Colour Mixing How to mix the colours you want!

Look at all the variations of blue in this painting by Winslow Homer

Value Scales Draw three rows the width of a ruler on watercolour paper (28 cm long). Divide the rows into 7 sections (4 cm each section)

Tints Tint: a colour lightened by adding water or white paint.

Tints and shades Practice mixing tints and shades of a colour. In the top row place an intense blue colour in the first space on the left. Mix lighter blues by adding a drop of water into the blue mixture. The lightest blue is placed at the end of the row.

Shade Shade: a colour darkened by adding black. Blue + black = a shade of blue (To darken yellow add burnt umber; a brown and black mixture) Mix darker blues by adding small amounts of blue. The darkest blue is placed at the opposite end of the row.

Complementary Colour Mixtures Mix colours that are less intense by mixing colours opposite on the wheel Complementary Colour: the colour directly opposite any colour on the colour wheel. The complement of red is green. Start by mixing a blue and an orange colour. (Use the bright orange in your paint set) Place these colours at opposite sides of a row.

Mixing Complements: Blue and Orange In the blue mixture place a small drop of orange paint. Place this beside the blue square. Add small amounts of red to the blue until a neutral grey is made; place this grey in the middle of the row. Now mix the other side of the row by adding small amounts of blue into your orange paint.