Tips &
Techniques.
Colour Mixing.
Choosing and mixing colours successfully is all about creating the maximum
colour range from the minimum number of paints. Start with 3 or 6 primary
colours and black and white. Always remember that mixing 2 colours together
will always produce a third. It’s that easy.
Primary colours are blue, red and yellow. They are classed as either cool or
warm. Adding white creates a tint. Pink for example is a tint of Red. If we
add Black to a colour we create a shade. Brown is a shade of Orange. Let’s
begin our colour mixing journey.
Mixing Blue.
Green is simply Blue and Yellow mixed with usually a higher proportion of yellow. So you don’t
waste a lot of paint, always mix blue into yellow, not the other way round. Cadmium Yellow is a
very versatile cool yellow. Mixed with Pthalo Blue it makes a rich, clean green while mixed with
Ultramarine it makes a more muted green. Adding Cadmium Red Medium Hue makes a gorgeous
olive green. All colour mixing comes down to personal preference. Just keep trying and see.
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Mixing Green.
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Two very useful blues are Ultramarine Blue and Pthalo Blue. Ultramarine is the
“warmer” of the two, being slightly more violet while Pthalo Blue is “cooler” and
veers slightly towards green.
NB: Mix white with any colour to determine the quality and strength of a paint.
No other student paint compares to A2. Try it and see!
Other blues which have their own inherent beauty are Cobalt Blue Hue and Cerulean Blue
Hue. (Hue just means a synthetic copy of the real thing)
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Mixing Orange.
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Yellow is a colour that is very ‘sensitive’ meaning that any other colour in very small amounts will
alter its appearance. Consequently it is very important that when mixing with yellow that you
add other colours to it not the other way round. Yellow is very versatile. It can make orange with
a touch of red and with blue will make green. Experiment with Cadmium Yellow Light Hue and
Cadmium Yellow Medium Hue in A2. These highly pigmented yellows make delightful colour
mixing.
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Mixing Yellow.
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The A2 range of 20 colours has an orange, Cadmium Orange Hue; however any of the reds and
yellows in the range will create a glorious range of oranges. Cad Orange with the addition of
white produces electric tangerine colours.
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A2 has three versatile reds. They are Cadmium Scarlet Hue, Cadmium Red Medium Hue and
Alizarine Crimson Hue. Cad Red is a pure red and mixed with Ivory Black produces a rich warm
brown. When working with red it can sometimes over power a painting. Over glazing with red
mixed with blue will give contrast but reduce the strident character of the colour.
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Mixing Red.
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A2 Tips & Techniques
Painting Surface Preparation.
Getting the best performance from any paint begins with good painting surface preparation.
Always use Atelier Gesso. Gesso can be used on paper, cardboard, masonite, canvas…in fact any
surface that you want to paint on. Atelier Binder Medium is great for sealing surfaces also. It
reduces paint drag and stops paper and canvas from absorbing moisture from the atmosphere.
Mixed Media and Textural Effects.
A wonderful, thickening medium to use is Atelier Impasto Gel. It’s a milky gel that dries clear. Not only does
it increase the body of A2 paint, but it also can thin paint to create beautiful glazes and is a very strong
adhesive for glueing heavy objects for mixed media effects. Sand, saw dust and other additives can be mixed
with Impasto Gel to add texture.
Pattern Effects.
Atelier Modelling Compound gives crisp, very textural effects. It’s a paste which has the same flexibility as
A2. For economy it is mostly used unpigmented, i.e. not used with colour, but integrated into the painting
by over painting once it has dried. It’s great when spread out with a spatula or wooden spoon and scratched
back with various implements like a hair comb, paddle pop stick, wire brush, used tooth brush etc. It makes
easily painted transfers. Something like a plastic doily with lace pattern can be placed on a painting surface,
the Modelling Compound spread over the doily and then lifted leaving the raised lace pattern. This once dry
can then be painted or just varnished.
Thinner Watery Effects.
Atelier Liquefying Medium is useful for smooth techniques and detailed work done
with fine brushes. It liquefies paint more sharply than water: i.e. less volume of
medium is needed to reach a runny consistency. It is also used as a medium for air
brushing. It’s also great for thinning paint for watery effects without reducing the
pigment intensity. Just add more water to the medium to get the desired consistency.
Another great tip: To achieve a professional signature on your painting use Liquefying
Medium. It makes the paint flow effortlessly from your brush.
Creating New Colours with Glazing.
Binder Medium is also useful for thinning A2. When you want to lay down
layers of paint fast, use this medium. It makes the paint dry faster but also
glossier. Binder is also useful for glazing in oils over acrylics. When you have
painted something you are happy with simply seal the work with Binder
Medium. Once it’s dry, you can than over paint with Archival oil paints or an
oil medium such as Archival Classic Medium. Explore the world of glazing.
Your art will improve and the colours you create will constantly amaze you!
Painting Outside.
Painting glazed with Yellow
There’s nothing more pleasurable than painting outdoors, but acrylics have a tendency of drying too fast
especially with heat and wind. Atelier Retarder Medium will slow down the drying time of A2 and give you
more time to consider and blend your paint.
For more tips and techniques visit our website www.chromaonline.com
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