The color wheel with only the primary and secondary colors is above. The greatest contrast in color is between a color and its compliment. The greatest contrast, for example, if for yellow and violet. The colors between the secondary colors and the primary colors are called intermediate colors. Warm colors are the colors that are on the color wheel from yellow around to and including red violet.
Warm colors come forward in a painting.
Cool colors are the colors on the color wheel from yellow green to and including violet. Cool colors recede in the painting. These colors show the greatest contrast. A warm color is contrasted by a cool color. Analogous colors are colors with a color in common.