Intro to Color Mixing Workshop

In this dynamic one-day color mixing workshop, participants will delve into the art of color creation using a limited palette of tube colors and the fundamental principles of the color wheel. Through hands-on exercises and guided instruction, attendees will learn how to blend these primary colors to produce a virtually infinite spectrum of hues and shades. The workshop covers essential techniques for achieving color harmony and contrast while demystifying the color wheel's role in effective color mixing and matching. By the end of the day, participants will have a deeper understanding of color theory and practical skills to enhance their artistic projects with a nuanced, personal palette—this workshop is best suited to wet media, including acrylic, oil, watercolor, and gouache.

This is a general supply list to cover a range of media. Some of the colors’ names might be different from one manufacturer to another and from one media type to another. At the very least, you will need six tube colors for this workshop. You will yield the best color mixtures with professional artist-grade paints. You will need approximately ten 9x12 inch pages.

Must Have Colors: (“Hue” colors are good as long as they are Artist Grade.)

1.) Titanium White or Permanent White

2.) Cad Yellow

3.) Cad Red

4.) Alizarin Crimson Permanent

5.) Ultramarine Blue

6.) Phthalo Blue

Optional, but useful secondary colors:

Cad orange
Cad Green or Permanent Green
Dioxazine Purple

Do not use your best and most expensive papers and canvas for this workshop!

Oil and Acrylic painters can work directly on Palette Paper for most of the color mixing exercises. A 10-sheet acrylic-primed canvas pad is also a great option, or homemade acrylic-primed watercolor paper (coat both sides with gesso).

Watercolor and Gouache painters can use budget-friendly pads such as Strathmore Watercolor 9x12 cold press 140 lb. pad, or 9x12 Canson XL watercolor paper for this workshop. As well as a couple pages of scrap paper to test color swatches.

Oil painters will need a large, medium, and small size oil brush, Gamblin solvent-free fluid medium, and safflower oil to clean brushes. Or, use water-mixable oil paints with a water-mixable linseed medium, and soap and water to clean brushes. Palette knife and paper towels, etc.

Acrylic, Watercolor, and Gouache painters will need a large, medium, and small size synthetic brush, palette, water spray bottle, paper towels, and a water bucket to rinse off your brushes, etc.

Sprafkin -- Color Mixing Workshop