Making 45 Colors with Only 5 Primary Colors, by Color Palette on YouTube. 12 min 4 s.
- Video length
- 12 min 4 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Lay out your five primaries on the palette: a warm red, a cool red, a warm blue, a cool blue and a yellow. Keep them spaced apart so you can reach each one.
Mix a warm red with a warm blue to get a clean purple. Then mix a cool red with a cool blue for a deeper violet.
Combine yellow with each blue to make greens. Warm blue gives an olive green, cool blue gives a brighter green.
Mix yellow with each red to make oranges. Warm red gives a strong orange, cool red gives a softer coral tone.
Blend small amounts of all three primaries to make browns and muted earth tones. Add more yellow for ochre, more blue for a cooler brown.
Take each color you made and mix in a little white to create a lighter tint. Work in small amounts so you do not waste paint.
Mix a touch of black into each color for a darker shade. Add black slowly because it overpowers a mix fast.
Paint a small swatch of every mix on scrap paper and label it. This gives you a reference palette for future paintings.
Tips and common mistakes
Add dark colors to light ones a little at a time, since black and strong blues quickly take over a mix.
Keep your brushes and palette knife clean between mixes so colors stay true.
Acrylics dry fast, so mist the palette with water or use a stay-wet tray during long sessions.
Write down the ratios that work so you can repeat a favorite color later.
Questions
Do I need exactly five specific primary colors?
A warm and cool version of red and blue plus one yellow gives the widest range. Standard red, blue and yellow will still work but make muddier mixes.
Can I use this method with oil or watercolor paint?
Yes, the mixing logic is the same. Adjust for how each paint behaves, since oils stay wet longer and watercolors need more water.
How do I stop my mixes turning muddy?
Limit each mix to two or three pigments and clean your brush between colors. Too many pigments combined dull the result.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
