5 Simple Steps to Create an Acrylic Color Mixing Chart

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 5 min read

Color mixing can be a mystery for many beginners picking up a brush for the first time. But with the right guidance, it's less of a scary monster and more of an exciting exploration. If you're diving into the vibrant world of acrylic painting, creating an easy color mixing chart can be your compass. It's a simple, practical tool that helps you understand how different colors blend and interact with each other. Let's walk through the process together, step by step.

1. Gather Your Materials

Before we can start our journey towards creating an easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting, we need to first gather the necessary materials. These are the key items you'll need:

Acrylic Paints

To start with, you'll need acrylic paints, preferably in the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. These can be from any brand, but it's a good idea to choose ones that are pigmented well. It's always nice to have some white and black paint on hand too, as they're invaluable for creating shades and tints.

Mixing Tray

Next up, we need a mixing tray. This can be a palette, an old dish, or even a piece of glass. The point is to have a surface where you can mix your paints and see the resulting colors clearly.

Paintbrushes

As for brushes, a couple of good quality brushes of different sizes would suffice. Remember, the goal here is color mixing, so you don't need a plethora of brushes. Just a few that help you mix the colors and apply them onto the paper.

Paper

Lastly, you'll need some paper. This is where you'll create your easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting. Heavyweight paper or cardstock works best as it can withstand the weight of the acrylic paint without warping.

Now that we've gathered our materials, we're ready to dive into the colorful world of acrylic paint mixing!

2. Choose Your Colors

Now that we have all our materials, let's talk about colors. Choosing the right colors is key to creating an effective, easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting. Let's explore this in detail.

Primary Colors

Every color journey starts with the primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. These are the building blocks of all other colors. Having a good quality set of these in your acrylic paints is essential. So, your first step is to ensure you have these three colors in your collection.

Secondary Colors

Next, we have secondary colors. These are the colors you get when you mix two primary colors. Green (blue and yellow), orange (red and yellow), and purple (red and blue) are secondary colors. But don't worry about mixing these just yet. We will cover that in our next step.

Tertiary Colors

Lastly, we have tertiary colors. These are the colors you get when you mix a primary color with a secondary color. For example, mixing blue (primary color) with green (secondary color) will give you a blue-green (tertiary color). Again, you don't need to mix these just yet. We'll get to that in our next step.

Choosing the right colors is a significant part of making an easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting. But the real fun begins when we start mixing these colors. Ready for the exciting part? Let's dive in!

3. Start Mixing

Here's where the magic happens. We're going to start creating our own rainbow with our acrylic paints. Remember, this is an easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting we're creating, so no need to feel overwhelmed or scared. Let's take it step by step.

Mix Two Colors

Start with mixing two primary colors. For example, take red and yellow. When you mix these two, you'll get orange. It's amazing, isn't it? You just created a new color! Try it with other primary colors and see what you get.

Adjust the Shade

Now, let's play around a bit. Add more of one color to adjust the shade. What happens when you add more yellow to the orange mix? You get a lighter, more yellowish orange. And if you add more red? You'll get a darker, more reddish orange. Isn't that amazing? You're not just mixing colors; you're creating shades!

Create Your Shades

Now, using the same method, create different shades by mixing different quantities of two colors. Try to create as many shades as you can. The more you practice, the more you'll understand how colors work. And remember, there's no right or wrong here. It's all about exploration and discovery.

Now that you have your colors and shades ready, it's time to put them on paper and create your easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting. Excited to see how it turns out? So am I! Let's move on to the next step.

4. Create Your Chart

Now that we've mixed some beautiful colors, let's bring order to our colorful chaos. We're going to create an easy-to-follow acrylic color mixing chart. And don't worry, it's not as hard as it might seem at first glance. So, let's dive right in!

Draw Grid Lines

First thing's first: grab your paper and draw a grid. The size of the squares in your grid will depend on how detailed you want your chart to be. A smaller grid will allow for more color samples, while a larger grid will allow for bigger, easier to see samples. The choice is yours!

Fill in the Grid

Once your grid lines are drawn, it's time to fill them in with color. Use your paintbrush to take a bit of one of your mixed colors and fill one square. Repeat the process until all your squares are filled with the different colors and shades you've created. It's starting to look like a real color mixing chart, isn't it?

Label the Colors

Now comes an important part: labeling. Using a pen or a marker, label each square with the colors you used to create that shade. This way, you'll know exactly how to recreate each color in the future. It's like having a color recipe book!

And voila! You've just created your own easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting. It wasn't that hard, was it? But don't stop here. The world of color mixing is vast and fascinating. Keep experimenting and practicing, because the possibilities are truly endless.

5. Practice and Experiment

Well done! You've created your first easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting. But, as with any skill, practice makes perfect. So, let's keep the ball rolling and explore more ways to perfect your color mixing abilities.

Try Different Combinations

Don't limit yourself to the colors you've already tried. The beauty of acrylic paint is its versatility. You can create almost any color you can imagine by simply combining different paints. So, why not try mixing burnt sienna with ultramarine blue? Or how about cadmium yellow with phthalo green? Remember, it's all about experimenting and discovering new shades that you never knew existed!

Observe the Results

As you try out different color combinations, pay close attention to the results. What happens when you add more of one color than the other? Does the shade become warmer or cooler? How does the color change when you add white or black? Noting these subtleties will help you understand how colors interact with each other and improve your future color mixing endeavors.

Remember, the journey to mastering the easy color mixing chart for acrylic painting is not a sprint, it's a marathon. And the more you practice and experiment, the better you'll become. So, grab your paints and brushes, and let the color mixing adventure continue!

If you're looking to take your acrylic painting to new heights, don't miss the workshop 'Improve Your Acrylic Painting Skills' by Rachel Christopoulos. This workshop will help you sharpen your skills and provide you with advanced techniques to create stunning acrylic artworks.