How to Mix Colors

Color mixing techniques depend largely on the type of pigment used. The rules for mixing colors in painting differ from those in light mixing. Fortunately, by learning about the primary and secondary colors of each pigment, as well as the effects that occur when colors are combined (whether complementary or subtractive), you can master color mixing for every scenario.

Mix primary colors to form secondary colors. There are three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. These colors cannot be 'created' by mixing other colors. However, they can be blended to create three secondary colors: red and blue make purple, blue and yellow create green, and red and yellow form orange.

• Note that when mixing primary pigments, the secondary colors produced are often not as bright or vivid. This is because the new combinations tend to subtract more light, reflecting less from the color spectrum, which makes the secondary colors appear darker and duller rather than bright and vibrant.

Create intermediate colors by mixing primary and secondary colors. There are 6 intermediate colors you can form by combining primary and secondary colors. These include yellow-orange (yellow mixed with orange), red-orange (red mixed with orange), red-purple (red mixed with purple), blue-purple (blue mixed with purple), green-blue (blue mixed with green), and yellow-green (green mixed with yellow).

• Intermediate colors lie between the primary and secondary colors on the color wheel.

Mix secondary colors to create tertiary colors. In addition to primary, secondary, and intermediate colors, there are 3 tertiary colors formed by mixing two secondary colors. These are brown (green mixed with orange), brick (orange mixed with purple), and gray (purple mixed with green).

• These colors are typically not found on the color wheel, but they exist and can be created by mixing different colors together.

Avoid mixing paints to create white. Paint colors are subtractive, meaning the pigments absorb certain parts of the spectrum and reflect others, creating the paint colors we see. This means that if you mix more colors together, the paint will become darker because it absorbs more light. Therefore, it's impossible to mix pigments to create white.

• If you need white for your painting project, you'll need to buy white paint rather than mixing it.

Combine all primary colors to create brown. Brown can be formed by mixing all three primary colors in equal proportions or by combining two complementary colors.

• If the brown you create leans too much toward one color, you can neutralize it by adding a little of the opposite color.

Mix brown with blue to create black. The easiest way to achieve black is to mix the brown you just created with blue until you reach the desired black tone. You can also create black by mixing all three primary colors together, but with a greater proportion of blue.

• Be careful not to add white or any color containing white, such as dull yellow or dull yellow-green, as this will result in a grayish black.

Add white and other colors to create light colors. Light colors are simply lighter versions of the original color. To lighten a color, you add white to it. The more white you add, the lighter the color becomes.

• For example, adding white to red creates pink, a lighter version of red.
• If you accidentally add too much white, making the color too light, you can restore its depth by adding a small amount of the original color back into the mixture.

Create dark colors by adding black. A darker version of a color is known as a shade. These colors are made by adding black to the base color. The darkness of the resulting color depends on how much black is added; the more black, the darker the color.

• Some artists prefer to create dark colors by using complementary colors, those opposite each other on the CMY/RGB color wheel. For example, green can be used to darken pink, and pink can be used to darken green, as these colors are opposite on the wheel.
• Add black or complementary colors slowly to avoid overdoing it. If the color becomes too dark, you can lighten it by adding a little of the original color to the mixture.

Mix both white and black to create muted colors. When you add both white and black to a color, you create a muted tone, which is less vibrant and intense than the original. By adjusting the ratio of black and white in the mixture, you can control the brightness and saturation of the resulting color.

• For example, adding both white and black to yellow creates a light olive color. The black darkens the yellow into olive, and the white lightens the olive shade. You can mix different shades of light olive by altering the balance of added colors.
• For muted colors like brown (dark orange), you can adjust the tone similarly by adding a small amount of color next to it on the color wheel, such as pink, yellow, red, or orange. These will brighten the brown and change its shade.

Place a small amount of the colors you wish to mix onto the palette. Use a portion of the color you want to mix (or a little less). If you want to mix equal amounts of colors, take the same amount of each color and space them apart. If you're mixing a color with a larger ratio, make sure to use the right amount based on the desired proportion.

• For example, when mixing brown, you need equal parts of blue, yellow, and red. To mix black, you'll need to add more blue than the other colors.
• It's often better to start with a little less color on the palette, as you can always add more if needed.

Use a palette knife to take a small amount of color and place it in an empty space on the palette. A palette knife is ideal for mixing colors. Take a small amount of color and place it in the center or an empty spot on the palette. Tap the knife gently on the palette if the color sticks to it.

• The palette knife is an effective tool for mixing colors, and it helps extend the life of your paintbrush, as you don't need to use the brush for mixing.

Wipe the palette knife clean with a cloth. This step prevents the previous color from mixing into the next one when you use the palette knife. Use an old cloth or rag you don't mind getting dirty to wipe off the color on the knife.

Take a small amount of the second color and place it on top of the first color in the middle of the palette. Using a clean palette knife, take a small amount of the second color and gently place it next to or on top of the first color. The amount of this color will depend on the proportion of the colors you're mixing.

• For example, if you're mixing two colors in equal proportions, both colors should be the same amount.

Repeat the process to add a third or additional colors to the mixture. If you're mixing more than two colors, continue the process of wiping the palette knife clean and adding colors to the center of the palette until all the desired colors are incorporated into the mixture.

Use a palette knife to mix the colors together. Once all the colors are placed on the palette, it's time to start mixing. Use the palette knife to stir in a circular motion, ensuring all the colors blend together. If needed, you can gently press the knife onto the palette as you mix the colors.

• Once the colors have merged into a new color, the mixing process is complete!
• If the resulting color isn't what you expected, simply wipe the knife clean and add more color to the mixture until you're satisfied with the outcome.

• Every color consists of three aspects: hue, saturation, and brightness.
• Always consider hue, saturation, and brightness when evaluating colors. Hue represents the position of the color on the color wheel; saturation makes the colors vivid and bright like the colors of the rainbow or on the color wheel; and brightness indicates how much the color leans towards white or black, regardless of the hue.
• Mixing a perfect shade of yellow is a challenging task and offers several choices to consider.