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My art teacher has taught me a valuable point when painting and I would like to pass it on to you. It is possible to buy so many different pots and tubes of paint colour you can end up with so much more than you really need.  You will find that with only six colours and white you can make any shade or colour you choose.

What you need to always have on hand in your paint collection is warm and cool red, warm and cool yellow a pthalo blue, an ultramarine blue and of course white. Those six colours and white will make any colour you choose. When mixing always put your white out first and then add your colour a little at a time. If you do it the other way around you may find you have far more paint than you need.

You may have heard of’ ‘medium’, if you haven’t medium is a milky white in colour and dries clear. So you would get the same effect if you added water to your colour but without thinning the consistency.

For example, if you add medium to red you will get a lighter shade of red. If you add white to red you will get pink.

Here are some colour combinations:-

• Red + Yellow = Orange
• Red + White = Pink
• Blue + Yellow = Green
• Green + Red = Brown
• Blue + Red = Purple

Remember always add your colour a little at a time and try to get three shades of each a light, medium and dark. To do this first mix your colours together, this will be your darkest shade,  then take a little of the colour and add it to white this will be your light shade, then take a portion of your colour and a little white to it this will be your medium shade.

Have Fun