First Grade

Warm and Cool Colors

This week's lesson: Warm and Cool colors

The warm colors are red, orange and yellow. These colors remind us of warm or hot things such as the sun and fire. In a picture, objects that are warm colors look like they are closer to us.

The cool colors are green, blue and purple. These colors remind us of cool or cold things such as ice cream and snow. In a picture, objects that are cool look like they are further away from us.


Look at the painting below. What looks close to us and what looks far away?

Rainy Alley by the Lake by Leonid Afremov


Look at these pictures and tell me if they are warm or cool pictures. Why do you think that? What colors do you see?


By Jeff Curtis


Oranges on Marimekko by Sara Qualey


Denali Blue by Kurt Jacobson

Red Sky Delight by Sarah Slater

This week you should create a picture of a sun in warm colors (red, orange, yellow) with a background in cool colors (green, blue, purple). Use whatever materials you have at home. The example was first drawn in pencil, outlined with craypas and painted in with watercolors. Your sun does not have to look like mine. Draw it any way you would like as long as its filled in with only warm colors. The background does not have to be stripes. You can paint it any way you would like as long as it is done with the cool colors.

Finished with your sun and want to do more? Try creating something else in warm and cool colors!

Make sure you check out the section "Fun Activities for Everyone"

for extra art activities