Reference

Mixing guide

What happens when you put two particular tubes together, worked out for all 378 pairs of 28 common pigments — and answers to the questions that send painters looking in the first place.

Every mixture on these pages comes from the same spectral model the mixer uses: each pigment carries a reflectance curve across sixteen bands of wavelength, and mixing follows Kubelka-Munk. That is why blue and yellow give green here instead of the gray you get from averaging screen colors, and why tinting strength is handled honestly.

Start with a question

How to mix skin tones

Skin is not pink. Build it from ordinary earth colors and work in this order: value first, then temperature, then saturation.

How to mix gray without black

A gray mixed from two opposite colors stays alive. A gray made with black goes dead. Here is how to make the first kind.

How to mix green

Which blue and which yellow you pick decides everything. Here is the full range, with the mixtures worked out.

Greens that look like actual leaves

Straight mixed green looks like sweets. Knock it back with its opposite or with an earth color and it becomes a tree.

How to mix brown

Brown is orange with the light turned down. Once you see it that way it stops being a mystery.

How to mix purple

Most attempts at purple come out gray-brown. The fix is picking a cool red instead of a warm one.

How to mix orange

Easy to mix, easy to overdo. The useful oranges are the ones that have been taken down a little.

How to mix a black without using black

A mixed black has a color in it, which is what makes it read as a dark rather than as a hole.

How to mix shadow colors

A shadow is not the local color plus black. It shifts in temperature too, and which way depends on the light.

How to mix the color of a sky

A sky is not one blue. It is a gradient that goes lighter, warmer and duller towards the horizon.

Darks that stay clean

Mud comes from too many pigments, not from dark colors. Two pigments will take you further down than three.

The Zorn palette

Yellow ochre, a red, black and white. Four tubes that cover skin, stone, cloth and weather with a harmony you get for free.

How far three colors and white will take you

A small palette gives you color harmony for nothing and forces you to learn what your paints actually do.

The pairs that make a gray

These twelve cancel each other furthest. If you want shadows and neutrals without reaching for a tube of black, learn these first.

Ultramarine and Ivory Black quietest point #262626 Ultramarine and Mars Black quietest point #222222 Cerulean Blue and Mars Black quietest point #232323 Ivory Black and Payne’s Gray quietest point #272727 Mars Black and Payne’s Gray quietest point #222222 Cobalt Blue and Ivory Black quietest point #272828 Cobalt Blue and Mars Black quietest point #212120 Prussian Blue and Mars Black quietest point #1E1E1D Viridian and Mars Black quietest point #20201F Burnt Sienna and Payne’s Gray quietest point #38393A Cerulean Blue and Ivory Black quietest point #2C2D2C Phthalo Blue and Mars Black quietest point #1E1F1E

Every pigment

What each one does in a mixture, how strongly it tints, and which partners take it furthest towards neutral.

All 378 pairs

Grouped by the first pigment. Each page shows the full range from one to the other, with white added and as a watercolor wash.

Titanium White 27 pairs

with Zinc White with Lemon Yellow with Cadmium Yellow Light with Cadmium Yellow Deep with Yellow Ochre with Raw Sienna with Naples Yellow with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Zinc White 26 pairs

with Lemon Yellow with Cadmium Yellow Light with Cadmium Yellow Deep with Yellow Ochre with Raw Sienna with Naples Yellow with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Lemon Yellow 25 pairs

with Cadmium Yellow Light with Cadmium Yellow Deep with Yellow Ochre with Raw Sienna with Naples Yellow with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Cadmium Yellow Light 24 pairs

with Cadmium Yellow Deep with Yellow Ochre with Raw Sienna with Naples Yellow with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Cadmium Yellow Deep 23 pairs

with Yellow Ochre with Raw Sienna with Naples Yellow with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Yellow Ochre 22 pairs

with Raw Sienna with Naples Yellow with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Raw Sienna 21 pairs

with Naples Yellow with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Naples Yellow 20 pairs

with Cadmium Red Light with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Cadmium Red Light 19 pairs

with Cadmium Red Deep with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Cadmium Red Deep 18 pairs

with Alizarin Crimson (permanent) with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Alizarin Crimson (permanent) 17 pairs

with Quinacridone Rose with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Quinacridone Rose 16 pairs

with Indian Red with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Indian Red 15 pairs

with Burnt Sienna with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Burnt Sienna 14 pairs

with Raw Umber with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Raw Umber 13 pairs

with Burnt Umber with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Burnt Umber 12 pairs

with Ultramarine with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Ultramarine 11 pairs

with Cobalt Blue with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Cobalt Blue 10 pairs

with Cerulean Blue with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Cerulean Blue 9 pairs

with Phthalo Blue with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Phthalo Blue 8 pairs

with Prussian Blue with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Prussian Blue 7 pairs

with Phthalo Green with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Phthalo Green 6 pairs

with Viridian with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Viridian 5 pairs

with Chromium Oxide Green with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Chromium Oxide Green 4 pairs

with Dioxazine Purple with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Dioxazine Purple 3 pairs

with Ivory Black with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Ivory Black 2 pairs

with Mars Black with Payne’s Gray

Mars Black 1 pairs

with Payne’s Gray

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