How to Mix Greens in Watercolours | A Real-Time Tutorial., by Paul Apps Wildlife Artist on YouTube. 38 min 52 s.
- Video length
- 38 min 52 s
- Time to do it
- 15 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 7
What you need
Steps
Set out a blue, a yellow and a green on your palette. From a standard set, try phthalo blue, aureolin or Indian yellow, and phthalo green.
Mix equal parts blue and yellow in a clean well. Pick up a little of each with a damp brush and stir until no streaks remain.
Test the mix on scrap watercolour paper. Let it dry slightly, because watercolour looks lighter when wet than it does on the finished painting.
Make a cooler green by adding more blue, or a warmer green by adding more yellow. Keep a written note of the ratio next to each swatch.
Tone down bright greens with a touch of burnt sienna or sepia. Add it slowly, a little at a time, so the green does not turn muddy.
Create darker, mossy greens by adding a little neutral tint or indigo to the blue-yellow mix. Test each addition on paper before painting.
Mix a whole row of greens in separate wells, label them, and let them dry as a reference sheet. Use the sheet when you paint leaves, grass or trees.
Tips and common mistakes
Rinse your brush between colours so a dirty brush does not dull every green.
Add dark pigments gradually; it is easier to darken a mix than to lighten it.
Use the same paper for swatches as your painting so the colour reads true.
Keep one water pot for rinsing and one for clean water to protect bright mixes.
Questions
What colours make green in watercolour?
Blue and yellow make green. Phthalo blue with aureolin gives a bright green, while ultramarine with Indian yellow gives a softer, warmer green.
How do I stop greens looking muddy?
Use clean water and a clean brush, and add dark or earthy colours a little at a time. Too many pigments in one well quickly turn a green dull.
Do I need the exact palette shown?
No. Any watercolour blue and yellow will make green. The same ratio tests work with the colours you already own.
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.
