Master Colour Mixing for Painting in 6 Easy Steps

Ever felt like you're playing detective, trying to crack the case of the right colour mix and ending up with a "who-did-it" of hues?

Mixing colours can feel like solving a complex puzzle: you’re Sherlock, your paints are the suspects, and the final shade is the mystery to solve!

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This is where colour theory swoops in like a wise mentor, teaching you the ABCs of hues and tints and guiding you through the maze of primaries, secondaries, and those trickster tertiary colours.

Think of it as your paintbrush-wielding wand, ready to conjure up the magical colours you envision.

In this colour adventure, we’re not just talking about knowing red from blue; it’s about mastering the art of mixing them together in a way that doesn’t end up like a Jackson Pollock canvas (unless that’s what you’re aiming for!).

So, gear up! We’re here to decode this colourful mystery, making you the ultimate colour-mixing maestro. Get ready to turn the art world into your canvas!

Step 1: Understand the Colour Wheel and Primary Colours:

Picture a magnificent wheel of colours, where every shade has its own unique role to play. At the centre of this colourful universe lie the primary colours: red, blue, and yellow.

These three hues are like the VIPs of the colour party because they can’t be created by mixing any other colours together. They’re the building blocks, the foundation upon which the entire spectrum is built.

Step 2: Mixing Primary Colours to Create Secondary Colours

Now, when two primary colours team up and mingle, they give birth to what’s known as the secondary colours.

For instance, when red gets cosy with blue, it creates a lovely shade of purple. Yellow and blue having a little chat? Voila! Green comes to life. And when red and yellow have a rendezvous, it’s orange o’clock! These secondary colours are vibrant, beautiful blends born from the love affair of their primary parents.

Step 3: Making Tertiary Colours

But wait, the party doesn’t end there!

There’s a whole other league known as the tertiary colours. These colours are the offspring of both primary and secondary colours mingling together.

Imagine the magical blend of a primary and a secondary colour, like red-orange or blue-green. They’re the charming in-betweens, boasting names like vermilion, chartreuse, and aquamarine.

Tertiary colours offer a world of nuanced tones and shades—a treasure trove of hues that add depth and richness to your palette.

Step 4: Dark vs Light Colour Mixing

In the world of colour mixing, it’s like a battle between the dark and light forces. While the light guys are like the life of the party, adding sparkle and shine.

So, if you’re ever wondering how to mix colours, just remember this: always add the dark guys to the light guys, not the other way around. It’s like trying to bleach a black t-shirt—it’s just not going to happen.

Think of it like this: the dark guys are like those strong, silent types who don’t need a lot of attention. They’re just there, doing their job, making sure the colours don’t get too washed out. And the light guys are like the life of the party, always adding a little sparkle and shine.

Step 5: Mixing Opaque vs Transparent Pigments: (The Sneaky Tip)

Just like when you’re balancing dark and light, here’s the secret sauce for opaque and transparent colours. Picture this: a tiny dab of opaque colour goes a long way towards transforming a transparent one. It’s like the wise old saying: add opaque to transparent, never the other way around!

Imagine a splash of opaque into the transparent mix. It’s like magic! That’s the trick—sneaky but smart. So, when your art demands a twist in transparency, remember, that it’s all about that playful dance of adding opaque pigments.

Transparent Paints

Green Gold: This is a synthetic green pigment that is known for its vibrancy. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for glazing.
Cadmium Yellow Light: This is a synthetic yellow pigment that is known for its vibrancy. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for warm tones.
Cadmium Orange: This is a synthetic orange pigment that is known for its vibrancy. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for glazing and creating warm tones.
Quinacridone Burnt Orange: This is a synthetic burnt orange pigment that is known for its vibrancy. It is a very transparent pigment.

Transparent Paints

Alizarin Crimson: This is a red pigment that is made from a natural plant source. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for glazing
Quinacridone Magenta: This is a synthetic red pigment that is known for its vibrancy. It is a very transparent pigment.
Phthalo Blue: This is a synthetic blue pigment that is known for its intensity. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for glazing and creating atmospheric effects.
Sap Green: This is a natural green pigment that is made from a sap source. It is a very transparent pigment.
Viridian Green: This is a blue-green pigment that is made from a natural mineral source. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for creating foliage and water.
Raw Sienna: This is a yellow pigment that is made from a natural earth source. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for creating warm tones.
Burnt Sienna: This is a red-orange pigment that is made from a natural earth source. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for warm undertones.
Yellow Ochre: This is a yellow-brown pigment that is made from a natural earth source. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for creating warm tones and earth tones.
Raw Umber: This is a brown pigment that is made from a natural earth source. It is a very transparent pigment.
Burnt Umber: This is a dark brown pigment that is made from a natural earth source.
Ivory Black: This is a black pigment that is made from a natural bone source. It is a very transparent pigment and is often used for glazing and creating shadows.
Lamp Black: This is a black pigment that is made from a natural lamp source. It is a very transparent pigment, often used for glazing and creating shadows.

Step 6: Difference Between Warm and Cool Primaries

Hot Primaries: Imagine these colours as the fiery champions of your palette – Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Red, and Ultramarine Blue. They’re bold, intense, and enthusiastic, akin to a blazing sun on a summer’s day. They ignite passion and energy, demanding attention whenever they’re in the mix.

