PrintColor Mixing Guide
The subject of color mixing is complex enough that there are several good books available on it. Therefore this article will present just the basic concepts to get you started.
The Color Series: Primaries, Secondaries and Tertiaries
The first series, called Primaries, consist of three colors - Red, Yellow and Blue. One reason they are called primary is that they cannot be obtained by mixing any other colors together. From these three primary colors, an almost endless series of colors, hues, shades and tints can be created. Black and White, while technically Nuetrals, may also be thought of as primaries as they, along with gold, agree (are harmonious) with all other colors. It is interesting to note that the blackest black can be created by mixing red and blue in certain proportions.
The second color series is called the secondaries. They are obtained by mixing two primaries together: blue and red to make Purple, yellow and blue to make Green, and yellow and red to make Orange. As the eye becomes trained, it is able to discern the two key components of each secondary color.
The third color series is known as the tertiaries. These are russet, olive and citrine. Russet from orange and purple, olive from orange and green and citrine
from green and purple.
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Other colors and Tints, Hues and Shades
All other colors are formed from these three series of colors, although it is more accurate to say they are all created from the three primary colors of Red, Yellow and Blue.
And speaking of accurate: "other" colors are not referred to as colors but rather as tints, hues and shades of the colors in the three color series! To create a tint, add white. To create a shade, add black.
Colors can also be altered by changing the ratio of their component parts. For example, you may add more yellow to a blue to obtain a lighter hue of green, or more blue to get a darker shade of green.
Grey or gray can mean one in the same, although grey is made when white is slightly darkened by the addition of black; gray, by the tinting of white with blue, black and a bit of red. Thus gray is also called French Gray.
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Hot, warm, cool and cold colors
Colors can also be referred to as hot, warm, cool or cold. Red is a hot color. A warm color applies to yellow. Green is generally regarded as a cool color. A cold color is typified by blue.
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When mixing colors there are several important points to remember to avoid creating mud rather than the lovely shade you are looking for. Unless you know what you are doing, don't mix too many colors together. Decide which will be the primary color and which will be the additional colors added to the primary base. Knowing this ratio is very important in creating the correct color. Usually when color combinations are revealed, they will be listed in order of the primary color with the additions being in the order of largest quantity to smallest.
Example- Shade desired: Violet. Formulation: Red (as the primary), blue and white.
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In his book "Ocher: Colors of Provence", Jean Michel Steber provides these pigment
combinations to create traditional "Provence" colors:
Orange: Yellow Ocher + Red Ocher
Brown: Natural Black + Yellow Ocher
Purple: Lavender Blue + Red Ocher
Grey: Natural Black + White
Pink: Red Ocher + White
Green: Yellow Ocher + Lavender Blue
Lime Green: Pistachio Green + Yellow Ocher + White
Old Pink: Burnt Sienna + White
Mudstone: Natural Umber + White
Turquoise: Pistachio Green + Lavender Blue + White
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Color is any one of the primary, secondary or tertiary colors.
Hue means a particular tone of color; thus there are purple-blues, orange-yellows, etc.
Tint is the name of a color produced by adding a little white to a color.
Shade relates to the darkened effect of a color when black has been added to it.
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Ratios, measuring and experimentation
We wish you well on your color-mixing journey, but accept no responsibility for color mixing errors. Success must be left to your own training and experimentation.
Remember: proper ratios must always be recorded for complete accuracy, and measuring should be done by weight rather than volume if you wish to recreate your successful formulation.
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