm for approaching light studies and your brushes helped a lot. i love how simple and amicable your explanations are, and the way you illustrate them right away make them stick in my mind so well you are an amazing teacher and i am eternally grateful ❤

[@LightingMentor]

Awww, thank you Mary!! Comments like this make creating these videos all worth it!! Yes, painting does not have to be a painful thing. It can be amazing and relaxing too. Thanks for letting me know that my videos helped you out. Keep creating my new friend!!

[@devikumar2609]

You have literally changed my life.. not even joking,, I'm always scared of colour because how complicated it looks and I never understood it properly. When I followed you and drew this it felt amazing that I can't even believe I made something believable with no struggle and it's amazing how you taught this so easily without all complications. Thank you.

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you Devi! Comments like this make it all worth it. Keep creating my friend!!

[@rhodexa]

Key thing here: the saturation trick works with transmissive materials, plastics, cheese, plants, skin... saturates because light passes through, and desaturates because of fresnel reflections... if you start to play with different materials you'll see the trick breaks a bit.. do it too much and everything will look like well lit wax Still is something that works really well for hand painting, and allows you to get these color rich images Thanks for sharing this with us!

[@LightingMentor]

Yes, I would agree with that. The subtleties of this can get the theory to break, but it is still a very useful principle when creating art. Thanks for the feedback

[@ceramonemone]

I know this is an old comment but do you know resources that talk about this? I'd love to have the full in-depth explanation of how this works!

[@rhodexa]

@@ceramonemone It's no _that_ old. There's been an insane amount of research on how light interacts with different materials, most of the time you don't really need to go that in-depth to paint pretty pictures. I don't think I can cite any specific sources off the top of my head. However, you'd probably find a lot of information by researching about the algorithms behind Photorealistic Renderers (e.g, Arnold, Cycles, and many many others or just Ray Tracers in general), and by understanding the basics of how light works in real life - how (and why) it 'bounces' off things, or how (and why) it refracts through things, or how it gets absorbed, and even how fluorescence, phosphorescence and glow-in-the-dark properties work. Of course this is all 'in-depth' stuff that won't really affect the final image much if you just want to improve your color theory skills but it will help you build a lot of intuition for how to think about light. You may also want to check (and test for yourself) some CGI Material Design articles, videos and courses, too! I'm not sure if this serves as the answer you were hoping for, but I sure do love someone who wants to learn more! Edit: I just remembered Science Asylum and 3Blue1Brown have some excellent videos about the physics of light. And many 3D Art channels, like Blender Guru, Bad Normals, The Rabbit Hole Syndrome, and more gave some glance at how Ray Tracers work, there's also the Pixar In a Box course from Khan Academy, and I'm sure there's much more I either never seen or can't remember. :3

[@Riin_Rio]

Thanks for taking the time to share this guide post to more information about this.

[@idia_risu]

Holy. This guy really be creating magic everytime he plays with colour, despite saying its messy. Im mindblown. Great video, thanks so much!

[@Evemy_]

Watching Jeremy Vickery makes me feel like he's this generation's Bob Ross. So calming whilst teaching amazing methods!

[@kereonagallagher9403]

Yes!!!!

[@musiciohann]

Two videos (this on and the Color Relativity one) and my mind was blown twice. Happily subscribed. Let the binge watching begin!

[@LightingMentor]

Thanks MusicRed!!

[@isaiah53design]

This is mind-blowing on so many levels. Profound and yet accessible. And you know my favorite part? It could be the man with six fingers on one hand. I didn't see anyone else mention that...

[@octoBadger]

Your videos often hit with the force of dawning revelation, and this one is no exception. I've always struggled with muddy shadows, naively just making my colors darker, and I watched this beautifully articulated lesson with excitement. I loved the real time demo too, and the bonus timelapse refinement was a great touch - the best of both worlds. Thank you Jeremy :)

[@LightingMentor]

You're welcome Richard!

[@TeKn1qe]

Dam this information is fire!! No in all seriousness, the way you break things down and demo, just makes it click for me. Thank you! Almost feel like it cant be that easy.

[@JOMABECO]

From now on, my friend, someone capable of sharing his wisdom selflessly, can only be a friend. Thank you very much

[@LightingMentor]

Aww... thanks new friend! :)

[@KmiiVC]

6 fingers ! thanks for the video. i didn't learn this as "light temperature" but it is nice to finally be able to give it a name.

