How to Mix Watercolors (AVOID these 3 colors!)
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- čas přidán 28. 06. 2024
- In this watercolor mixing video I will tell you about 3 colors commonly found in beginner sets of watercolor paints that you should probably avoid at first. Certain colors can be real pitfalls for beginners and I will demonstrate what they are and the problems with them. Lastly I tell you about another color in your box that although it’s a great colour, you should be careful with it…
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0:00 How to Mix Watercolors
2:02 Black Watercolor
5:35 White Watercolor
8:23 Viridian Watercolor
11:50 Ultramarine Watercolor
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Links to colours you may find useful in UK and US groupings:
UK Yellow Ochre Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/2VPjmZM
UK Cadmium Yellow Deep Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/2XFP6SL
UK Tropical Phthalo Blue SAA amzn.to/2QAjNWC
UK Paynes Grey Talens Rembrandt 20ml amzn.to/2On27Nd
UK Manganese Blue Daniel Smith 15ml: amzn.to/2OmOKwl
UK Cerulean Blue Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/2RuT0xO
UK Ultramarine Deep Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/2VLRUfr
UK Winsor and Newton Alizarin Crimson 37ml amzn.to/2K59asW
US Ultramarine Deep Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/2CpB2Uu
US Winsor and Newton Alizarin Crimson 37ml amzn.to/36P6Wrq
US Cerulean Blue Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/2pNdZjR
US Cadmium Yellow Deep Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/2XsoiWU
US Manganese Blue Daniel Smith 15ml: amzn.to/2W3alzP
US Yellow Ochre Talens Rembrandt 20ml: amzn.to/3cMqyPU
US Paynes Grey Talens Rembrandt 20ml amzn.to/2QsjsXV
US Phthalo Blue Winsor and Newton 21ml amzn.to/2QrkEuI
Disclaimer: Some of the product links above may be affiliate links which pay this channel a small commission (at no extra cost to the buyer) which enables me to make more free videos for you to enjoy. Thanks for your support!
www.michelewebber.com - Jak na to + styl
Let me know if any of these colors have caused you problems in the past?
I'm so very grateful that you're teaching this information for free; especially, as I've bought beginner sketching and painting kits already, under the supposition that I'll just act on inspiration, alone 😬🙃
I'd be happy to invest money into any specialized art classes 🎨 if you're ever interested (or already have) your own website to Teach from 🍎
Not watercolour, but I’ve just bought some coloured pencils and that green is one of two in the set. The other is mint. Really not very useful!
Really interesting video. Thanks
If you do have and want to use up Viridian, I enjoy it with Burnt Sienna for a moody, mossy green or Alizarin Crimson for lovely, stormy blues and purples.
Great ideas, thanks!
Thanks for the mixing recommendations. I like Viridian actually. Only thing is it’s too hard to re-wet so I think I will just use it out of the tube. In the pan it dries so hard that is pops out of the pan.
Yes, and it's also the perfect color both for windowglass and fog before sunrise!
The thing about viridian / phthalo green is it's actually a fantastic mixing green - add yellows or oranges to get any spectrum of natural foliage greens. Or the other angle, add blues to get any spectrum of water or skies. Or add reds to get neutrals. It's quite a workhorse on my palette but definitely not for everyone, especially those wanting to just use pigments directly from the tube
I love the color for mixing, it's a lot cheaper for a larger tube. This was the one color I got the biggest tube in lol
When I first started watercolors my instructor included thalo green as a starter color. I live where there's an abundance of fir trees. Thalo green and alizarin crimson were used for all the different colors of the firs. I switched to viridian because it's non-staining and can be lifted whereas thalo green stains and is impossible to lift. Some viridian hues contain thalo green which will stain.
Viridian mixed with alizarin gives you nice greys. It's a very pure, transparent color, very close to true green.
Sounds great, will try that one!
