Table of Contents
- The primary colours - mixing colours using a table
- From primary colour to secondary colour
- The third step - the tertiary colours
- Mixing colours - The best tips and tricks summarized
- Primary colours cannot be mixed separately
- Secondary colours are created by mixing primary colours
- Which specific primary colours should I mix?
- The mixing ratio for primary colours
- There are different shades of red, blueand yellow for sale?
- Bright colours with single pigments
- How do I get tertiary colours?
- The mixing ratios of light and dark colours
- Combining opaque and opaque colours
- How do I mix white or black paint?
- What are complementary colours?
- Do not mix the colours too intensively
- Mixing warm and cool colour tones
- How do I mix colours to make green?
- Which shades are suitable for mixing colours?
- Mixing gray and brown
- Which colours should I mix for brown?
- Which colours should I mix for earthy brown?
- Which colours should I mix for gray?
- Which colours should I mix for soft gray?
- Which colours should I mix for warm gray?
- Which colours should I mix for a skin tone colour?
- How can you soften colours?
- Pure tertiary colours
- Test your paint on a piece of paper or cloth
- Visual colour mixing
- The combination of certain colours increases the intensity.
- Use of warm and cool colours for depth and space
Mixing colours can be very confusing for painting beginners. In addition to colour theory, the different techniques also play a role. We give you the most important tips and tricks to get themixing colours of your paint.
The primary colours - mixing colours using a table
Primary colours are the three shades that are not mixable and must be purchased. From these three colours plus white, you can in principle mix any colour you want. The three primary colours are:
Red - purple
Yellow - e.g. cadmium yellow
Blue - e.g. ultramarine blue
Important when mixing are the mixing ratios of the three primary colours and the addition of white to determine the brightness.
Hint: Try to make your first colour mixtures yourself with cheap colours. This way you will get a good idea of the most important colour tones.
From primary colour to secondary colour
You can mix secondary colours yourself by mixing two of the three primary colours together:
Violet: Red and Blue
Orange: red and yellow
Green: blue and yellow
If you mix the three primary colours, you get black.
Of course, the choice of primary colours is important for colour mixing. There are different types of red, yellow and blue that, when combined, produce other secondary colours. So if you plan to mix your own colours in the future, you should purchase different shades of each of the primary colours so that you have maximum flexibility.
The third step - the tertiary colours
The tertiary colours are mixed from two adjacent colours of the colour wheel of the primary and secondary colours.These colours are no longer as bright and clearly identifiable as the primary and secondary colours and are therefore also called broken colours. However, these tertiary colours are very important for natural-looking photos because they are the main colour tones found in nature. Examples of tertiary colours:
- Blue-Purple
- Yellow-Green
- Green-Blue
- Orange-yellow
- Red-Orange
- Purple-Red
The Winsor and Newton colour wheel shows you very nicely what the different colour combinations are. Like thisyou can easily see which colours you can mix to get the target colour.
Mixing colours - The best tips and tricks summarized
Primary colours cannot be mixed separately
When combining colours to create new shades, there are three primary colours that cannot be created by mixing other colours. These are the primary colours red, blue and yellow.
Secondary colours are created by mixing primary colours
When two primary colours are combined, they produce the so-called secondary colours. For example, mixing red and blue produces violet; yellow and red gives orange; blue and yellow gives green; red and blue gives violet. When the three primary colours are mixed, the result is black.
Which specific primary colours should I mix?
It depends on what secondary colour you want and what shade or shade of that colour you want to create. Mixing a deep cadmium yellow with a red ocher will produce a slightly different orange than that of a titanium yellow. Basically any combination of primary colours produces aother secondary colour pair op.
The mixing ratio for primary colours
The exact ratio of red to yellow that makes orange determines the exact type of orange hue. For example, if you mix more red than yellow, you get a reddish orange. If you add more yellow than red, you get a yellowish orange. So our tip is to play with the shades you have. Try out the different combinations and mixing ratios. Don't forget to write down your findings so you don't forget it for next time.
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Are there different shades of red, blue and yellow for sale?
You have a very large choice of different shades for the primary colours. Here are a few examples:
Blue: Cobalt Blue, Caribbean Blue, Celeste Blue, Prussian blue.
Red: cadmium red, scarlet red,crimson and Venetian red
Yellow: Naples yellow, cadmium yellow, lemon yellow and yellow ocher
Bright colours with single pigments
How do I get tertiary colours?
The mixing ratios of light and dark colours
Combining opaque and opaque colours
How do I mix white or black paint?
What are complementary colours?
Do not mix the colours too intensively
Mixing warm and cool colour tones
How do I mix colours to make green?
Which shades are suitable for mixing colours?
- Cadmium red
- Manganese blue
- Ultramarine blue
- Phatlo green
- Lemon yellow
- Cadmium Yellow
Mixing gray and brown
Gray and brown are tertiary colours and are mixed with the three primary colours in different proportions.
Which onecolors do I need to mix for brown?
There are countless ways to mix beautiful brown tones. In our experience, the fastest way is to mix some blue with orange.
Which colours should I mix for earthy brown?
To get a really nice earthy brown shade, we recommend trying the combination of red and green.
Which colours should I mix for gray?
You can get a nice gray tones by mixing a larger amount of blue with orange and then adding white until you reach the desired brightness.
Which colours should I mix for soft gray?
For a soft gray colour, mix a lot of white paint with some red and green.
Which colours should I mix for warm gray?
For a warm gray colour, mix purple with yellow.
Which colours should I mix for a skin tone colour?
Creating realistic skin tones can be a challenge because skin tones vary widely.Here's a handy guideline for mixing different shades:
- Basic brown colour: Mix blue, yellow and red in equal parts. This provides a base colour that can serve as a starting point.
- Lighter skin tones: Add white to the base colour to create a lighter shade. In addition, add a little bit of red or yellow for a warm undertone, or blue for a cooler undertone.
- Dark skin tones: Add more red and yellow to the base colour to make it richer and deeper. A small amount of black or dark blue is possibleare added for extra depth.
- Red or pink undertones: Add more red to the base colour to get a shade that reflects a red or pink undertone.
- Yellow or golden undertones: Add more yellow to create a warm, golden glow.
- Neutral shades: Experiment with balancing blue, red and yellow to achieve a neutral, earthy tone.
When mixing skin colours it is important to always add small amounts of pigment and test on a palette or canvas in between. Remember that every skin colour is unique, so don't be afraid to experiment!
How can you soften colours?
Pure tertiary colours
Test your paint on a piece of paper or cloth
Visual colour mixing
