I got many questions about the color that I use. And it is in my fast track watercolor pdf guide. But then some people also ask me exactly what colors that I used to mix a specific color. And that’s not something I can answer because I mix the color with my eyes, not formulas. Let me make this clear, colors are important. If your painting has harmonious colors, it can look very pleasant and natural. So the key here is harmonious color, not pretty colors. Any color can be beautiful in the right context. That’s why I don’t really have a favorite color. But even if you do have a favorite color, I’m sure you have seen that color in the wrong context and it doesn’t look that appealing. There’s a very simple approach to mix harmonious colors, and that is to start with a neutral grey. And here’s why.

Neutral grey is a great starting point - From neutral grey, you can create warm and cool greys. And from there you can expand the colors of your painting. This will make it much easier to create harmonious colors because they all have the same starting point. It will be about shifting the balance of warm and cool rather than thinking about the specific formula.
Your colors will be more stable - With grey, you won’t have over-saturated colors that become distracting. It will be more stable at first. You can then add more saturation to your painting as needed. Rather than try to dull things down. Because saturated colors are very strong in a palette. It can knock your color off-balance very fast if you don’t start with neutral.
It’s easy to start neutral - Neutral grey is easy to mix. I only use 2 colors, Cobalt Blue and Burnt Umber. That’s much easier than starting with 12 or more colors. Even if you paint a whole painting with just 2 colors, it can still look good. Remember, it’s all about good shape and value. Good color can certainly accentuate the painting, but that’s not the first thing you want to worry about in a believable painting. So make this part as easy as you can.

I really like to make things as simple as possible. Because I believe it’s easier to enjoy painting when the process is simpler. I encourage you to watch today’s video to see the full demo on mixing grays and painting a picture only using 2 colors!