Wa s h e s , C o l o r R e c i p e s , a n d Te c h n i q u e s

Sharon Finmark
1 your basic palette
The key to handling color well is to begin by exploring a basic range of colors to see
what they offer you in various mixes and dilutions. There is no better way to gain
the confidence that will help you to paint with fluency right from the early stages of
learning. When the pigments begin to seem like familiar friends you can then enjoy
extending the range with some extra colors to see what they will contribute.

Arranging your palette

In a paintbox the colors are usually
arranged by color family, with the
ranges of reds, blues, yellows and
greens grouped together, and so on.
If you have tubes and need to squeeze
the paint out on a separate palette,
place them in the same order so that
you can find them without hesitation.
You will not want to waste a moment
looking for the pigment you need
when you are working wet-into-
wet, particularly if you are working
outside on a hot and sunny day when
the paint is drying fast.

2 600 Watercolor Mixes

waterlilies
The fish were painted in Cadmium
Yellow, with Cadmium Orange used
to emphasize the scales. The leaves
are Hooker’s Green, with a hint of
Prussian Blue to create shadows.
your basic palette 3
 Basic colors
A basic set of tubes or pans will usually contain
Lemon Yellow, Cadmium Yellow, Cadmium Orange,
Cadmium Red, Alizarin Crimson, Violet, Ultramarine,
Prussian Blue, Hooker’s Green, Viridian, Burnt
Sienna, and Vandyke Brown.
A larger set may offer Permanent Rose, Yellow
Ochre, Payne’s Gray, Naples Yellow, Cerulean, Raw
Umber, Burnt Umber, Sepia, Sap Green, and Cobalt
Blue. In addition, black and Chinese White may be
included. The former can be used to darken colors,
but it should not be relied on, as the main principle of
watercolor is keeping transparency a priority.
The dilutions that can be produced from the basic
palette of colors that is found in most sets are shown
Lemon Yellow Cadmium Yellow Cadmium Orange
Ultramarine Prussian Blue Hooker’s Green
4 600 Watercolor Mixes
on pages 14–15, while a larger range of paint
colors and what they can produce in a painting
is on pages 16–17.
Before you set about mixing pigments to produce
another color from your set, assessing the value of
the colors is the very first step. Some are initially
dark in value, such as the blues, while some are
light, such as the yellows. Watercolor pigments
are lightened by diluting them with water in the
desired quantity. The mid-value colors can be
darkened within the same color family. For example,
a shadowed area on a tomato could be painted in
Alizarin Crimson over the main color of Cadmium
Red once it has dried.
Cadmium Red Alizarin Crimson Violet
Viridian Burnt Sienna Vandyke Brown
 Prussian Blue into Ultramarine with overlaid
a wet area of paper Prussian Blue, Hooker’s glazes of Violet
Green, and Cadmium Violet with an overlaid
Yellow mixed on wet paper glaze of Ultramarine
Still Life:
Fan, Bottle,
and Fruit
Palette used
Alizarin Crimson
Cadmium Red
Cadmium Yellow Cadmium Yellow
with overlaid glazes
Hooker’s Green
of Cadmium Red
Lemon Yellow
Ultramarine
Vandyke Brown
Hooker’s Green Violet
with overlaid glazes
of Vandyke Brown

Cadmium Yellow
with overlaid glazes
of Hooker’s Green

Lemon Yellow with Alizarin Crimson Violet and Vandyke Cadmium Yellow
overlaid glazes of onto damp paper Brown into a wet with overlaid glazes
Hooker’s Green area of paper of Cadmium Orange

your basic palette 5

 Dilutions
Diluting pigments with water has the effect of
lightening the color and producing the delicate
washes for which watercolor is renowned. Here each
basic color is shown in gradually increased dilutions
to show the range of tones that can be obtained,
from the pure color to the palest tint. This versatility
means that a delicate flower head could be painted in
dilutions of just one color, for example.

Lemon Yellow Cadmium Yellow

Cadmium Orange Cadmium Red

Alizarin Crimson Violet

6 600 Watercolor Mixes

 The fluidity of the paint is vital to the appearance
of a watercolor painting. It should look transparent
and effortless in its application. Obtaining a range
of tints such as those on this spread is just a matter
of careful handling of the proportions of water and
paint to make subtle adjustments.
Ultramarine
Hooker’s Green
Burnt Sienna
Using more water in the dilution means that you
can cover larger areas of the painting with generous
sweeps of color, ideal for areas such as big skies.
Always prepare plenty of the dilution; if you have to
pause partway through to mix more paint and water
you will lose the smoothness of the wash.
Prussian Blue
Viridian
Vandyke Brown
your basic palette 7
Master mixing
and using color

An easy-to-use reference for watercolor painters of all levels, 600

Watercolor Mixes shares all the keys to expert color mixing and how to
enhance your work with vivacious shades and tints.

Beginning with comprehensive charts demonstrating the nuances of

each color pairing, 600 Watercolor Mixes offers thorough color swatches
of expected results when mixing different colors and using different
techniques like palette mixing, wet-into-wet, and overlaying. Plus,
you’ll get the basics on color theory and concepts, including saturation
and value. Next, you’ll learn about advanced color mixing, such as grays
and neutrals. With Sharon Finmark’s expert guidance, you’ll discover
how to get the precise depth of color needed.
C o n t e n ts
600 Watercolor Mixes illustrates how colors can be used to enhance a
painting—to create spatial effects, add contrast, and make shadows. Introduction
Filled with watercolor illustrations and examples, this manual gives all Your Basic Palette
the color mixing fundamentals for watercolorists of all levels. The Color Wheel
Color Properties
Sharon Finmark trained at St. Martin’s College of Art and currently Color Mixing
teaches drawing, painting, and the history of color in contemporary art Neutrals
at the City Lit College in London. She writes for The Artist magazine and Color, Light, and Shade
has published several books. Subject Matter

Hardcover
7 × 7, 176 pages
ISBN 978-1-59668-265-8
$22.95
Available March 2011