Mixing paints on the fly can be messy and frustrating, which is why many artists (myself included) prefer to pre-mix colours before starting a project. Not only does it save time, but it also makes your palette intentional instead of random.

In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through my process for mixing and matching colours so your paintings look cohesive, balanced, and vibrant.

Whether you’re trying to colour match an exact tone, or develop a cohesive colour palette to use across all your paintings, mixing paint colours can be a challenge. Here are there’s a few things you need to get started:

• Paint
  Different types of paint behave differently, so pick what suits your project. Since we’ll be focusing on flat, cartoon-style characters, I’ll be using Precise Fluid Acrylics. They’re smooth, vibrant, and perfect for consistent coverage.
  
  
• Airtight container
  Anything from small jam jars to large tubs will work, it depends on the scale of your project. These are for mixing and storing your custom colours, so make sure they’re clean and seal tightly.
  
  
• Surface
  You’ll need somewhere to swatch your colours as you mix. A non-absorbent paper palette would be perfect for this. You could also use a regular pallet just make sure to clean off each colour so they don’t mix. 

I’m sure you remember the colour wheel from art class. The primary, secondary, and tertiary colours? If not, that would be a great place to start your learning. You can mix almost any colour from red, blue, green, white, and black paints so make sure you have those colours on hand.

I want you to get hands on with this tutorial. Pull up an image of a cartoon character, ideally one that has multiple colours and shades. The character illustration will likely include primary colours, let's ignore those for now and focus on mixing the other colors.

So you've got your character reference, primary paint colors, and a few airtight containers. Here's how to mix the paint:

1. Start with a base.
   Pick the dominant colour (often a primary or white) and add a small amount to your container.
   
   
2. Check the colour wheel.
   See where your colour is now and what colours you need to add to get to your desired colours
   
   
3. Shift the hue.
   Add small amounts of other colours until you get closer to your target colour.
   
   
4. Adjust brightness.
   Add white to lighten or a complementary colour (or black) to deepen shadows.
   
   
5. Mix slowly, test often.
   Even a drop of paint can completely change the hue, so mix slowly.
   
   

Once you’ve mixed all your colours, paint swatches side by side on your paper pallet. Let them dry completely and evaluate them as a set. A pale yellow may seem weak on its own, but next to bright white it can pop beautifully. Adjust your colours as needed until your palette feels balanced and intentional.

Rules are made to be broken, right? Once you understand the basics you’re free to experiment with unique colour combinations to define your own style.

One trick I love is sneaking a bit of fluorescent fluid acrylic paint paint into my mixes for an unreal level of vibrancy. Just be careful — too much, and your other colours may look dull by comparison.

Mixing colours might feel intimidating at first, but it’s one of the most rewarding parts of painting. With a few primary paints, airtight jars, and a little patience, you can create a palette that’s not just functional, but uniquely yours.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your colour intuition develops when you premix your colours and seeing them come to life on the canvas is always so rewarding.