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Lesson 2: Colour Mixing

In this instructional oil painting video, Nicole mixes colours for “Incline” a 12″ x 9″ oil painting. The video is narrated throughout, and a full colour list is included.

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What You'll Learn

Course Details

How do you mix colours properly?

Choose a colour from your reference that you want to mix.  The first few colours are usually the most difficult, so try to choose one you feel reasonably confident about.  Try to figure out what the hue is – is it blue?  Red?  Purplish beige?  Think about the colours on your palette that are the closest to the colour you’re trying to mix.  Remember that primary colours can be mixed to create secondary colours – if you’re trying to mix a green, for example, think about combining your blues and yellows rather than reaching for green paint right away.

Can you mix oil paint colours with water?

Oil and water simply won’t mix, so if you want to change the texture of your paints, it’s important to use a medium specifically intended for oil painting, such as linseed oil.

How many different colours should I mix before starting my oil painting?

Take the time to assess the different hues and colours you want to include in your painting. I recommend mixing at least 10 before beginning.

What is colour temperature?

I have a course entirely designed to teach the colour temperature and values available to take online here.

Watch Lesson 2: Colour Mixing