I'm not exactly sure that applies to the Schmincke variant, though. That's more bluish than a true green, for all that I can tell, I'd also say it's also granulating a bit and I think it's not as translucent as say, the heliogreen wish is the other green that I got 🤔
Try mix with transparent orange, you ll get a very beautiful green tone
Yes! I accidentally did mixed those two and have been in love with that mix of grey ever since.
@@mikenoneofyourbusiness7122 You're right. True Green means exactly between blue and yellow on the color wheel, which only applies to pigments.
Viridian and sepia or burnt umber make a beautiful green shade.
Veridian happens to be a wonderful color for use in water. Many lakes are very green and when you look at the deeper parts of it they are very much a viridian color.
Viridian is my cool green and sits next to Hookers Green in my secondary pallet with Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, Ivory Black and Paynes Gray. My main pallet is cool red yellow blue and warm red yellow blue. I use the secondary if I am going to do a more detailed piece.
I don't know many people who use veridian, and yes, it's useful if you paint a few lakes, but must they stick it in *every* palette? I have a lifetime supply.
Color mixing is really the foundation for painting. It would be so frustrating to know what color you wanted to put to paper but have no idea how to make it. When I was in my 20's I took a few artist led community classes. I was so frustrated when I tried to paint at home and had no knowledge of color theory and mixing. So for me, I like that you are teaching it.
For most people it doesn't come naturally, but it can definitely be learned!
I live in the tropics and viridian is perfect for creating the bluish emerald water. I’ve tried a lot of other ways, but viridian really captures it.
You are amazing. I wish I had had the opportunity to have a great art instructor back in the day, but even though I am now retired I can perhaps have the time to take more advantage of the knowledge you have to offer. I’m overwhelmed at times, but keep replaying till things sink in.
Thanks so much Sophia, if you learn something with each painting that's all that matters, you don't have to absorb it all at once!
So true, Michelle indeed is an excellent teacher. To teach is a craft. She does it well. Whoever learns in her guidance will become proficient and confident. The best part is, Michelle doesn’t hold back. She shares secrets of artists that most will not divulge. 💗
Black is something I rarely use. Learning watercolor from professionals like you on youtube, I've learnt to avoid for the most part. However, since the watercolor set I have only has burnt sienna, I use it to darken my brown sometimes without losing the vibrancy of it.
Viridian (Hue) on the other hand, I love. I think the one I have is more a Pthalo Green than Viridian as the color is slightly different than what you've shown and the brand also has a separate Emerald bit it is still quite unnatural straight out of the tube. However, mixed with a warm red (scarlet lake in the brand I use), it gives this beautiful cool, dark but duller/more natural green that I absolutely love. And mixed with a cool red (crimson lake in the brand I use), it gives a gorgeous grey. I absolutely love it. Oh, and it also gives a bright turquoise color when mixed with prussian blue (and maybe with other cooler blues too). I also mix a teeny bit of it with prussian for the skies as the prussian I have is not quite the color of the skies. I hadn't tried mixing it with ochre though, I should give that a try too.
P.S. The brand I use is Camlin. It is an Indian brand and extremely affordable for us in south Asia. The colors are not as transparent as something like W&N and do not bloom far in water but they are lightfast, affordable, artists quality, easily reactivated and not at all chalky. Universally loved by those of us who have used it.
About using (tube) black, I was taught that the best reason for not using black is that you can actually make not only darker colors than tube black but also richer colors than black by mixing complements. I have had classroom exercises where we were challenged to make the darkest color shades possible using only colors on the color wheel without using tube black. Then once we had those lined up, we put tube black next to it to compare which is darker, and which is more....pleasing. Without a doubt, tube black was not only lighter but also gives a dirty charcoal gray essence to colors that can nearly ruin a painting. I do find tube black useful for making monochromatic paintings and value studies, but as a strong rule I leave it out of all my realistic painting work. It is also good for graphic arts purposes like lettering, calligraphy as well as logo design, line work, etc. So even as a beginner there are uses for it, but I will quickly agree using black out of the tube can trash an otherwise well executed watercolor painting; this is even true in acrylics and oil painting.
