Let's organize our understanding of color into a simple set of components and procedures. Then we can put our use of color on a dependable, reliable, repeatable basis. First, it is important that we understand the three qualities of every color. They are hue, value and intensity.

Hue indicates the name of the color: red, yellow, yellow-green, etc. The fascinating quality artists refer to as temperature is really an element of hue (more on this shortly).

The hue of this box is red.

The hue of this box is yellow.

The hue of this box is yellow-green.

Value refers to the lightness or darkness of a color. The value of a color indicates its position on a tonal scale between black and white. This is the most important color quality for the artist.

All three of these boxes have the same hue. All three are red. But the value of each box — the darkness or lightness — varies greatly.

Intensity refers to the strength, saturation or purity of a color.

Both of these boxes are blue. They are the same hue, but they vary greatly in intensity. The box on the left is a much more intense blue than the other box.

Temperature. Artists refer to colors as either "warm" or "cool." The warm colors are, of course, the reds and yellows. The cool colors are the blues and greens. But each separate color within these categories can be made warmer or cooler. We speak of a cool red or a warm blue. Technically, temperature is an element of the basic quality of hue.