Going Crazy with Color Mixing

I sometimes get obsessive with color mixing. The main reason being that I am not a good colorist so I have always loved learning about how to make good color palettes and choices. So I really had a ball with this weeks lesson on PYHAS by Sabra Awlad Issa. Wow, what packed lesson, color mixing, foreshortened portrait, values. This was a real challenge! She is an excellent and modest teacher. A real treat! 

The lesson was in acrylics but I was too stressed with the color mixing and worrying about them drying so tried doing some crayon work which also had its problems so I dived into my oils. What a difference that made. The portrait is not done but I am happy with the progress.

WIP

13.75 x 19.5 "

Oils on gessoed paper

WIP

13.75 x 19.5 "

Oils on gessoed paper

Values

First layer in acrylics ugh

Second Layer with oil/wax crayons

Now, how many colors can you mix with just the primaries? We all have heard that we can mix an infinite amount, but we all tend to buy lots of colors. My usual palette starts off with two of each of the primaries plus chromatic black, a mix from ultramarine blue and raw umber, and white. But in Sabra's lesson, she used cadmium red, ultramarine blue, and cadmium yellow to mix a whole range of what she calls "dirty colors". I just love muted/muddy colors and I almost always add a speck of medium gray to my colors. Her basic color is a mix of all three to get a dirty brown. Then she mixes each primary with a bit of that brown and continues to mix these "mixes" together etc. With the addition of white and the range gets more infinite. Of course, the ratios matter as well. So when you feel in need of some occupational therapy any red/blue/yellow and go to town.... what fun. I did mention that I am an obsessive color mixer!

Three different browns depending on the ratios

Oils

I suggest less blue!

The basic Mixes

This Brown seems to make greenish hue with the yellow

Bottom right mixed red +yellow + brown to get a dirty orange.+ added more yellow

to get a lighter orange and to each added white

Yummy

My acrylic Mixes

Yellow Mixes

Middle row mixed yellow with medium gray

bottom  medium gray with yellow

Made a value chart with my chromatic black

red red+brown added white Blue blue+brown added white

Bottom red + gray + white Blue + gray + white

Mixing the mixes 

Bottom right used Indian Yellow with the Brown + White

Red Mix + Indian Yellow mix + white

Have Fun!