Also if you want to be a purist about traditional transparent watercolor painting techniques, white adds opacity and hence violates the whole religious stance of transparent-only colors. Many people consider adding white, even in small amounts, as moving a "traditional watercolor" instantly into the "mixed media" category. Some juried watercolor art shows may not even accept paintings if you used white pigment. So, white does have its uses, but it is tricky to learn for sure. My two cents.
All of that is true, but the purists amuse me because the earliest watercolourists all used 'body' colour, so it can hardly claim to be traditional. I am not against white, just in favour of fully understanding it's affects before using.
This is a more more useful, information-full tutorial than the others I have watched on mixing colors. Don't use black to darken colors, don't use white to lighten them, avoid Viridian as a beginner, know that when you mix, some colors already have secondary colors in them and this will affect what color you produce... and tons more, like pan sizes and that replacements are available. Thank you - really learned something watching this!
Brilliant Patrick, thanks so much for watching :-)
This is extremely useful information. I've read and watched a lot on colour mixing but your explanations are so clear that I'm truly understanding the underlying principles. Please do continue with the colour mixing tutorials as this is a critical component of successful watercolor painting. Thank you so much for sharing your obvious expertise.
Glad it was helpful Brenda, thank you for your kind words, I have been teaching for many years so I guess it helps me explain clearly.
I'm learning so much with your videos. My love for watercolor is getting bigger. Thank you ♥
It's a great medium!
This is a timeless video and sooo very useful to beginners, who maybe have never thought of colour mixing - it's a whole art in itself and one worth learning about: thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
I feel so blessed that I came across your channel! I have never seen so detailed drawing tutorials on CZcams, your videos help me greatly! Thank you for existing
You are very welcome!
Thank you for your clear, inspired explanations you offered in this video! I am new to watercolors and I constantly try to learn the basics from the very best. And what you explained here is a gold mine for any beginner, like me! Thank you!
Great video!
I think phthalo green is usually included in beginner sets because it's a great mixing colour. Even if it isn't natural looking on its own it can be used to mix beautiful natural greens by mixing it with different yellows and blues. It can also be used to make a beautiful cool grey when mixed with a quinacridone rose or a quinacridone magenta.
Yes I did a video all about using these bright greens for mixing!
Michele, I adore your videos! I find they have so much value. Whether you are an accomplished watercolor artist or a true beginner, your passion for the art medium shines though and excites the imagination! Thank you for your willingness to share these important tips for success.
You are so welcome!
Thank you for this video. I paint mostly landscapes and nature and I actually have Phthalo green in my beginner's palette. But even in my very first watercolour painting I would never have thought of using it on its own. Beginners need to learn how to mix the shades that they want or need; and I consider the bright greens perfect for this venture.
You obviously have good colour mixing instincts, so glad you enjoyed the video!
Ausmalblog Ausmaler yes, phthalo green is meant to be a mixing color 👍🏻
@@marsbeads yessss! Mix with a little quinacridone gold or indian yellow or nickel azo yellow and a little dulling with quin. coral. If learning to mix sap green you have to have phalo. I use French Ultramarine in my skies all the time. Phalo blue than should be pulled too for beginners because why they might actually have a happy accident and learn to mix with it! Oh but keep the fugitive colors. Doesn't make any sense to me.
I really like your color mixing videos. You are a very good teacher. Thank you!
Thank you so much!
this video was god sent, you explain everything so well and you didn't just say which color to avoid but the ones we can use to replace it, from the bottom of my heart thank you so much, this just helped so much with making the correct decision of which colors to buy first!!
I'm so glad it helped you!
Thanks for the tips. I consider myself quite accomplished in watercolours but sometimes it is worthwhile to go back to basics. As far as Ultramarine Blue, as I live in South Africa and like doing desert-scapes, if you use it wet on wet it is a beautiful sky colour.
