Forget Complex Color Theory... This Is All You Need!

Check out my Free Illustration Mini Workshop where I share my journey from Amateur to Pro: www.thedrawingcodex.com/illus...
You will get some simple advice on how to get more detail and polish in your work. How to think about composition. And my thoughts on how to prepare for professional work.
Let's talk about the way Warm and Cool Colors can be used in your art!
This video turned out way longer than I could have anticipated... So think of it more like a mini masterclass in the concept of Warm and Cool Color Theory... This concept is one of the highest level ideas in painting and art. It relates to most styles (although differently in each case). And will help you create better images.
Below is an Automagically generated summary to help understand the video and aid search optimisation: (I think it does a pretty good job of summing things up, despite sounding a bit generic)
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Understanding the dynamic between warm and cool colors is crucial for elevating the impact, vibrancy, and contrast of your artwork. This concept, rooted in color theory, is simpler than it appears yet its application can profoundly transform your work. Warm and cool colors create contrast not just through hue but also saturation and brightness, affecting how colors interact and influence each other on the canvas.
The relativity of color temperature means no color exists in isolation; it's always warmer or cooler compared to another. This video demonstrates how adjusting hues, saturation, and brightness can manipulate this temperature, enhancing the overall composition of your piece. By exploring examples from my past work, I share strategies for selecting, modifying, and thinking about color in your digital art projects.
A key takeaway is the importance of setting up a warm-cool contrast from the start. It’s not about adding more details or adjusting brightness and contrast settings but about fundamental color choices that define your work’s impact. I discuss practical frameworks for applying temperature concepts to art, troubleshooting common issues, and making intentional color choices that bring your art to life.
Warm colors tend to advance, making elements pop and draw attention, while cool colors recede, providing depth and background. This video explains how to harness this concept to create depth and focus in your compositions. I outline how to apply these theories in any digital art software.
Remember, the rules of art are guidelines based on what has been found to work over time. Embracing the challenge of mastering color and temperature is a step towards developing a more nuanced and expressive artistic style.
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00:00:00 Intro
00:03:01 Welcome
00:03:53 What is Warm And Cool Color Theory?
00:07:51 The Basics
00:08:41 How To Pick And Mix Color In Digital Art
00:15:36 What Are Warm And Cool Colors???
00:19:47 Marker 8
00:21:04 Applying The Different Ways of Altering Temperature
00:22:43 Relativity Of Color
00:23:10 Playing With Greys
00:23:43 Temperature As A Contrast Tool
00:25:28 You Are Always Dealing With Relative Temperative!
00:26:21 Warm Cool In Composition Vs Rendering
00:27:11 Simple Strategies You Can Use
00:27:21 The Three Warm Cool Strategies
00:27:33 Warm Light Vs Cool Shadow (And Vice Versa)
00:29:12 Warm Comes Forward, Cool Will Recede
00:30:22 People Tend To Like Warm Color Schemes...
00:31:44 Do We Care Why??
00:32:03 'Science' Of Why Warm And Cool 'Works'
00:33:22 Logical Basis For Warm vs Cool Depth In A Scene
00:35:17 Logical Basis For Warm vs Cool Shadows
00:38:11 Different Ways Of Applying The Theory To Your Images
00:54:59 Example Process 1
00:58:21 Example Process 2
01:01:22 Example Process 3
01:03:55 Example Process 4
01:05:29 Example Process 5
01:07:47 Finally... How To Pick And Adjust Colors Yourself
01:08:00 Planning Warm Vs Cool images
01:09:51 Vibration Draws The Eye
01:10:14 How To Change And Pick The Right Color
01:10:24 Using Sliders And Color Wheel
01:16:09 Using Lasso Selection And Adjustment In Digital Art
01:17:10 Complex Selections Based Of Existing Color
01:19:39 Out!
Happy Drawing!
Tim Mcburnie
Learn Drawing and Illustration from me: www.thedrawingcodex.com
Portfolio: www.timmcburnie.com
www.artstation.com/tim-mcburnie
timmcburnie
timmcburnie

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Phew... This ended up being way longer and more in depth than I was planning... But I think this idea needed a pretty epic video like this to really illustrate all the different points! ✏🙌 improving my understanding of Warm vs Cool in color and painting helped me get to a new level.

[@GamerInNeed]

It's just great stuff as usual Tim, love watching your videos and listening to the podcasts, cheers for being a real artist that loves doing what he does 😄

[@user-wk4hd6mt3h]

thank you for give us a complete color lesson for free.

