Colour Temperature
🌞 Painting the Light: A Colour Temperature Shift for Impressionist Painters
by Cheryl, Impressionist Realist Painter & Teacher
As an impressionist realist painter, my greatest aim is to capture the dance of light—how it falls on a flower petal, kisses the surface of a pond, or filters through leaves in the early morning. But here's the twist that might surprise you:
To create the illusion of light, we often need to flip our instincts on their head.
🎨 What Is Colour Temperature, Really?
Colour temperature refers to how "warm" or "cool" a colour feels. Warm colours—think red, orange, yellow—feel cozy, sunny, and close. Cool colours—blue, green, violet—feel distant, moody, or calm. However within any colour group eg. blue red or yellow, we have hues that are described as ‘warm ‘ or ‘cool”.
Most artists think that :
Highlights = Warm
Shadows = Cool
But here's a trick from the impressionist playbook: try reversing that.
It can breathe light and atmosphere into your painting in a way that feels luminous and alive.
✨ Try This: Cool Highlights, Warm Shadows
To give your subject the glow of natural light falling across it, experiment with using cool colours in your highlights:
🧊 Cool Highlight Palette
Cadmium Lemon Yellow – sharp, zesty, and very light-reflective
Viridian Green – mixed with white for cool, glassy brightness
Quinacridone Red + Titanium White – makes delicate, cool pinks
Cerulean Blue – pale, sky-like and full of clarity
Use these sparingly on the planes where the light hits—think cheekbones, petals, fruit, or the rim of a vase. The coolness actually mimics how light scatters and diffuses.
🔥 Warm Shadow Palette
Ultramarine Blue – yes, a blue, but with a red bias that adds warmth
Alizarin Crimson – deep, transparent warmth that sits beautifully in shadows
Burnt Umber – rich and earthy, perfect for grounding your forms
These colours create depth, softness, and a sense of warm air hugging your subject. You might mix them into the midtones too, giving a seamless flow from shadow to light.
Remember: Shadows do not need to be dark; try using a warm colour to describe them.
🧪 A Simple Experiment
Next time you paint, try this:
Paint a small study using the traditional approach: warm highlights and cool shadows.
Paint the same subject again—but flip it. Use cool colours for the highlights, and warm tones for the shadows.
Compare. What changes? What feels more like light to you?
💬 Final Thought
This small reversal in colour temperature can shift your whole painting. It's not about rules—it's about observing what light really does and playing with perception. As always, let the painting lead the way.