Of course, no doubt a great colour for Africa, a little too strong for UK skies!
You are such a good teacher. I have taken watercolor on and off for 10 years and no one every told me this. I assume that these tips hold true with
acrylic paint as well??? Thank you for making this video.
Not quite. Black can be used but I wouldn't use it to darken colours, use it sparingly, just when painting something that is actually black. White IS used, because acrylics are not a transparent medium, so white is used to lighten colours. With watercolour you just add more water to lighten. The green still applies!
Nice explanations and reviews of the colors and how they appear and mix up. Thanks.
No problem Ruth!
Learning all the time. Thank you!
You're welcome Christina 🙂👍
I used to live in Colorado (US) and the sky there was pretty close to Ultramarine on many days, especially in winter, but that was the only place where the sky got close to that.
Amazing!
Thanks for the guidance, it's very useful, especially the comments about mixing greens as I like to do landscapes !
You are very welcome Bob! X
This is incredibly useful and very helpful. Thank you Michele!
Glad it was helpful!
Incredibly helpful for me as a beginner. I’ve made these color mistakes already but now know why they were so unsuccessful.
Thank you!
Brilliant, once you get used to them they can all be used (carefully), they can just be tricky when you are starting out.
I'm learning so much, thank you!
Excellent!
I especially appreciate the section on Ultramarine Blue - it explains some of the issues I've had with it and you gave some great tips to use going forward. I just found your channel, so it looks like I've got a lot of catching up to do. Thank you for posting these great tutorials. Cheers!
No problem Barb 🙂
I feel so enlightened after watching this video. Thank you!
You're so welcome!
Another very good video with plenty of easily understood information. Thank you Michele.
Glad it was helpful!
Absolutely useful&interesting video, thank you Michelle.
This is terrific. Thank you Michele.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent information. Thank you so much.
I just love Ultramarine for mixing purple, especially mixed with Alizarin (W&N make a permanent Alizarin). I mix black from Burnt Umber and Prussian Blue.
White should only be used in opaque mediums; I often use it when painting with gouache.
Ultramarine makes amazing purples!
I would also recommend anthraquinone blue as an alternative to Prussian as it’s usually much more lightfast! I use m Graham’s and it’s gorgeous
While I'm not sure if this works only in the brand I use, but prussian blue mixed with warm red also makes black colors. Brownish if red is more and bluish if blue is more.
just discovered your videos and thank you so much for this information with such a details. You inspire me to improve my watercolor paintings
Thank you Annabelle, so pleased you found it useful :-)
Thank you, very informative for this beginner!
Super useful. Thanks!
Brilliant!!!! I've just subscribed to your beginner's watercolor course!!! I've ordered those tools I'm lacking to get started!!
That's great Jerri, thank you!
I enjoy your videos so much and learn so many things. You are so direct in your teaching-no nonsense and blabbing away. So many blogs are filled with wonderfully talented artists who talk about everything but what and how they are doing. I have had to turn several off.
You give the exact amount of how with the proper amount of anecdotes and I learn so much. Thank you, 💐
Wow, thank you!
Really helpful Michele, thank you! I am learning so much from your tutorials!
I'm so glad Melanie :-)
Thank you Michelle! I need all the help I can get especially with mixing blues and greens as I unfortunately have tritonopia. I mostly rely on other people's advice on what works. I'll check your other videos to see your advice on other greens and blues. It's very helpful!
Thank you so much for this video. Your explanations make so much sense. I felt funny using the white to make a pink, like something was wrong, but I didn’t know why, and wasn’t happy with how the black was working when I tried to use it, even in small amounts.
So glad it helped you Dara ☺️
Fantastic video. I had no idea about the blues. Thank you.
My pleasure!
Helpful tips, and I love the colors you’re wearing 🌺🌺🌺
Thank you!