[@dogbark]

Your videos aren't only extremely helpful, your way of speaking is so calming and that's why watching your videos is such a comfortable and fun experience :) Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us (for free!!!)

[@LightingMentor]

Aww thanks Melissa! I'm so glad you found this helpful and calming

[@dilawarhussain3773]

2 hoursago I discovered this video and I ve already seen 7 videos str8... What a show🎉🎉🎉

[@AnthonyEpes]

I love all the comments here from painters. Im a photographer and still found this video fascinating. Thank you!

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you Anthony! I'm so glad you found it helpful even for photography :) Isn't light amazing?

[@albers1]

Discovering your channel made my day.

[@WhizPill]

This initially struck me as a video essay type video. It turned out to be so much better than that.

[@annestickney7371]

again, speaking from my background as an oil painter- this reminds me very much of the work of Henry Hensche at the Cape cod school of art in the eighties. Instead of graying a color, move around the color wheel and increase saturation in the shadows. You explain it really well!

[@LightingMentor]

I've not heard of Henry Hersche. I'll have to look him up. Thanks for the lead. I always love learning and hearing different ways to explore color and light

[@TheMightyPika]

I learn more from one of your videos than i have in 10 years on the job

[@LightingMentor]

Woah! That's a high compliment! Thank you

[@BubbleTea_Cat]

Every time i watch a video of yours my mind gets blown! I always have this aha moment. Thank you so much for sharing this valuable information!❤

[@nicolasmiebach]

Hey Jeremy! I had a Masterclass with you years ago.. Didn´t know you have a Chanel! Amazing!!! For me you are one of the most talented edjucative Artists out there! Thank you!

[@VimblesArt]

I really love the hand painting you created at the end of the video and the different textures you used on it! Once again a super nice watch, couldn't help but notice that you got a bit carried away while rendering though, giving the hand a total of 6 fingers ;'D

[@LightingMentor]

Ha! Yes, I got so into the color I didn't pay attention to the fingers. Hehe. Only people with six fingers and conjure flames at their fingertips :)

[@elsakirsten3866]

7,052 views and I know that everyone watching this video will see color and the shading of it from light to dark in a new way, and will be blessed like me. A thousand thanks from a new follower for life!

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you Elsa!

[@augenpraxiss]

Thank you! What a lucid explaination for such a complex theme!

[@cosmojose5264]

God bless you for this. It's always strengthening to see theory practically, thank you.

[@MsSmile-wd2bw]

Thank you so much! You are the only one who make it so clear on the color which confused me many years.

[@twopintsofmilk]

Another great video. Thanks Jeremy :)

[@LightingMentor]

:) Thank you!!!

[@Crazypreeteens]

I’m barely halfway through the video and I’m already incredibly grateful for the invaluable information that you have provided in this free KZbin video. Please continue to make videos like this one as they are one of a kind out there on KZbin! I trust you just as much as Aaron Blaise! I would not mind at all paying for any art courses you’re thinking of creating.

[@LightingMentor]

Wow, that is a very high compliment! Thank you so much!! I appreciate the support and I'll try to keep creating more

[@Kram1032]

The reason shadowy regions, especially self-shadowy regions in cracks or seams or such tend to be more saturated is because, on each bounce, the light effectively gets multiplied by a surface's reflectance spectrum. Such spectra typically are shaped like a smooth peak with slow falloff (though the exact details vary), so if you multiply that spectrum with itself (i.e. a light beam hits the same material multiple times), the peaks get emphasized whereas the rest gets reduced ever more. - Like, a reflectance of 1 remains a 1 as 1*1=1 but a reflectance of 0.5 halves on the next bounce, going to 0.25 which is significantly lower. Those peaks take the longest to go to black. The color becomes purer and more and more spectral (closer to something like laser light) and simultaneously darker. The tighter a peak is, the higher the saturation, and bounce light tends to tighten peaks. As a fun aside, *absorption* (colored glass and such) is basically just the continuous version of that. Going some fixed distance into the material, the color you start with effectively gets multiplied with (baring some technicalities) the absorption spectrum a fixed number of times. So colored transparent materials increase the saturation (but decreases the brighness) of the light that passes through them really quickly! This can also yield some interesting effects such as the characteristic brown-to-green of pumpkin seed oil. Stuff like that comes about due to two *separate* peaks in the spectrum, one more pronounced than the other, but also sharper, so it already is quite saturated at the start but goes dark pretty quickly, until the other smoother peak overtakes it in terms of what we can see.

