You most likely are familiar with what happens when you mix basic colors such as red and blue makes purple, and blue and yellow makes green. However, when you begin to paint more and more complex pieces, such as landscapes and portraits that contain numerous shades and colors, getting the exact color and hue you need can be difficult.

Paint can be expensive sometimes and it’s almost impossible to buy every shade that you might need. So, artists rely on mixing colors to produce specific shades. As you probably already know, the three primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. I have found it useful to buy multiple hues of red, blue and yellow paint to mix other colors, because you can’t get every shade you need with just one shade of each primary (at least not without wasting a lot of paint in the process). It also useful to have some secondary shades as well such as purple and green that you can add primary colors to in order to change the hue. I suggest not buying very unique shades unless you are certain you need it for a painting.

When mixing colors don’t over blend: this means mix so that one cohesive color appears but not to the point to where it is completely blended. If you need to make a color darker or lighter, add the darker shade to the lighter one, and be especially careful when adding black paint to any color, as it can quickly change the shade.

Sometimes mixing colors can result in a less bright, dull shade. So, if there is a certain shade you would like to be very rich or need a lot of, I suggest trying to buy it pre-mixed. For example, I once bought a very fluorescent shade of green that I knew I wouldn’t be able to mix myself but still needed for a painting. Also, keep in mind that you don’t have to physically mix two colors on a palette to create a new one. You can layer two colors overtop of one another on canvas to create a new shade. Examining the canvas closely may reveal some streaks or differences between the two shades, but from slight distance they will appear to be one, unique color. You could let one color dry and then apply the next shade directly overtop or sometimes I’ll apply one shade over another that is wet, allowing them to partially mix. This can be useful if you have a single object or area where one color transforms into another and you want to create a smooth transition.

If you are painting a piece where you have a good idea of exactly what colors you’ll need, say you have a sketch or are painting a landscape right in front of you, it is helpful to mix colors beforehand. This is particularly useful if you plan to mix them on the canvas while they aren’t completely dry and timing is important. If you are trying to make a new color, start with very small amounts of the paint you’re using. Once you figure out the ratio and types of colors you need for the desired shade, then add larger amounts. Keep in mind that mixing colors can be tricky and comes with practice as you paint more often.

References:

“Are You Mixing Your Colors Right? Here are 6 Tips You Need to Know.” ArtistDaily, 29 Sept. 2017, www.artistdaily.com/blogs/artist-daily/6-tips-for-color-mixing.

“30 Colour Mixing Tips For Artists How to Mix Colours When Painting.” Colour Mixing Tips For Artists: How to Mix Colours When Painting, www.visual-arts-cork.com/artist-paints/colour-mixing-tips.htm.

When I started making art, one of the first things I bought along with pencils and an eraser, was a leather sketchbook. It served its purpose as a canvas that I could quickly grab if I had an idea of an image I wanted to sketch or if I was bored and just wanted to draw without committing to a 10+ hour project.  There are many benefits to having a sketchbook, especially if you’re just becoming an artist.

My first sketchbook was a plain, basic spiral bound notebook with blank pages. It wasn’t any special color or texture, unlike the other 20 pads of paper I now own for drawing and painting. I wanted to develop my art skills, which is best done by frequent practice. However, this is easier said than done when you have school, homework, meetings etc. to take up most of your time. So, I got a sketchbook that could easily fit in my backpack, that I could carry around with me and pull out when I had time to sketch. I would bring it with me every day if I had time to draw in study hall or at the end of a class. If I was going on a trip and had to narrow down the art supplies I would take with me, it was always the first thing I would pack. It served as a convenient way of practicing my drawing skills on a daily basis.

It wasn’t just convenient for practicing sketching but also easy to transport (to other places aside from school). I would bring along my sketchbook on vacations, on hikes and day trips, and to any place where I thought I might have the opportunity to sketch something worth drawing. It became my go-to for bringing outside with me whether it was sketching the trees in my backyard, or the sunset at the beach.

Having a sketchbook also helped me view the progress of my skills. I didn’t notice this until a friend of mine was flipping through my sketches, analyzing them, and happened to point out a difference between drawings showing my developed skills in shading. A sketchbook as a whole can show an artist how they have improved and what they still need to work on. Analyzing my sketches has also shown me what types and styles I enjoy drawing more than others. It is an easy and effective way to document my progress as an artist.

One of the best benefits of having a sketchbook is that it’s perfectly okay to make mistakes. Sometimes when I’m working on an official piece that I have spent days on I feel stress not to make a mistake and ruin the work I have done. However, making mistakes in art is inevitable and having a sketchbook has helped me both accept mistakes and learn to fix them.