How to Make Different Colours by Mixing Paint: A Beginner's Guide!

Mar 12, 2025

Aakash Kushva

Colour is one of the most powerful tools for an artist. It can evoke emotions, create depth, and bring a painting to life. However, understanding how to mix and create different colours can feel overwhelming for beginners.

With so many hues, shades, and tones available, where do you even start? Well, in this blog, we will walk you through the basics of colour theory, how to make different colours by mixing, and tips for achieving the perfect shades for your artwork.

The Fundamentals of Understanding Colour Theory

Before discussing mixing paint colours, it’s essential to understand the fundamentals of their theory. Here are the key concepts you need to know:

Primary Colours: These are the building blocks of all other colours. The primary colours are blue, red, and yellow. They cannot be created by mixing other colours together.
Secondary Colours: These are created by mixing two primary colours in equal parts. The secondary colours are green (blue + yellow), orange (red + yellow), and purple (red + blue).
Tertiary Colours: These are created by mixing one primary colour with a neighbouring secondary colour. Examples include red-orange, yellow-green, and blue-purple.
Colour Wheel: The colour wheel is an eye-catching visual representation of how colours mix with each other. It’s a circular diagram that starts with the primary colours, followed by secondary and tertiary colours. The wheel helps artists understand complementary colours and analogous colours.
Warm and Cool Colours: colours are often categorised as warm (reds, oranges, yellows) or cool (blues, greens, purples). Understanding this distinction can help you create mood and depth in your paintings.

Mixing Primary Colours to Create Secondary Colours

Now that you already understood the basics, let’s explore the practical aspect of mixing paint colours. Start with the primary colours—red, blue, and yellow—and experiment with creating secondary colours.

Creating Green

To make green, combine equal parts of yellow and blue paint. Mix them thoroughly using a paintbrush or palette knife. The balance between the two colours is crucial—using more yellow will result in a yellowish-green, while more blue will create a bluish-green. Additionally, the temperature of the colours matters. A cool yellow with a greenish tint and a cool blue will produce a vibrant green. If your green appears dull, it might be due to using a warm, orangish yellow or a warm, purplish-blue.

Creating Orange

To create orange, blend equal amounts of yellow and red paint. Use a palette knife or a paintbrush to mix them evenly. If one colour dominates, the orange will lean toward that hue—more yellow will yield a yellowish-orange, while more red will create a reddish-orange. The warmth or coolness of the colours also plays a role. A warm, orangish-yellow paired with a warm, orangish red will produce a brighter, more vibrant orange. Cooler tones, like a purplish red, can dull the final shade.

Creating Purple

Purple colour is made by mixing equal parts of blue and red paint. Stir the colours together until you reach the desired shade. If one colour is more dominant, the purple will take on its undertone—more blue will create a bluish-purple, while more red will result in a reddish-purple. The temperature of the colours also affects the outcome. A cool red with purple undertones & a warm blue with purple undertones will produce a bright, vivid purple. If the purple turns out murky, it may be due to using a warm, orangey red or a cool, greenish blue.

Mixing Primary & Secondary Colours Creates Tertiary Colours

Once you’ve mastered secondary colours, you can move on to tertiary colours. Here’s how:

Red-Orange: Mix more red than yellow to create a red-orange. This colour is perfect for sunsets or autumn scenes.
Yellow-Orange: Mix more yellow than red to create a yellow-orange. This is a great colour for highlighting or creating a warm glow.
Yellow-Green: Mix more yellow than blue to create a yellow-green. This colour is ideal for painting fresh spring leaves or grassy fields.
Blue-Green: Mix more blue than yellow to create a blue-green. This is a versatile colour for ocean scenes or tropical landscapes.
Blue-Purple: Mix more blue than red to create a blue-purple. This colour is perfect for creating shadows or adding depth to your paintings.
Red-Purple: Mix more red than blue to create a red-purple. This colour is great for creating rich, velvety textures or dramatic effects.

How to Make Neutral Colours?

To make brown, mix a tertiary colour with a primary colour that isn’t already part of the tertiary colour. For example, if your tertiary colour is red and yellow, mix it with blue. The amount of each colour you use will change the shade to brown. You’ll get a warmer brown if you add warm colours like red. Use cool colours like blue and green for a cooler, darker brown.

Want to make black? Mix complementary colours—colours that are opposite each other on the colour wheel, like red and green or blue and orange. This creates a rich, chromatic black that can lean warm or cool depending on your colours. You can also mix dark blue and brown for a deep black. Just remember that buying black paint straight from the tube won’t give you the same mixing options.

For gray, mix a primary colour, its analogous colour (the colours next to it on the wheel, like yellow and blue for green), and its complementary colour. This tones down the intensity and creates a neutral gray. Or, keep it simple by mixing all three primary colours and adjusting the warmth or coolness. Add white to lighten the gray, but start with a small amount of gray mixed into the white—it’s easier to darken light colours than the other way around!

Things to Consider While Mixing Colours

When mixing colours, several key factors should be taken into account to achieve the desired result. These include understanding colour wheel relationships, tonal value (lightness or darkness), colour temperature (warm or cool), the amount of pigment used, whether to use white to lighten or black to darken and avoiding mixing complementary colours directly to prevent muddy hues.

Colour Wheel: You can utilise a colour wheel to identify primary, secondary, and complementary colours. This is essential for creating accurate hues.
Tonal Value: Decide how light or dark you want your final colour to be. Use white to lighten and black to darken, but do so gradually to maintain control over the tone.
Colour Temperature: Determine whether you want a warm colour (reds, oranges, yellows) or a cool colour (blues, greens) and mix your pigments accordingly.
Mixing Technique: Add small amounts of colour incrementally to achieve the desired shade. Avoid adding large amounts of pigment at once, as this can overpower the mix and make it harder to adjust.
Avoid Muddy Colours: Avoid directly mixing complementary colours (e.g., red and green) as they can neutralise each other, resulting in a muddy or brownish hue.
Pigment Quality: Use high-quality pigments for better mixing results and consistency. Lower-quality pigments may not blend as smoothly or produce the desired vibrancy.
Transparency vs. Opacity: Decide whether you want a transparent or opaque colour and choose your paints accordingly. Transparent colours allow underlying layers to show through, while opaque colours provide solid coverage.
Medium: Your medium (e.g., water, oil, acrylic) can significantly affect how colours mix. Each medium has unique properties that influence blending and drying times.
Testing on a Palette: Always test your colour mixes on a palette before applying them to your final surface. This allows you to make adjustments without compromising your work.
Clean Brushes: Clean your brushes thoroughly between colour mixing to avoid unintentional contamination and ensure accurate colour results.

Conclusion

Considering “how to make different colours by mixing”? Well, mixing colours is both a science and an art. By understanding colour theory basics and practicing your mixing skills, you can unlock endless possibilities for your artwork. Remember to start with the primary colours, experiment with different ratios, and adjust values to create tints, shades, and tones.

With Arts Shala, you’ll develop a sense of colour mixing and be able to create the perfect palette for any painting. So grab your paints, brushes, and palette, and start exploring the world of colours with us. Contact Us!