Oil Painting Step by Step

Experimenting with Color Mixes

You can mix just about any color from a few basic tubes of oil paint. Many beginning artists feel as though they have to buy every shade of paint available to them at the art supply store, but by learning a few simple mixing “strategies,” you can mix your own fresh, lively colors. In fact, try to keep your palette simple to avoid overblending, which makes colors less fresh and muddy looking. Knowing how to mix your own colors is a liberating and economical skill. The chart below demonstrates the wide variety of colors you can mix from only the basic beginner’s palette (see page 4). Although the artists in this book use different palettes, refer to this chart to create comparable colors, or make your own chart.