How to Mix Colors

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Assemble the colors of paint shown above.

   Any paint will do—even house paint—but a few small tubes of oils or perhaps acrylics will be the most effective (and least messy) for these exercises.
   
   Let's start by seeing what happens when we mix a just 2 colors together—red and blue.
   
   Note: you can make dark neutral black by mixing it from the available colors.
   
   Black pigment is too recognizable wherever it is used.
   
   Instead mix the transparent primaries together to make darks and add color to your shadows depending on the time of the day.
   
   Black is used in the light color wheel, by subtracting light.
   
   See our 'More Tips' section, below, for help in choosing the best magenta and cyan paints.
2. 2

   Step 2: Mix red and blue together.

   Everybody knows red and blue mixed make purple, right? While it’s true that they do, it’s not a bright, vibrant purple.
   
   Instead, they create something more like this:
   It doesn't exactly rock your world, right? That's because red and blue are secondary colors—mixtures of primary colors themselves, each one subtracting more and reflecting less from the spectrum, giving you a purple that’s dark and muddy instead of vibrant and bright. , Now you get something more like this:
   You can see how using the true primary colors—magenta and cyan—results in a much brighter and more vibrant hue.
   
   If you want a richer purple, add more blue.
   
   A darker purple, add black.
   
   For more on this, see How To Determine Correct Primary Colors. , There are three primary pigment colors: cyan, magenta, and yellow.
   
   There are also three secondary colors, made by mixing two transparent primary colors together:
   Cyan + yellow = green Cyan + magenta = blue Magenta + yellow = red.
   
   Cyan + magenta + yellow = neutral dark black.
   
   With subtractive pigment color mixing, the presence of all colors results in black. , Our Mixing Paint Colors section gives more detailed help for mixing all the various hues as well as light, dark, and grayish colors.
   
   In our Tips section, we offer you a comprehensive list of colors and the blends you can use to create those colors on your palette.
3. 3

   Step 3: Mix magenta with a small amount of cyan

4. 4

   Step 4: and you’ll see the difference.

5. 5

   Step 5: Know your primaries and secondaries.

6. 6

   Step 6: See below.

Detailed Guide

About the Author