[@LightingMentor]

YES!!! So nicely stated. You went into a much deeper scientific reasoning for this. Love it!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@Cre-Art]

I'm a new painter and found this absolutely fascinating. Someone recommended your video Power in the Grays, so now I"m hooked. :)

[@AhmedNassef]

As someone who works with 3D softwares I really like how your videos bring the fundamentals I'm familiar with to 2D workflow.. Beautiful videos , keep 'em coming..😃

[@LightingMentor]

Yes, I have done a ton of 3d in my career so it influences the way I think about light that is so easily applicable to 2d as well. I'm so glad you found this useful too

[@PhoenixWave23]

Thank you =) Such a blessing to have the pros share their hard earned wisdom :) So kind of you.

[@LightingMentor]

You are most welcome! I'm glad you found it useful

[@Pincoarts]

Thank you for uploading another amazing video! This helped me a grasp the changes in value and saturation a lot better in lighting!! I used to struggle on parts where my shadings were kind of bland when I only changed the value in filling shadows in my paintings. This just feel so fascinating and more comprehensible when Jeremy talks about these ☺️

[@LightingMentor]

Aww thanks Pinco! I'm glad it helped

[@celiahousset2229]

OMG we are SO LUCKY to have such a good video explaining light, it makes so much more sense now!! Thank you for giving us access to this knowledge for free, we really are very lucky to have you :')

[@shoaibliaqat4180]

i cannot believe that its on youtube for free. i beg you to never stop making videos, a single video of yours teaches me more than the 1 year of design school.

[@LightingMentor]

Wow, that's a very high compliment. I'm so very glad you found this helpful!

[@leelee1286]

🤯👍🏾👍🏾👍🏾 your videos make me gasp in awe a lot. So thoughtful, and inspiring. I learn so much and get so excited about art!

[@LightingMentor]

Awww thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed these

[@kris0032]

I used to find colour and light so daunting - since I sucked at it and was also terrified to study it. One day I tried a few studies following your videos and actually, actually was blown away at what I drew. I couldn’t believe my eyes! It was such a rewarding feeling. Thank you Jeremy 😊

[@alexlford]

Man - your channel is amazing - really useful for photography! Thanks

[@hyunjinscrunchytoenails8860]

THIS VIDEO CHANGED MY LIFE THANK YOU SO MUCH.

[@chantalrochon3566]

The add mode is practical. Thank you for this video, now I understand more about light and colours.

[@MsBabinate]

what a concise informative demonstration… I respect and enjoy your teaching style!

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you MsBadinate!

[@viktorpavlovych]

Thank you so much! This is extremely useful and helpful, it makes so much sense now. Interesting how our traditional way of grouping blue and green colors to cold ones and red and oranges to hot, could be quite misleading and probably a source of confusion. Your connection from physical color temperature to how exactly it can be used in art is sooooo useful thank you again!!

[@iceicebaby5005]

Thank you so much for this super helpful video! Your explanations on lighting are so easy to understand. Now I understand more about the theory/explanation behind all these shadows and light, instead of just putting colours that I think is "right"! I'm so glad I came across this channel! 😭

[@LightingMentor]

You are most welcome indeed! I'm delighted you found this helpful. Thanks for letting me know :)

[@brocklewis6462]

God I’m glad these are free. You could charge an arm and a leg for this kind of stuff

[@lydia5002]

ANOTHER AMAZING ONE! I honestly feel like I should be paying for this kind of information so expertly compacted and explained. My art has definitely improved whenever I apply your tips, and I'm excited to see more! I already knew a bit about all of the other videos, but just the basics. However, now I feel like you've covered all of what I already knew, and I'm not even sure what I don't know anymore (talk about the dunning-kruger effect). I'm excited to have all of my confidence in my art techniques shattered! In a kind, friendly-internet-man way :)

[@LightingMentor]

Yay! I'm delighted to help out Lydia! I hope your art continues to soar and you keep learning new things! Thanks again for the kind words.