Cold Primaries: These are the cool, composed heroes: Lemon Yellow, Alizarin Crimson, and Phthalo Blue. They bring a calm and tranquil vibe to your canvas, reminiscent of a serene winter landscape or a peaceful mountain stream. They are sophisticated, offering a serene ambience to your artwork.

Have any questions about colour mixing?

Looking for artistic camaraderie and tips on colour mastery? Join our vibrant online community, Art Club and share your experiences!

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I'm about 65% done with my course and I just have to say that Leonie Brown has explained certain things in a way that I've not heard from any other artist. For example, I was blown away by how she explained how to mix the primaries and secondaries to make tertiaries and thus to make a color wheel and how to keep mixing until you get the right shade. I've done it before in another art class but not like this. It sounds so simple but it's mind blowing actually. It's such a basic ability to have that lays the very foundation of color mixing. And she walked me through it in the video she made so I could see how it's done. Wow! Thanks Leonie! - A.R. Posted for Astrid Reeves

Leonie.e. Brown ARTIST

Leonie was the best art teacher, I ever had. She pays equal attention to every student in class, making sure to teach or give advice to one after the other while taking their different skill levels into account. She is always friendly and respectful and is not only interested in her student's progress but also in them enjoying what they do. No matter what skill level you are, even if you're beginning from scratch - I would definitely recommend LifeArt School.

Denise Reisenbauer

If you’re looking for an art school this is the best place to be leonie is a fantastic teacher and amazing person. It doesn’t matter how good you are at art, lifeart school is the best place to learn or expand your knowledge of art.

Oliver Bradley

This is where I go to Art School on Friday mornings. For me, this is a dream come true, a second chance to do what I love, and do it well. Leonie Edna Brown teaches a complete art curriculum that starts you off with the absolute, and fundamental basics, and takes you all the way through to becoming a professional artist. I am still early in my journey, and I can tell you that my eyes have been opened in new ways, to see more clearly. Not only that, but being in class with others at different stages, you learn via " osmosis" just by watching Leonie teach, demonstrate or encourage others. One of those " Leonie sayings" that has impacted me has been... " it doesn't have to be perfect, it's a rendering." I have to say this often to myself and it helps me remember that it's art, not a photograph! My biggest advice is to be patient in the beginning of the journey with Leonie's classes. Whatever is worth it cannot be rushed. Be patient with yourself, and with the process. Enjoy the learning, the TIME it takes to learn. Take a break and have a coffee and a rusk, walk around and look at other's artworks and progess, make new friends and sing along to the music...it is such a wonderful atmosphere. At times quite noisy, and other times intensley quiet as everyone is focused on their work. For those who are now sufficiently envious but cannot get to actual physical classes, Leonie has NEW ONLINE CLASSES! So you too can learn in your own time! Go check it out! And thank you, Leonie, for being the wonderful teacher you are!

Belinda Mesecke

About 10 years ago, after a significant change in my life and with basically no experience with drawing, painting or art in any way at all, I started attending classes with professional artist, Leonie E. Brown. When I say basically no experience, I am talking about literally only being able to draw stick me and colour in colouring books. Talk about going in blind! A few lessons in (just the very basics really), the class at the time had the awesome opportunity of going on a 5-star weekend getaway at Angala Boutique Hotel for a portrait painting workshop. Here she taught us a special recipe using just four earthy colours being: burnt sienna, burnt umber, payne’s grey, yellow ochre. With just those four colours, one could play with the concepts, dark versus light and warm versus cold. Focusing on blending and adding one concept at time, we were taught to add as per our portrait picture we wanted to paint, blended shades of darks, matching warm (e.g. burnt sienna) and cold (e.g. payne’s grey) darks. Then we would add all the blended shades of white, warm and cold lights by mixing in titanium white, yellow ochre. I was amazed that in no time without much effort a portrait appeared! With this technique one really does not even have to draw the face first exactly in pencil, placing the dark, light, warm and cold in the right places, the picture just magically appears. Exceptional! To this day, regardless of all the other lessons I had with Leonie after, I absorbed this recipe in every art piece I do. I even use this recipe to lay the ground work or base layer for my more colourful work, as a guide for the warm, cold, dark and light colours. Sometimes, I just use those beautiful colours in my entire work and maybe here and there add another colour to make the piece pop!

Riny Versfeld

If you wanting to rekindle or explore your creative side I highly recommend that you contact Leonie at Lifeart Studio and school . Leonie offers short courses as well as weekly art classes. Leonie is an amazing teacher as well as a accomplished and very talented artist . I attended one of her short courses and absolutely love it and will definitely be attending another one soon

Ann Mari Fletcher

Thanks to Leonie E Brown, I now have a workable website! Her dedication to help others at great sacrifice to her personal time, as well as the wealth of experience she has gathered over the years, has been such a great source of help, direction and focus for me. Thank you Leonie for supporting unselfishly, other artists who are just starting out.

Belinda Mesecke

I have learnt various techniques in the past year, both in theory and practice. Leonie is very encouraging and she has amazing teaching skills. I always look forward to go to her art classes.

Shehnaz Chohan