How to Mix Accurate Color with Dianna Shyne
When Dianna Shyne (Ep.82) mixes color, she approaches it the same way every time.
These steps helped her learn to mix color. Today she uses them to mix more accurately and get to the colors she wants faster.
Her approach is based on the four aspects of color including hue, value, temperature and intensity.
Put it to Practice:
Here’s how you do it based on Shyne’s method:
First, look at the hue.
Hues include red, yellow, blue, orange, green and violet. Look for what hue your color is closest too. Even if it’s gray it will be more of a blue gray or more of a red gray etc. Start with THAT color.
Second, you’ll ask yourself the color’s value.
Value is the light or dark of the color.
Is it lighter or darker than what you’re starting with? Head in that direction by adding lighter colors or darker colors. Adding any additional pigments will change the hue slight so do your best to keep it within the color family.
Third, begin thinking about temperature.
Do you need your mixture warmer or cooler than what you have at present? If you need it warmer you could add yellow, orange or red. If you need it cooler, white, blue, green or purple.
Remember, any color you add to warm it or cool it will also change the color and temperature.
And fourth and finally, adjust the saturation or how bright it is. Do you need to brighten it up or dull it down.
Dulling it down is the easiest as you can use what’s known as mute complementary mixing. Basically you add just a touch of the color's complement (opposite) to gray it down just slightly.
This will take some practice, but by following these steps and asking the right questions as you mix, you’ll both train yourself to see color better and mix it more accurately, quicker.