[@Dirt_hands]

I learned a lot of color theory with oil pastels and this just put so many of my thoughts into words and expanded so much of my learning in 20 minutes. much love :)

[@Phoenix.Sparkles]

I understood this concept before watching, but now I understand it better, thanks

[@LightingMentor]

Yay, I'm glad this helped see it a bit further. Keep creating!!

[@Luweepoo]

I feel so privileged to have discovered your channel. Your videos have transformed my art! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge ❤️

[@MsKotikovna]

I stumbled upon your channel and wanted to say big thank you! You explain this fantastically clear. I really hope more people see your videos, because the information you give is priceless. Thank you!

[@jboquiren1]

This is AMAZING content! Seeing how colors change as the eye scans from light to shadow is a revelation for me.

[@nanapapadimitriou180]

So helpful..I took so many classes and paid a lot of money 3 years now ..and today I found you..thank you so much..one of the best tutorials for me ..greetings from Greece

[@benjaminlehmann]

Love this. Thanks for the insight.

[@changemymind06]

It's amazing the form that appeared as you went through the exercise. This was extremely helpful. Thank you so much!

[@petermillar210]

This is an amazing video, so well explained. I am going to keep this in mind when painting from now on. So glad I found this channel!

[@abrarahmedcgi]

You are the best Jeremy!!!! I learned so much from this video.

[@Vee-bv1vh]

A very very thank you, you have helped me more than any other color theory tutorial/ book i have read/watched.

[@LightingMentor]

Wow, you're most welcome!

[@jannahlyon]

This is so magical, thank you so much for sharing this concept so clearly 🤯❤

[@darling.s]

I’ve been struggling with colour and light for years but you got me to understand it in one sitting. Incredible!

[@womenwelove]

I recently discovered your channel. You are a brilliant teacher that explains things...magically...Kudos Professor!

[@dreamviver]

Amazing explanation. I love your channel so much. This is what they do not teach in most of art schools. I gratuated from art school and no one teached us color temperature like you. This is priceless.

[@43En]

I’ve been struggling with colors for almost 6 years and this video finally helped me grasp it, it all makes perfect sense now, I’m literally mind blown 🤯

[@brenttrewin2149]

Fantastic! The whole concept was explained very well, making it easier to understand. Keep it coming! Thank you.

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you so much! I'm glad you found this helpful!

[@GladysGrace001]

This was priceless. Thank you for sharing this wealth of information in theory. Such a great shift in perspective of light, temperature & colors.

[@Squatrecords]

youre a legend!! thank you so much!! after watching uncountable videos this is the one the made Click! best explanation i ever heard about colours! bless you

[@aaronvdw]

Really glad I found your channel, I'm going to learn so much - thanks!

[@ariathyf144]

The "Practical Light and Color Theory" DVD was one of my most beloved art classes. I'm soo glad you see you here to share more of your knowledge on the topic. It will be great to see how you tackles complex light situations like SSS , colored GI, Caustics, Chromatic aberrations, iridescent "fish like" skin or fabric, resin materials.

[@envivomedia]

What an amazing explanation and demo. So cool. You're a great teacher.

[@blacksheepstudio3246]

You have no Idea how long I was searching for this kind of video. Thank you so much for sharing this such valued information. The lego example was super helpful. I literally draw the lego figures in my sketchbook just to realize and get the real feel about the color temp. Thank you it really changed my approach.

[@triplewinlin5576]

I, too have noticed that colors change where light falls off, but I never thought of that in terms of Kelvin temperatures. Great info!

[@LightingMentor]

So glad you found this helpful

[@IraKane]

It's so rewarding when you find someone that really and deeply knows his craft. You are a Master of The Universe of Color and Light! Right now I'm on my knees bending over floor, extending my arms...Simply amazing how the core fundamentals are everything to it. Thank you! 🤩

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you Ira! I'm delighted that you are finding these videos useful. Keep being curious and forever learning! It will make a difference in your art :)

[@benjipixel1438]

a PIXAR artist?!!!! Like from their glory days??!!! *INSTANT SUB*

[@MT-bc6xf]

Wow... another great lesson. Thank you. I paint with pastels but this theory still applies so well.

[@lamywater]

This was phenomenal, thank you!

[@ashwinbhat4267]

I'm so glad I found your channel. You make some of the most insightful art videos on KZbin!

[@LightingMentor]

Wow, thank you for the very kind words!!

