Are warm colors advancing or arousing?
No. The illusion of relative depth or a specific mood effect are not consistent attributes of warm or cool hues. Colors typically “advance” or come forward in an image because they are (1) light valued and/or (2) highly saturated. These confusions developed because warm pigments as a group are lighter valued and more saturated than cool pigments. Mood effects depend on combinations of both lightness and chroma: strongly saturated hues at medium lightness are usually “arousing” or “vibrant”; highly saturated hues at high lightness are usually “cheerful”; low saturation hues at high lightness are typically “restful”; and low saturation hues at low lightness are “somber” or “subdued”. These effects are mostly independent of hue, but are strongly dependent on the image, usage or scene context. (Audrey Hepburn is not somber and subdued in those slim black pants!) What are the unsaturated color zones? These are relatively dark (nonreflecting), low chroma colors perceived as categorically dif
