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PAINT
MIXING |

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The
art of mixing art paints, inks, and other colorants, is
not the same as for mixing color light. The
mixing
subtracts
colors from the light that we use to view the
art work.
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Art
colors that are mixed together to create new colors
use the "subtractive" color
mixing process. |
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Art color supplies are made in a great
variety of colors. |
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Art
is a creative process, and does
not need to stick to any special
colors. Artists have used any number of groups
of colors to mix for painting. This has often given their paintings
a special look or style. Today, hundreds of different colors of premixed acrylic,
oil
and watercolor paints are available for use. If the exact color is needed
over large areas, then ready mixed colors may be helpful.
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Some
art colors are opaque so you usually cannot see through
them. They would cover over the paper or other colors that are
already dried. These color paints are usually mixed while they
are still wet. Oil color, acrylic, and poster paints are available
in opaque colors. Often black and white paint is used to make colors
lighter or darker.
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| Transparent
+ Water |
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| Opaque
+ White |
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| Color
+ Black |
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Other
art media such as watercolors,
markers, inks, and other clear
media are transparent.
These types of colors can be mixed
before painting, while painting,
or even by painting one layer on
top of another. Colors can be
darkened by adding black.
Watercolor paint can be made
lighter by adding more water so
that more of the lighter paper
shows through.
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SUBTRACTIVE* COLOR MIXING |
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Watercolors, markers, inks, and other transparent media that we can see
through, all absorb certain colors. Any color that is not
absorbed (subtracted) from the light reflected off the art paper is the final mixed
color that we see.
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Whether
transparent or opaque, all these color media use the subtractive color mixing
process. |
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EXAMPLES
OF COLOR MIXING
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MIXING THESE
COLORS
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GETS THIS
COLOR
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| There are millions of color mixtures that the human
eye can see.* Notice these other possible
mixtures. |
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some
magenta
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yellow
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orange
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some
magenta
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some
cyan
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yellow
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brown
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OTHER COLOR
DIFFERENCES
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The actual name of a
color, also called its hue, is not the only
difference in colors. For example, a certain blue can be bright or
dark, have strong color or weak color.
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| HUES (COLOR) |
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Hues are the colors themselves, such as, red,
yellow, violet, green, blue, etc. |
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red |
yellow |
violet |
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| BRIGHTNESS |
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We can call it a
dark yellow or a light yellow. Brightness is also called the value
of the color. |
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dark |
between |
light |
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| SATURATION |
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Saturation is how much of the color is
present. The color can be diluted with black, white, or gray. |
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pale |
as is |
grayed |
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(add white) |
(undiluted) |
(add black) |
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*The human eye
is able to see millions of colors, but it may be difficult to see the
difference in colors that are very similar. Usually holding one
shade up to another is the only way to really see the difference.
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