[@the.selfteaching.artist]

Thank you so much for your videos! I'm just happy watching 😊

[@nitabaranowski3824]

Thank you so much for this video. I learned so much! I was having trouble grasping the concept but your example made it understandable. I’m excited about applying what I learned. Thank you!

[@amsalik]

i am learning traditional art and this is helping a lot !!!! i cant believe you shared this knowledge with us lots of best wishes and PRAYERS for you and your family

[@robertocecere2893]

This is one of the most informative and useful videos I have seen on the topic. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us, you’re brilliant!

[@auroremuller4539]

Once again mindblowing. ❤

[@christianrenezederwatercolors]

Thank you so much for your efforts. Not often you come across something so useful, so clearly explained! Loving it!

[@LightingMentor]

You're most welcome!! I'm so glad you found it helpful

[@Trid3nt861]

I didnt go to art college nor could I afford it and I actually dodged a scam college that wouldve put me 30k in debt. These videos are very helpful and as a self taught artist I appreciate these.

[@TheOnlyYau]

Your channel is soooo helpful, definitely one of the most useful, if not the most useful art teaching channel I have come across. Love the choice of music you used for this video too, so calming!

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you friend! I'm so very glad you liked this and found it helpful. Comments like this make it all worth it!

[@sirpartybutter4329]

I am SO glad I found your videos. I just want to say thank you so much for making these. You are excellent at explaining in a way that is easily understood. Thank you so much for all of your hard work up to this point and going forward.

[@LightingMentor]

You are most welcome! I'm so glad you found this helpful

[@WillMadeDat405]

God bless you, your teaching was taught so well I didnt even realize how the painting transforms from a proprierary sketch to a fully fledged draft painting. Amazing job very inspiring.

[@adel-xm4et]

a mindblowingly simple but important lesson. so many of my questions about art were answered, thank you for sharing your wisdom with the world.

[@janjojose]

beautiful, really appreciate your videos, thanks so much.

[@souperdooperman]

This was such an awesome lesson. I painted along and I was able to get the kind of color I used to admire from the Hildebrandt bros when I was a kid collecting Marvel Masterpiece cards!

[@cuntohaire]

Very helpful. Saved as a favorite.

[@sadeqmuqibel]

After many search about how to understand colors, first time i find something really useful, thank you i needed this, can't wait to watch the rest of other videos,

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you Sadeq!

[@kbee33]

Your videos are pure gold, Jeremy! Thank you!! More please!! Gorgeous work you do.

[@LightingMentor]

Thank you Keely! I shall do my best to make more videos. Keep creating too!

[@JuliesManyHats]

I almost never post comments, but I'm posting one now because this video has been a game changer for me. I've learned more color theory from your videos than I ever did in art school. Thank you.

[@innndi4930]

Thank you very much Jeremy, I'm so grateful that youtube recommended one of your video to me few weeks ago. You inspire me to start to learn digital art again. I'll look forward for your next videos!!!

[@LightingMentor]

Yay! Yes, keep creating! Digital art can be so much fun. I hope my videos keep helping in your exploration

[@p.miraones]

There is no word to describe my gratitude, sir! Just subscribed to your channel and literally drinking the videos of you like fresh water from a fountain! There were many missing links in my head about this situation which I can sense intuitively but cannot find out ... Now I know all because of your guiding!So so appreciated, greetings from Türkiye 😊🙏

[@johnkilgallon207]

Is the lighting of yourself deliberate? They make the perfect illustration of your point! Bravissimo!

[@sanjayplays5010]

I can't thank you enough for this! Can't wait to see more of your work! Thank you, thank you, thank you Jeremy!

[@LightingMentor]

You are most welcome my friend!! Keep creating

[@theresamoffatt501]

I love your videos. I'm glad I found your channel.

[@eggytart1198]

I am so glad that I came across your channel. This video is simply so amazing. I learn so much about color and light just by watching you draw! Thank you for posting these wonderful videos.

[@LightingMentor]

Thanks Eggy! I'm so glad you liked it

[@katehortelano8139]

This video is incredible, I feel like I have stumbled across a secret gem of a channel! You are an amazing teacher, the way you explain every detail and give examples makes learning so much easier. For the longest time I have struggled with light and colour. I cannot wait to use this technique and once Im comfortable, teach my daughter. Thank you and wishing you all the best.

[@HalfWarrior]

This is awesome information! Thank you sir!