There are 8 colours we put out when we paint a picture unless we are doing a specific technique. They are two Reds (a cool and a warm), two Yellows (a cool and a warm), two Blues (a cool and a warm), a Purple and a White.

From these colours we can make:

1. Yellow and Red make Orange
2. Yellow and Blue make Green
3. Red and Blue make Purple.

The complementary colours are:

1. Yellow and Purple
2. Red and Green
3. Blue and Orange.

When you want to tone down a colour you add a complimentary colour e.g.: if something is Purple you add a little Yellow to tone it down. The same applies to the other complimentary colours (if something is too Red, add green) etc. To make a neutral grey, mix three primary colours together in equal amounts.

e.g. Ultramarine Blue + Alizarin Crimson + Cadmium Yellow. If your mix has too much Yellow in it, add more Alizarin Crimson + Ultramarine Blue. If it is too Red add Yellow and Blue etc.

How to start with a Premixed Palette

These are all the warm colours premixed:

1. Start with the colour Red ground.
2. It is best to use a warmer colour for an allover warm palette; (paintings that are warm sell faster than cool temp paintings. People like warm cozy colours.)
3. Use a pre-mixed palette by mixing the following Piles of paint.
4. Adjust all colours by adding White to each mixture.
5. Start with the Yellow and add White (Pile 1), then add Yellow to Orange to make another colour (Pile 2).
6. Yellow and Red (Pile 3).
7. Then take the Red and mix it with White (Pile 4).
8. Mix the Blue with White. (Pile 5).
9. Mix the Red and Ultramarine Blue together (Pile 6).
10. Mix Cadmium Yellow with Ultramarine Blue (Pile 7).

Now we go to the cool colours:

1. Lemon Yellow is mixed with White (Pile 8).
2. Lemon Yellow mixed with Alizarin Crimson (Pile 9).
3. Mix the Alizarin Crimson with White (Pile 10).
4. Mix the Alizarin Crimson with Cerulean Blue (Pile 11).
5. Mix the Cerulean Blue with White (Pile 12).
6. Mix the Cerulean Blue with Lemon Yellow (Pile 13).

Now the neutrals:

1. Warm first – mix the Cadmium Red, Cadmium Yellow and Ultramarine Blue equally, then add White to lighten (Pile 14).
2. Mix the three cool colours Lemon Yellow, Alizarin Crimson and Cerulean Blue to make Grey by adding White (Pile 15).
3. The last one is a mixture of Orange and Dioxin Purple, (Pile 16)  which makes a colour similar to Burnt Sienna.

This requires a lot of planning first, but then you don’t have to stop painting to mix your colours. You paint faster and more creatively when you don’t have to stop to mix.