[@wzrdpwrs4426]

Completely agree with both of them. Your videos are really packed full. Beautiful beautiful work! I wont do the normal ending to my messages lolol

[@andrearevilla4354]

Honestly I love hearing you while I'm working on an illustration. Little by little I'm Trying to apply what I learn here into my workflow. Since I couldn't afford going to art school your videos are a massive help for me as a freelancer. Thank you for doing what you do! 😊

[@stormkano]

I have watched a lot of art videos on youtube, but very few make things click on a deeper level the way yours do. You helped me push through a plateau I’ve been stuck on. Thank you, Tim. I hope your channel gets the recognition it deserves (:

[@user-do2eh2il6m]

My son and I draw a lot. However when it come to color we havn't a clue;. Many people say, They don't want to color since it may mess up their picture. You made me understand a theory. I had an idea. Yet no understanding as to "how" Thank you

[@Carlosdagan]

you do an amazing job through your videos, thank you so much for sharing

[@TheDrawingCodex]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you like them!

[@3dchick]

Omg. This. Was. Amazing. THANK YOU!

[@gandhidharma]

58:44 i’d love to see a process video in that kind of style, i find it harder to do that from imagination, doing a photo study is relatively easy. A breakdown of your thought process would be very helpful!

[@tattootrue]

Thanks a lot! i do a lot of flash tattoo, but recently i'm looking to get into just painting whatever i come up with without so many rules in place, this helps out a lot as the imagery i often work with is the peak of simplicity (in a very complicated way)

[@Symphoneers]

I'd love to see some videos on the more tonal/painterly style you mention at 58:56! A big point of growth in my personal art was realizing I'm not terribly good at or ultimately interested in doing the kind of cartoony or linework focused style that dominates a lot of youtube/social media art, I have a lot more success in creating a finished piece I actually like when I'm doing something which has an ability to just forms with smearing/push-and-pull, that greater emphasis on tones, rendering, etc. A from imagination process video would be cool. I find working from reference in that style comparatively easy, but when working from imagination I find I run into fairly fundamental issues in terms of forms and composition and so on. In particular I find the thumbnailing/early process quite difficult - I'm not at all confident whether I should be sketching/shape carving/mass drawing, I like working with colours as early as possible in the process but that can cause issues, etc.

[@n-credible0753]

Um, don't look but there is a little blinking orange light over Tim's left shoulder, and ounce you see it it's impossible to unsee it again 😂. Edit: ok, it finally stopped blinking. Whew.

[@shashank_mishra4476]

I love you videos sir you videos clear my fundamentals And basics

[@BlakcSheep6342]

Yes!!! We're back in buissness baby 😀 ❤ 💙

[@punkeasy]

Awesome, thank you for your time.

[@anthonydrakefordshadow]

Hello 👋 I just found your channel last night 🎉 Love the content and I think I will try posting videos of me drawing also. Thank you for the inspiration ❤

[@arachosia]

Interesting and well-made video. I have never thought of temperature having anything to do with saturation. Why is a grayer version of a color cooler?

[@tasialabastro]

Color nerdery for the win!

[@riaarjoon7541]

This was an amazing video

[@Trid3nt861]

Mate, thanks for this!!!

[@Buddhabellie]

Super helpful explanation. I really love your Pinokkio art.

[@LLoydL]

wohoo another one! thanks very much Tim!!

[@hutnerr]

I'm invested in the Star Atlas comics. Think I've asked this couple of comments ago, but what is your approach to facial expression and emotion? Wish I could get my hands on your Ara series, but from the screencaps you shared, I love how expressive your characters faces are, regardless of the angles

[@romaroalte2645]

Weirdly I like the first "rough" version a lot more at 57:30 vs the "finished" at 57:35

[@iAdas]

😊

[@Buddhabellie]

I don't understand the choice of pink in the orange core picture. My eyes are like No! Lol thanks it was fun

[@DigitalinDaniel]

Ixalan already has "Native Americans" in the Sun Empire. I would have really liked to see some of the Great Plains tribes represented in White, and some of my home state Utah tribes represented in Red. Utah means "people of the mountains." They also had all the Mexican people helping them with Ixalan, why didn't they have them help with like a Mexico influence on Thunder Junction... I've been complaining about multiple iterations of the same Legendary characters for many sets now it's not really a Thunder Junction problem... I make the joke "I don't want 50 Chandras" but its hardly a joke anymore. Like why couldn't we just get a new original necromancer instead of what, our 5th Gisa now? 4th Geralf I think?

[@darzer3391]

Tim, to be honest, I'm a little afraid to ask you this. But why is your site unavailable from Russia?

[@TheDrawingCodex]

I have no idea... It's not something I have set up or done. the drawing codex site? Or my personal timmcburnie.com site? You can't access it from Russia?

[@steecaz]

forget complex color theory Start one-and-a-half-hour video. (There's nothing wrong with complex things, and above all you shouldn't be ashamed if a topic takes time: it was the premise that was a bit ridiculous.)