Mix your paint colors using the basic principles of color.
You can mix together latex paints of different colors, since the paints have the same base, and create your own custom color. Whether you have picked up some "oops" paint at a discount price, have some old paint that you want to use or just want to do some experimentation, you can easily do color mixing at home. Commercial tints, found at your local paint or home improvement center, can give you concentrated color at a low price. In addition, a 5-gallon plastic bucket and a drill with a paint mixing attachment are helpful.
Instructions
1. Start with your lightest color, pouring it into the 5-gallon bucket. Darker colors are stronger, and you will need less of them. In addition, dark colors can overwhelm a room, so it is best to stay on the lighter side for your decor unless you want to make a strong statement.
2. Add your next color, a little bit at a time. Stir well with the stick or drill with attachment. The trick is to use color theory to get to your target color. If you start with white and want a simple pastel, like light blue, a little blue tint or paint will do the job. More complex colors require more colors.
3. Adjust your color as you go to get to your target color. Use the principles of the color wheel. If you add a color that is near another color on the wheel (like red to yellow) you get the color in between (orange). If you add a color across the wheel from another color (like orange to blue) that is the complement, and it will make the color a neutral brown or gray, reducing its intensity. This can actually be helpful if you want to make a color less saturated. Many interior colors have a neutral component.
4. Add white or black to lighten or darken the color as you mix. Black will sometimes create a greenish tinge when mixed with colors in the yellow range; to darken a yellow, it is better to use a dark earth color like umber or another dark brown to avoid this.
5. Mix your color very thoroughly once you have your final color, well past the time when it looks completely mixed. There can be small deposits of unmixed color that are only revealed with continuous mixing. Churn upward from the bottom of the bucket several times to see if any threads of unmixed color appear. If you don't have a consistent mix, it can ruin your paint job, and you may not find out until you pour the third or fourth batch into the roller tray.
6. Remember that the color will dry very slightly darker than the color of the liquid paint. Paint a bit on the wall or on a swatch and wait 30 minutes for it to dry as a final test if you are in doubt.
