Color Theory for Beginners: How to Mix Colors in Watercolor Paintings

When you first start painting in watercolor, looking at a blank page and a box of paints can be daunting. You might wonder, how do you mix watercolor paints?

Learning how color works changes everything. Once you understand what is color theory and how to mix watercolors, you'll be hooked and fall in love with watercolors. Whether you are working on 100% cotton paper or practicing with watercolor on mixed media paper, these rules apply.

In this watercolor mixing guide, we will break down the basics of color theory, explore watercolor mixing charts, and provide practical exercises to help you master your palette.

Understanding the Basic Elements of Color

Before we start mixing, we need to understand the map: The Color Wheel.

The Color Wheel

Think of the color wheel as your GPS for mixing. It consists of three groups:

• Primary colors: Red, yellow, and blue. These are the foundation. Theoretically, what colors can be mixed to make blue? None—blue is a primary pigment. However, you can mix versions of blue (like teal or indigo) by modifying primary blue.
• Secondary colors: Orange, green, and purple. These are made by mixing two primaries together.
• Tertiary colors: Colors like red-orange or blue-green, made by mixing a primary with a neighboring secondary.

The Three Components of Color

To master mixing watercolor paints, you must understand these three terms:

• Hue: The actual name of the color (e.g., Red, Blue, Green).
• Value: How light or dark the color is. In watercolor, we don't usually add white to lighten a color; we add water. To darken, we use less water and more pigment.
• Saturation (Chroma): How pure or bright the color is. A generic red is high saturation; a brick red (mixed with a little green) is lower saturation.

The Secret Sauce: Color Bias (Warm vs. Cool)

This is the pro tip often missed by beginners. A "Red" isn't just red. It can be a Cool Red (leaning towards blue, like Alizarin Crimson) or a Warm Red (leaning towards yellow, like Cadmium Red).

To mix a vibrant purple, you need a Cool Red and a Warm Blue.

If you mix a Warm Red (has yellow in it) with a Warm Blue, the hidden yellow will cause the mixture to look muddy.

The Relationship Between Colors

How colors sit next to each other determines the mood of your painting.

• Complementary colors: Colors opposite each other on the wheel (e.g., green and red color mix, Blue and Orange). Mixing these neutralizes them.
• Analogous colors: Neighbors on the wheel (e.g., Blue, Blue-Green, Green). These create instant harmony.
• Triadic colors: Three colors evenly spaced (Red, Yellow, Blue). These create vibrant, balanced schemes.

Essential Watercolor Mixing Techniques

How to mix watercolor paint isn't just about color selection; it's about water control.

Mixing on the Palette

Always use a watercolor mixing palette with enough space.

Step 1: Place a drop of clean water on the palette.

Step 2: Pick up damp pigment with your brush and release it into the water puddle.

Step 3: Rinse your brush before picking up the second color to keep your original pans clean.

Wet-on-Wet vs. Wet-on-Dry

• Wet-on-Wet: Apply paint to damp paper. The colors will bleed and blend on their own. This is how you get soft skies or fuzzy backgrounds.
  
• Wet-on-Dry: Paint on dry paper. This gives hard edges and allows for glazing (layering a transparent color over a dry one to create a new optical mix).
  

Pro Tip: Use two jars of water. One for rinsing dirty paint off your brush, and one for picking up clean water for mixing. This prevents "mud" from entering your fresh mixes.

Layering and Transparency

The transparency of watercolor is one of the most beautiful aspects of the medium. Try painting yellow first, letting it dry, then blue on top to make a glowing green color. Always let every layer dry completely before painting on the next one.

Practical Color Mixing Recipes

Let’s answer some common questions about specific mixes.

The Power of Green

Green is one of the hardest colors to make look natural.

• Green color mix with blue: If you have a standard green (like Sap Green) and add blue, you create cool, deep teals or pine greens.
• Green color mix with red: What happens here? Since Red is the complement to Green, adding red will "desaturate" the green. This creates realistic olive tones or shadows for foliage.
• Yellow + Blue: The classic mix. Use a cool yellow (Lemon) and cool blue (Phthalo) for a bright spring green. Use warm yellow (Ochre) and warm blue (Ultramarine) for a muted, earthy green.

How to Make Brown and Grey

What colors do mix to make brown? You don't need to buy a tube of brown paint!

Recipe 1: Mix all three primaries (Red + Yellow + Blue) in varying amounts. More yellow makes ochre; more red makes burnt sienna.

Recipe 2: Mix complementary pairs. Red color mixed with green creates a rich, earthy brown.

The Watercolor Color Mixing Chart

The best way to learn is to create your own watercolor mixing chart or grid.

• The Matrix: Draw a grid. List your colors down the left side and across the top.
• The Mix: In each square, mix the column color with the row color.
• The Result: You will instantly see what your palette is capable of. You might discover that your "Purple" and "Yellow" make the perfect shadow grey.

This color mixing chart becomes your reference guide so you don't have to guess while painting.

Practical Color Mixing Exercises

Practice Neutrals and Grays

Use complementary colors for nice, natural grays. For instance, Prussian blue and ochre make a soft gray-blue perfect for shadows.

Work on Light and Dark Values

Experiment with how much water you use for your washes. Practice smooth gradients from dark to light and use transparent layers instead of heavy paint applications.

Common Difficulties (and Solutions)

• Muddy Colors: This usually happens when you mix too many colors (3+) or mix a Warm and Cool version of a complement incorrectly. Solution: Simplify. Try to mix only 2 colors at a time.
• Colors Too Dull: You might be using too much water, or your water jar is dirty. Solution: Change your water often and test the "creaminess" of your paint on the palette.
• Colors Too Strong: Watercolor dries lighter than it looks when wet. However, if it's too dark, lift some pigment out with a thirsty (damp, clean) brush.
• Undesired colors: Adjust temperature—mix warm with warm and cool with cool for more control.

A Simple Palette for Beginners

If you are about to start your paints, a good twelve-color palette is needed:

• White (for highlights)
• Lemon Yellow (cold)
• Cadmium Yellow (warm)
• Orange
• Rose Red (cold)
• Dark Red (warm)
• Leaf Green (clear)
• Green-Viridian (deep)
• Cobalt Blue (cold)
  
• Indigo (dark blue for shadows)
• Burnt Sienna (warm brown)
• Black (neutral tone)

Note on White: White watercolor is often used for highlights (gouache effect), but to lighten colors, rely on the white of the paper!

This combination can cover most mixing requirements and is easy to control.

Art Starts Here

Art begins with experimentation. Don't be afraid to make mistakes—some of the most beautiful textures in watercolor come from "happy accidents." Grab your brushes, set up your watercolor paint mixing chart, and start exploring the infinite possibilities of color.

Ready to paint? Check out our shop for professional watercolor mixing palettes and high-quality brushes to start your journey!