Colour Basics 101
How to Mix Endless Colours from Just 5 Paints
Let’s talk about colour!
Most people think you need a huge collection of paints to create something beautiful. The truth? You only need five. Red, yellow, blue, white, and black are the foundation of every colour you’ve ever seen and once you understand how they work together, the possibilities are genuinely endless.
Whether you’re picking up a brush for the very first time or you just want to understand what’s actually happening when you mix paints, this guide is for you.
The Primary Colours – Where It All Begins
Let me take you back to primary school (pun intended), sitting in class, when the topic of colours came up and your teacher introduced a term that sounded a little more official than the rest : primary colours.
Red, yellow, and blue are called primary colours because they can’t be made by mixing anything else. They’re the originals. The primary. The starting point. Every other colour in existence is born from these three.
Think of them as the parents of the entire colour family.
The Secondary Colours – When the Magic Happens
The lesson got interesting. Your teacher picked up two colours, mixed them together, and suddenly, a new colour! One that wasn’t there before. That’s the beauty of secondary colours.
Mix any two primary colours together and you get something entirely new:
- Red + Yellow = Orange
- Yellow + Blue = Green
- Red + Blue = Purple
The Tertiary Colours – Getting More Specific
Let’s say you want a very specific colour, because sometimes red is too loud and orange is too much and you want something right in that in-between place. That’s not indecision, that’s actually a real colour category. Meet tertiary colours, the colours that live in the middle ground.
Mix any primary with its neighbouring secondary and you land somewhere beautifully specific:
- Red + Purple = Magenta
- Red + Orange = Red-Orange
- Yellow + Orange = Yellow-Orange
- Yellow + Green = Yellow-Green
- Blue + Green = Teal
- Blue + Purple = Indigo
We now have 12 colors from just three paints!
White & Black – Your Secret Weapons
This is where your five colours become truly unlimited. White and black not only just lighten or darken, but they also completely transform a colour’s personality.
Adding White = Making Tints
White makes any colour softer, lighter, and more pastel:
- Red + White = Pink
- Red + White (more white) = Blush
- Blue + White = Sky Blue
- Purple + White = Lavender
CC Tip: Always add your colour to white, not white to your colour, it’s easier to control that way.
Adding Black = Making Shades
Black deepens a colour and gives it drama and richness:
- Red + Black = Burgundy
- Yellow + Black = Olive
- Blue + Black = Navy
- Green + Black = Forest Green
CC Tip: Go slowly with black, it’s powerful and a little goes a very long way.
Adding Both = Making Tones
Mix white and black together first to make grey, then add it to any colour for a muted, sophisticated tone. This is how painters create colours that feel natural and earthy rather than bright and flat.
Warm vs Cool Colours = Giving Your Painting a Mood
Every colour sits on either the warm or cool side of the spectrum and understanding this changes how you use them together.
Warm colours:- reds, oranges, yellows, feel energetic, bold, and inviting. They jump forward on a canvas and grab your attention.
Cool colours:- blues, greens, purples, feel calm, peaceful, and dreamy. They tend to recede into the background.
CC Tip: use warm colours for things you want to stand out and cool colours for backgrounds and shadows. Your painting will immediately feel more dynamic.
Before You Dive In;
A few things that will save you time and paint:
- Start light, go dark — it’s easy to darken a colour but very hard to lighten one once it’s mixed
- Mix more than you think you need — matching a custom colour twice is nearly impossible
- Test before you commit — dab your mixed colour on a scrap piece of paper first and let it dry — paint always dries slightly darker than it looks wet
- Clean your brush between colours — even a tiny amount of the wrong colour can change your mix completely
- Be patient with purple — it’s the trickiest secondary colour to get right; use more red than blue and adjust slowly
Your Quick Mixing Reference
Now Go Forth and Create Beautiful Art!
You don’t need more colours, you need more curiosity.
Every shade, every hue, every tone you’ve ever admired in a painting started with someone mixing two things together and seeing what happened.
So lay out your paints, grab your brush, and start experimenting. There are no wrong colours, only happy accidents waiting to become your favourite shade.
Happy painting from all of us at The Craft Cafe 🎨
Want to put your colour knowledge to the test? Our POP Paint Kits come with red, yellow, blue, white, and black. Everything you need to mix your way through this entire guide. Find them in store or on this link.
