Color Mixing

The APRIL, 2019 issue of Watercolor Artist Magazine had an article that interested me on color mixing. The author is Ryan Fox, and the page numbers are 11-17. So this post and lesson were inspired by this article, and I encourage you to read the article if possible. It's the way I often paint, but he makes it sound so simple. I especially encourage doing this if you are trying to limit your palette, to see how many colors you can create with only a few paints. My examples show complimentary colors, but you can try this with anything.

Color mixing trial using transparent pyrrol orange and cobalt blue. 

Top left to right: 3 mixed on palette; wet into wet; pyrrol orange with blue dropped in (charged);

bottom left to right: orange glazed over blue; blue glazed over orange; opaque; blue charged into orange.

color mixing trial using rose madder lake and hookers green

5 WAYS TO MIX COLOR

Before you paint, you might be pretty certain of the color combinations you want to use. If you will work them out on scrap paper first, you might be surprised: either the color choices may not be what you expected or you may find something else you like better.

STEP ONE: CHOOSE TWO OPPOSITE COLORS, a red/green combination or blue/orange.

METHOD 1
MIXING COLOR ON THE PALETTE> This is a traditional way of mixing color, especially with acrylic and oil, so we expect it to be the main method for watercolor. But it isn't for every artist. Combine your chosen colors in about equal amounts to create a neutral. Make a 2" stripe of that. Next to eat, add more of one color (say orange) and make a 2" stripe next to that. Then add more of the other color (say, blue) and make a third stripe next to that.

Mixing on the palette gives you a source of consistent color that you can add to as a base. It gives a very flat appearance.

METHOD 2
WET-INTO-WET

Paint a 2 x 1 inch rectangle of each color, side by side, leaving a 1-inch dry spae between them. While both colors are wet (SHINY) take a brush loaded with clean water and join the area between the rectangles, merging the two colors.

METHOD 3
COLOR CHARGING

This is a wet-into-wet technique also. Crreate a 2 x 2 inch square of each color. WHILE THE PAINT IS WET (SHINY) drop the opposite color into a corner. Observe how different this looks than glazing (next method)

METHOD 4
GLAZING

Paint a 2 x 1 verticle stripe of each color a few inches apart. DRY. When dry, layer each color's complement in three horizontal stripes, one dark, one medium, and one light value.
You should notice the underlying color glowing through the color glazed on top. The colors are mixed VISUALLY.

METHOD 5
Making color appear opaque

Create a rectangle with a dark value created by mixing your two colors on the palette. DRY. Drop pure color on top and let it dry. It makes the color appear opaque insteadd of transparent. And you can create a pretty good black or dark brown with almost any colors.

METHOD 6
SIDE BY SIDE

This method isn't in the article, but it was used by the impressionist painters. It is laying pure color side by side in small amounts and allowing your eye to visually blend the colors. You don't see it used much in watercolor because you have to dry one color before you can put another pure color next to it.