Don't let the word 'theory' intimidate you. An understanding of the basics of color theory and the color wheel is essential for every artist and can increase the possibilities for your work. Colors are, after all, one of the basic tools of painting.
All the basic information you need to know about color theory and color mixing, arranged in easy-to-understand color theory lessons.
What hue, value, and chroma mean in a paint color, and why it's important to consider all three when mixing colors for painting.
Test how much you know about the basic principles of color mixing with this color quiz.
This explanation of how to paint up a color theory triangle will guide you on your first steps on the enjoyable path that is color mixing.
Here are a few tips to help you get the best results when mixing colors that I wish I'd known when I started painting!
Share in the joys of color mixing and exploring color theory in this photo gallery of color mixing charts.
An explanation of how to do a simple or basic lightfastness test to see how stable a paint color is.
This online color mixing tool lets you experiment with mixing primary colors and secondary colors without worrying that you're wasting paint.
What is a tone in a painting, how it tone different from color, and why is it important for artists? Find out in this article on painting tones or values.
A look at what tonality is and why it’s so important in a painting.
How the Impressionists changed the colors we use to paint shadows.
Some pigments are extremely transparent, barely showing on top of another color. Others are extremely opaque, hiding what's beneath. Here's a simple way to test.
Van Gogh deliberately set about using colors to capture mood and emotion, rather than using colors realistically. At the time, this was completely unheard of.
What did Van Gogh think about tone and color mixing? This extract from a letter he wrote in 1882 tells us.
How to mix chromatic black and why it's superior to black straight from a tube.
An illustrated step-by-step tutorial of how to mix green on a canvas, rather than on a palette.
A look at the various red paints available to artists.
The discoverer of Prussian blue, the colormaker Diesbach, was in fact not trying to make a blue, but a red. Hard to believe, but true. Read what went wrong.
Genuine ultramarine is characteristic color in Medieval paintings, and was once the most expensive pigment available.
A look at the type of paint that the Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock used in his paintings, and his painting technique.
A look at the colors the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Gauguin used in his palette.
This is a selection of books I've found useful and accessible for learning more about colors, paint pigments, and color mixing.
Any painter interested in knowing more about the colors they use and the way colors were discovered, developed, or evolved will find this book fascinating.
If you haven't the time to make your own color-mixing charts, you'll find them in great book (for oils, acrylic, watercolor, gouache, soft pastels, colored pencil, and ink).
An extremely thorough article on mixing greens. Everything you could want to know, and probably much more.
In watercolors, some pigments mix together well while others separate out. This article looks at how you can use this characteristic in your paintings.
We all associate particular colors with specific things, such as black with funerals. This article discusses the psychology of color and how it can be used in a painting. It's fascinating but a bit heavy going as there are no illustrations.
The first step in color theory or color mixing is knowing about the three primary colors -- yellow, blue, and red.
Secondary colors (oranges, green, and purples) are created by mixing two of the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) together. Find out how to mix your own secondary colors and why you should know how to do this rather than simply buying them.
Tertiary colors are neutral colors such as browns and greys. Learn how to mix these and how to stop them becoming muddy.
Complementary colors make each other appear brighter and also appear in the shadows. Find out which colors complement each other and an easy way to remember this.
Should you add white to lighten a color and black to darken it?
In Ancient Egypt color was considered an integral part of a person's nature, and items with similar colour were believed to have similar properties. By using modern-day equivalents you could use the meanings of colors to add an intriguing level of symbolism to a painting.
Do you use lamp black? Did you know that it was developed by the Ancient Egyptians way back when...? This article looks at what other colors they developed, and the technology used.
