Mixing Colors for Landscape Paintings
If you have not mixed colors before now, this exercise will help you control the colors in your landscape paintings. First, we will mix Cad Red Light with Cad Yellow Hue, so place them about 6″ apart on a canvas or board or paper. (Masonite is great for this. Cut a piece into boards about 8″ x 10″ and cover with gesso). Leave some of the red where it is, but move most of it a short distance toward the yellow. Now, add a little yellow to the red mixture you just moved. Again, leave some of that where it is, but move most of it another short distance toward the yellow. Add a little more yellow to the orange-red you just created. Continue in this manner until next to the yellow, there is very little red in the mixture. Then below each, add white to each combination. You will see some of the combinations possible. Do the same for Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin Crimson and for Cerulean Blue and Cad Yellow Pale Hue.
To study the grays, mix orange and blue with varying amounts of white, and in like manner, red and green and white, and purple and yellow and white. I hope you were able to find some very neutral grays as well as some warm and cool grays.