As a beginner in watercolor and looking at many different artists, I find it always interesting when they have complete different opinions, which colors are essential for the beginning and which are not. Being from Germany I watched a lot of videos from an old austrian watercolor painter and guess what, ultramarine and also viridian, or something similar as viridian as phtalo green belongs to his must have colors, if you want to paint landscapes. He doesn't use them in their pure form, but always mixed. And actually, I am trying to paint since a year and the first color which I finished in my set is ultramarine. 😀
Phthalo green is actually incredibly useful. The reason I tell people not to use it is because they don't usually know how to mix it effectively. There are no bad colours :-)
Thank you! Very helpful Michele!
Just started doing watercolor. Enjoy and learned a lot from your video. Thank you.
Les from Minnesota.
Hi Les, thanks for watching ☺️
Very helpful! Thanks.
Thanks for the many videos. I enjoy them all. I find I also learn from the comments. Keep up the excellent work Ann God bless you throughout this trying time
Thank you so much! I have enjoyed watching your tutorials and have learned so much!
Awesome! Thank you!
I looove how organized you are🤩
I always use ultramarine to make purple colors, subconsciously up to now!
Thank you for this great video 💕
Good instinct then! You are very welcome :-)
Thank you for an interesting and informative tutorial. My painting needs all the help I can find. Keep up the good work!
Thank you 🙏
Thank you for all of your tips!
No problem!
This was very informative, thank you!
Must stop watching your videos and go put all that I learn into practice, but these are so good, and I have watched alot of videos and yours are just loaded with practical tips and experience no one else ever points out, yet is so obvious when you explain it. Thank you.
Awesome, thank you!
I am enjoying and learning so much from your videos. Thanks 🙏 I sooo appreciate you ....keep them coming. It matters very much to me and my journey ❤️
Thank you, I will!
Thanks for sharing your talent. Blessings.
Excellent 👍. Very helpful!!! Thank you 😊❤️
Glad it was helpful!
My entire pallets is Alizarine Crimson, Lemon Yellow, Cerulean (cools) and Cadmium Red Medium, Cadmium Yellow Medium, French Ultramarine (warms). That’s it. You can mix what you need from there. My travel palette is only 3 inches with six half pans.
Thank you for those tips ! 🎨 ❤️🎨
Any time!
Very useful thank you Michele
No problem Yvonne!
Very practical, well done thank you.
You are welcome!
I found this video fascinating I have so much to learn about color so thank you for this wonderful video.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you. Useful advise
You are welcome
Just learning how to mix. Brilliant video!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very helpful. Thank you.
You're welcome!
Really enjoy your videos. Good information.
Thank you 🙏
I will often use a very pale Viridian wash for skies and then go over that with more of a cerulean or primary blue color (either as a mix or after it dries) along with a bit of pale rose, yellow ochre, and ultramarine when needed. Don't diss the vrid. ;-) To me, it's essential in order to make watercolor vibrant, and I absolutely understand why it's included, (though...subtlety is most definitely a virtue). Learn to control the pure hues, just like those rose dye colors you describe as so essential.
Ah, not dissing it. It's a great and useful colour, but beginners get into a lot of trouble with it. All the colours in this video can be used effectively when you know what you are doing!
This was so helpful thank you.
So glad!
Thank you, Michele Webber, for a great green colour-mixing video. I used to kick my Viridian out of my box but now will be able to use it for mixing, thanks to your tutorial. My favourite mix was Naples Yellow & Prussian Blue.
You are so welcome!
Your mention of viridian made me think about how I often express myself artistically. I guess I’m a beginning intermediate where wc is concerned but I don’t always paint realistically. I love flowers and tend to go more with abstract and stylized designs that may or may not represent a certain flower or plant or actual landscape. So some of the brighter colors that we may not see in the natural world can make a more whimsical and abstract painting a delight to look at, because of the overall composition of patterns and colors. On the other hand, I sometimes want to paint more realistically but am still honing my drawing skills and am still struggling with controlling my wc to get the effects I want. So I find I still need to practice the basics, so I’ll be tuning in to watch your beginning wc videos. Thanks.
