Do you notice how the same colors always show up in your work? I do. This is mostly because I love using certain ones. Color is personal. Everyone seems to have a few favorites. They stay unique to that person mostly because only they know the mix of colors that go into the making of them. Colors sometimes take years to develop. Some stay with you a long time, while others leave after only a short while. The really good ones, however, can last a lifetime.
But only if they are really, really good.
Here then, are 3 of mine.
1 “Lyla’s White”
This color is named after my oldest daughter Lyla. I discovered it 10 years ago making a painting called “Lyla’s Dance.”
Titanium White
Yellow Ochre
Cadmium Yellow Light
The mix is mostly a very bright clean titanium white with just a smidge of yellow ochre thrown in…then ever so slowly, to brighten and cool this slightly ochrey white color you add just a very small smidgen of cadmium yellow light. You will see this paint all of a sudden just jump up. This white is gorgeous and reacts beautifully to other colors. It is not too sweet, or too drab or too white. It is just perfectly agreeable.
2 “Amazon Aqua”
Phthalo Green
Cadmium Yellow Light
Cerulean Blue
This is that green-blue color that reminds me of the shallows of tropical seas. It also shows up on certain tropical birds that live in the shade of rainforests. Certain butterflies carry this color upon their wings. Emeralds, tree frogs and iridescent insects share this color too.
It is not green nor blue nor yellow but miraculously straddles all three. It is made with Phthalo Green. This is one of those colors that often goes unused, but in order to make “Amazon Aqua”, Phthalo Green is essential. Again, Cadmium Yellow Light, in equal proportions, is used, with a smidgen of Cerulean blue. Give it a try. You will love it.
3 “Cisco’s Grey”
Titanium White
Carbon Black
Cadmium Orange
Yellow Ochre
Dioxine Purple
Cadmium Yellow Light
Cadmium Yellow Dark
Cadmium Red
Permanent Green Middle
Cisco was my cat. He died about 20 years ago but his color remains with me. This color is a warm, warm gray. It has the cozy warmth of a winter fire. It feels comforting like a hand knitted sweater.
When you make this color, it starts out super cold because you just use titanium white and carbon black to get to a medium value grey. Then you add in the other colors. It is totally visual of course. All these colors are in there but in small amounts. There is a lot of orange, however, in this grey and that is what makes it so lovely.
There is barely a place in my paintings that can’t be improved by the inclusion of this particular grey.
I hope you might find one or two of these as useful as I do.
What is your favorite color? How do you make it?
Please post below if you have a minute and tell us…super fun.
In gratitude, Nicholas
15 Comments
Hi! I’m
Nicholas Wilton
the founder of Art2Life.
With over 20 years experience as a working artist and educator, I’ve developed a systematic approach that brings authenticity, spontaneity and joy back into the creative process.
Join me and artists from all over the world in our Free Art2Life Artists Facebook Group or learn more here about Art2Life.
Thank you for sharing your color mixtures. What a thought to have a base of personal colors.It seems
during the process of painting I am mixing colors as I am going along.When I get stuck and something needs to change, I have some color wheels made from a variety of red,yellow ,blue combinations. Also the fickle acrylics can change so I will make batches of mixed colors.So you have me thinking, and I am going to look back and see what colors are repeating themselves. One color comes to mind it is a soft orange/pink/mauve from the
beautiful sunsets where I live ,and always on travels I look at the variety of sunset colors ,nature is amazing.
Thank you for sharing your color mixtures. What a thought to have a base of personal colors.It seems
during the process of painting I am mixing colors as I am going along.When I get stuck and something needs to change, I have some color wheels made from a variety of red,yellow ,blue combinations. Also the fickle acrylics can change so I will make batches of mixed colors.So you have me thinking, and I am going to look back and see what colors are repeating themselves. One color comes to mind it is a soft orange/pink/mauve from the
beautiful sunsets where I live ,and always on travels I look at the variety of sunset colors ,nature is amazing.
Thank you for sharing your color mixtures. What a thought to have a base of personal colors.It seems
during the process of painting I am mixing colors as I am going along.When I get stuck and something needs to change, I have some color wheels made from a variety of red,yellow ,blue combinations. Also the fickle acrylics can change so I will make batches of mixed colors.So you have me thinking, and I am going to look back and see what colors are repeating themselves. One color comes to mind it is a soft orange/pink/mauve from the
beautiful sunsets where I live ,and always on travels I look at the variety of sunset colors ,nature is amazing.
