Almost any color imaginable can be created by mixing the three primary colors of red, blue and yellow. If you are just starting off in the painting world you need to spend a little time mastering the technique of mixing paint and finding out what colors they make. This not only allows you to become more confident in your mixing skills, but you are going to save money in the long run by not constantly mixing colors to see what comes out.
Primary Colors
Set aside the three primary colors of blue, red and yellow. Mix some of the red and yellow together and you have orange. Mix yellow and blue together and you have green. Blue and red make purple. From these three colors you now have six colors. These new colors are your secondary colors. Even though you can purchase premade colors it is good to know create your own. This allows you to adjust the color of your paint to more adequately fit the color you are looking for.
Black
When you buy a new paint set it probably comes with a tube or slate of black ink. If you are looking for realistic painting techniques do not use the black paint at all. This is because the color black rarely occurs in nature. Unless there is a black fabric you are re-creating, most objects, including shadows, are not black. Look closely at shadows in your room. What may appear to be black may actually be more of a deep purple, blue, brown or green. Using deep purples and blues in your shadows gives your painting an added level of sophistication, not to mention the shadow area won't stick out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the color.
Clean Brush
When you are changing to a different color to paint make sure you clean off your brush thoroughly. A dirty brush results in dirty paint. If you want a vibrant red in your red, but already have green on the brush, your red paint is going to end up with a brownish tone to it. Keep plenty of fresh, clean water nearby, as well as a paper towel to dry off the brush. When the water becomes too dirty to see the bottom of the cup it is time to fetch new water.