Thank you, very informative tips.
My pleasure!
Loved the warnings about uses and mixing of ultramarine - although I love the green it did make. Found your info very helpful. I'm just a beginner.
Awesome! Thank you! I have a video coming up about greens in the next few weeks. There's nothing wrong with an ultramarine green, if you understand it will be a dull green and contrast it with other, fresher greens. There are no bad colours, all of the ones I talk about can be used, it's just beginners can find them tricky.
This was a wonderful video!
Thank you!
Thanks!
This was very very helpful
Ah, thanks Carol ☺️
Such a great help. I've not heard or perhaps not understood that a colours that have another primary already have a head start in that direction. Will be watching more. Awesome. Thank you 💖
Glad it was helpful!
I have a new paint set which has black, white, and verifiable. I will set them aside for now. Thank you!
I have SO much to learn…
Thank you for all these videos!!
Very informative, thank you.
Very welcome Kim!
Thank you for a very helpful video.
No worries!
Thank you for this tutorial because I wondered why the put that viridian blue in my first set of tubes. I had not found a use for it. The explanations you gave were so educational. Thank you!
You’re welcome 😊
What I also find funny is that on Amazon people, for example, rate watercolour boxes worse if there are a few colors that they don't like.
But it can be checked beforehand in the description and in the pictures of the box which colors are included. If you don't like the colour scheme you can buy another one.
In the reviews, a few people always write that they do not need the white and would rather have had a different colour and others find it good that there is a white.
Exactly the same with the black.
Yes they can't please everyone!
What's worse is when that the same brand has a set of the same colors, one including and the other excluding white. Sure, the one excluding white will have another color to replace that, but you can choose for yourself what you value more, white or the extra color.
Very useful and I think will solve some of my problems.
Glad it helped
I definitely mix my greens, but I do keep phalo green in my pallette for mixing purposes, never straight. Great video Michelle.
Very very helpful thanks
No problem
Perfect! Thank you
You're welcome!
New subscriber here and newbie with watercolors. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and talents. ♥️♥️♥️
I like Viridian PG 18 very much, it is also called fiery chrome oxide.
If I have a palette with few colours then I don't have viridian in my palette, I always have to mix in other colors to get a natural green.
Emerald green at White Nights is PG7 phthalo green. I don't like this colour so much, it's difficult to handle for me.
I avoid cadmium colors, these are too opaque for me and do not mix so well with transparent colors.
A colour that I don't like is Aureolin PY40, it turns brown after a few days and the picture looks different from planned.
I don't mind a few opaque colours in my palette 🙂 but you do have to be careful when layering them ☺️
I just mixed viridian and moonglow. So pretty.
Excellent info !
Very interesting video. Especially for a beginner like me. Thanks a lot. 🙏🏼
My pleasure!
@@IntheStudiowithMicheleWebber 🙏🏼
I’m a newbie. Thanks. I find you to be an effective presentation for technical aspects all the while adding a wonderful artistic presentation. I thought I heard that ultramarine is not a pure hue, so I will continue to observe which ones are, and are not. I made the crafty floral piece. Thanks. I’m really enjoying you.
Awesome, thank you! Ultramarine is a single pigment colour, but granulates heavily and varies between brands. It can be very beautiful when used for the right things :-)
Very good video for beginner s to learn, thank you
You are welcome Marc!
Really helpful. I find it difficult to decide on sky colours. Thanks
You’re welcome 😊
Payne's grey is such a gorgeous color!
Yes it is!
It is one of the most useful colors in watercolor. I need it.
This might help me a lot.thanks
This was so informative...explains why blue doesn't act like I think it should!