I am so far from this degree of creativity; but, I just made a pretty green from blue pthalo and lemon yellow. It makes the hummingbird I am working on seem irridesent as, well, a hummingbird.
I am so far from this degree of creativity; but, I just made a pretty green from blue pthalo and lemon yellow. It makes the hummingbird I am working on seem irridesent as, well, a hummingbird.
I am so far from this degree of creativity; but, I just made a pretty green from blue pthalo and lemon yellow. It makes the hummingbird I am working on seem irridesent as, well, a hummingbird.
Love these colors. Thanks for sharing the combos. I love to mix naples yellow with a bit of black to get an interesting greenish olive color.
Love these colors. Thanks for sharing the combos. I love to mix naples yellow with a bit of black to get an interesting greenish olive color.
Love these colors. Thanks for sharing the combos. I love to mix naples yellow with a bit of black to get an interesting greenish olive color.
Thanks so much for sharing some of your color secrets, Nicholas. I am particularly intrigued by the Lyla’s white, and the Cisco’s grey. I’ve recently pared down my palette to black, white, and grey, along with some “neutrals.” I am astounded by the variety and beauty this simple palette is able to manifest! So I will try the Lyla’s white, which sounds luminous, and the Cisco grey, which warm and inviting with that orange added to it. One of my favorite neutral colors to use straight out of the tube is Bohemian Green Earth, by Schmincke Mussini oils. It’s greenish brown, and is so versatile, both as a nice translucent color ground or built up in layers with paynes grey and white. Add a tiny bit to titanium white and you have a warm, velvety white.
Thanks so much for sharing some of your color secrets, Nicholas. I am particularly intrigued by the Lyla’s white, and the Cisco’s grey. I’ve recently pared down my palette to black, white, and grey, along with some “neutrals.” I am astounded by the variety and beauty this simple palette is able to manifest! So I will try the Lyla’s white, which sounds luminous, and the Cisco grey, which warm and inviting with that orange added to it. One of my favorite neutral colors to use straight out of the tube is Bohemian Green Earth, by Schmincke Mussini oils. It’s greenish brown, and is so versatile, both as a nice translucent color ground or built up in layers with paynes grey and white. Add a tiny bit to titanium white and you have a warm, velvety white.
Thanks so much for sharing some of your color secrets, Nicholas. I am particularly intrigued by the Lyla’s white, and the Cisco’s grey. I’ve recently pared down my palette to black, white, and grey, along with some “neutrals.” I am astounded by the variety and beauty this simple palette is able to manifest! So I will try the Lyla’s white, which sounds luminous, and the Cisco grey, which warm and inviting with that orange added to it. One of my favorite neutral colors to use straight out of the tube is Bohemian Green Earth, by Schmincke Mussini oils. It’s greenish brown, and is so versatile, both as a nice translucent color ground or built up in layers with paynes grey and white. Add a tiny bit to titanium white and you have a warm, velvety white.
I am going to try these colors on my palette. In my first painting class, we were not allowed to have a tube of black paint. We were to make black from Raw Umber, Alizarin Crimson and Ultra Marine (or Prussian Blu). This black has mostly raw umber in it, then the other 2 are fiddled with. The amount of blue will control the warmth or coolness of the black. It really is versatile and I really like gray. I add other colors to make purple greys, different blues for blue greys etc. If I didn’t learn how to make this color, I can’t imagine ever having purchased a tube of raw umber and figured out how to use it, it is almost a warm and cool color at the same time. Needless to say when I am lazy and use a tube of black, my color is not as sophisticated.
I am going to try these colors on my palette. In my first painting class, we were not allowed to have a tube of black paint. We were to make black from Raw Umber, Alizarin Crimson and Ultra Marine (or Prussian Blu). This black has mostly raw umber in it, then the other 2 are fiddled with. The amount of blue will control the warmth or coolness of the black. It really is versatile and I really like gray. I add other colors to make purple greys, different blues for blue greys etc. If I didn’t learn how to make this color, I can’t imagine ever having purchased a tube of raw umber and figured out how to use it, it is almost a warm and cool color at the same time. Needless to say when I am lazy and use a tube of black, my color is not as sophisticated.
One of my favorite grays is made with titanium white, prussian blue and raw umber…