You will need another canvas sheet, gessoed board or stretched canvas for this exercise. Draw a grid on your canvas, (see photo). Keep your new color wheel (that you made in step one), in front of you and put plenty of paint on your pallet. The colors you will need are:
Cadmium Red Light
Alizarin Crimson
Cadmium Orange (Or mix or own orange with Cadmium Light Red and Cadmium Yellow Pale)
Cadmium Yellow Pale (or Light)
Phthalo Green
Phthalo Blue
Ultramarine Blue
Titanium White
Before you begin step one, on your grid - paint in the colors from the color wheel. One the top row paint Blue, Blue Violet, Red Violet, Red, Red Orange. On the bottom paint the complement of the color above it: Orange, Yellow Orange, Yellow, Yellow Green, Green, Blue Green.
1. Mix the two complements to produce a color that seems to fall midway between the two - a NEUTRAL or GRAY. (You cannot just use equal amounts.) Now paint this neutral "color" in the center box on your grid, between the complements. Leave a slot on each side between the neutral and the complementary color for the next step.
2. Mix the Neutral with the first Complement. (If the first complement is Red, you'll then produce a duller or "grayer" Red.
3. Mix the same Neutral again (the color you made in step one), with the second complement. (Let's say Green, then you will be creating a "grayer" Green.
4. REPEAT this series of three steps with each pair of complements on your color wheel.
When you have finished your eyes will be open to all kinds of beautiful new "neutralized" or "grayed down" color. This will be very useful when you want to tone down a color in your next painting. These grayed colors can be used in many other ways also. It will help keep harmony in your paintings, while keeping beautiful color in it at the same time. Grayed down color can make the color next to it or around it really sing! Try it next time you paint. Keep your color grid handy so you can refer to it often.
Happy painting!
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