Watercolor Mixing for Beginners

Name: Watercolor Mixing for Beginners
Rating: 4.5 (52 reviews)

Creating a Color Wheel in Watercolor

Created byDiane Flick

Last updated 2/2018

English

What you'll learn

You will be able to mix any color you'd like in watercolor.
You will learn how to adjust saturation (intensity) and value (lightness or darkness) of your watercolor paints.
You will learn how to apply small areas of watercolor to paper.
You will learn how to avoid frustrating pitfalls that are common when beginning watercolor mixing.

Course content

7 sections • 32 lectures • 1h 29m total length

Introduction1:07
Welcome to Watercolor Mixing for Beginners! This video will introduce you to the class and tell you all about what you're going to learn.
Preparation1:36
In this section, we'll talk about the paper and printouts you'll need to prepare for the class.
Mindset2:00
Here, we'll discuss how to get into the proper mindset for this class.
Materials2:52
Supplies you will need for this course include:

Watercolor Mixing Tray
Watercolor Paints in tubes (Red, Yellow and Blue)
#8 Round Watercolor Brush
140# Cold Press Watercolor paper (taped to a board)
Small strips of Watercolor paper
Towel or sponge
Jar of water
OPTIONAL:
Small pitcher or measuring cup to pour water)
Hair dryer

DOWNLOADS TO PRINT:

Blank Color wheel (you may print* directly onto watercolor paper or trace onto watercolor paper)
Print out of Finished Colored wheel for comparison

NOTE:

*Most printers use water soluble ink which means the ink will run when it gets wet. If that’s the case, you can trace the image onto the sheet, or print out the grey version and draw over it with a permanent marker or sharpie.
Techniques Part 14:10
In this lesson we will explore basic techniques you will need for this course.
Techniques Part 24:14
In this lesson I will show you the difference between wet-next-to-wet and wet-next-to-dry.

Intro to Primary Colors0:37
Primary colors are Red, Blue and Yellow. I will show you how to mix these colors with water for the right consistency.
Yellow6:56
In this lecture, we'll start our color mixing by making the lightest primary color, yellow.
Red2:30
In this lecture, we'll continue our color mixing by using the same technique we used for yellow, but we'll making a bold red.
Blue3:22
In this lecture, we'll finish our primary color mixing by making the strongest primary color, blue.

Intro to Secondary Colors0:53
Secondary colors are Green, Purple and Orange - each of which are a blend of two Primary colors. I will show you how to mix these to get rich secondary colors.
Orange3:54
In this lecture, we'll start our secondary color mixing by combining yellow and red to make orange.
Green4:44
In this lecture, we'll continue our secondary color mixing by combining yellow and blue to make green.
Purple2:58
In this lecture, we'll finish our secondary color mixing by combining red and blue to make purple.

Intro to Tertiary Colors0:48
Tertiary colors are Red-Orange, Yellow-Orange,Yellow-Green, Blue-Green, Blue-Purple, and Red-Purple - each of which are a blend of one Primary and one Secondary color. I will show you how to mix these to get rich tertiary colors.
Yellow-Orange4:48
In this lecture, we'll start our tertiary color mixing by combining yellow and orange to make yellow-orange.
Yellow-Green2:31
In this lecture, we'll continue our tertiary color mixing by combining yellow and green to make yellow-green.
Blue-Green2:44
In this lecture, we'll continue our tertiary color mixing by combining blue and green to make blue-green.
Blue-Purple2:33
In this lecture, we'll continue our tertiary color mixing by combining blue and purple to make blue-purple.
Red-Purple2:29
In this lecture, we'll continue our tertiary color mixing by combining red and purple to make red-purple.
Red-Orange1:47
In this lecture, we'll finish our tertiary color mixing by combining red and orange to make red-orange.

Intro to Complementary Colors0:38
Complementary colors are opposite one another on the color wheel. Anytime you combine complements, it serves to dull down your colors, or achieve some form of grey or brown. Here we'll learn how to mix a variety of complementary colors to achieve a selection of different results.
Yellow-Purple5:56
In this lecture, we'll start our complementary color mixing by combining mostly yellow with a little purple to make a dull yellow.
Purple-Yellow4:57
In this lecture, we'll continue our complementary color mixing by adding more purple to our yellow-purple to make a dull purple.
Red-Green3:06
In this lecture, we'll continue our complementary color mixing by combining
mostly red with a little green to make a dull red.
Green-Red3:25
In this lecture, we'll continue our complementary color mixing by adding
green to red to make a dull green.
Orange-Blue2:48
In this lecture, we'll continue our complementary color mixing by combining
mostly orange with a little blue to make a dull orange.
Blue-Orange1:09
In this lecture, we'll continue our complementary color mixing by adding
more blue to our orange-blue to make a dull blue.

Yellow-Purple Center2:05
In this lecture, we'll continue our complementary color mixing by combining yellow and purple to achieve a middle grey-brown that falls just about half-way between yellow and purple.
Red-Green Center2:42
In this lecture, we'll continue our complementary color mixing by combining red and green to achieve a middle grey that falls just about half-way between red and green.
Blue-Orange Center2:12
In this lecture, we'll finish our complementary color mixing by combining blue and orange to achieve a middle grey that falls just about half-way between blue and orange.

Requirements

This class requires an open mind and an enthusiasm for learning to mix watercolor paints.
This class is for beginners, no experience is necessary.

Description

This class is a step-by-step introduction to the art of watercolor mixing, designed for complete novices or dabblers who want to feel more confident with their paints. Together, we'll explore how to mix colors purposefully, adjust saturation and value, and apply small, controlled washes of color to paper.

We’ll begin by discussing the basic materials you’ll need, then practice adding water and pigment to a mixing tray, learning how different ratios affect the results. From there, we’ll build a full color wheel with primary, secondary, tertiary and complementary colors—while also exploring how to lighten, darken, dull and intensify colors for flexibility and confidence in your future paintings.

In this class, you’ll learn how to:

• Mix accurate and intentional colors in watercolor

• Adjust saturation (color intensity) and value (lightness or darkness)

• Apply watercolor to paper using a few very basic techniques

• Avoid common beginner frustrations with water-to-paint balance

• Build a reliable visual reference (a color wheel) you can use again and again

By the end, you’ll not only have your own hand-painted color wheel, but also the confidence to create any color you want in watercolor. With these foundational skills, you’ll be better equipped to approach future projects with clarity and joy.

Who this course is for:

The complete beginner or the watercolor dabbler who wants to acquire skills in basic watercolor mixing.

Watercolor Mixing for Beginners

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction & Preparation6 lectures • 16min

Primary Colors4 lectures • 13min

Secondary Colors4 lectures • 12min

Tertiary Colors7 lectures • 18min

Complementary Colors7 lectures • 22min

Middle Grey Colors3 lectures • 7min

Wrap-Up1 lecture • 1min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: