Exercise: Optical Mixing

Remember:

If you place dabs of red and blue next to one another and step back, your eyes see purple. This is called optical mixing. The colors are not really mixed, but your eyes tell you that they are.

Instructions:

For this assignment, you will practice optical mixing. When mixing on the palette, you may mix the primary colors (red, yellow, green) to create secondary mixtures (purple, green, and orange). Into your primaries and secondaries, you may mix white. This is the only mixing that you will do on the palette.

Procedure:

1. Decide which colors you will use in your exercise. Choose a total of three colors from the following: red, yellow, blue, purple, orange, green. White may be added. Mix your three colors in the palette.

2. Now it's time to put the paint on the paper. Place dots, lines, dabs, or strokes of paint. Vary the sizes. Don't create anything recognizable, but use your imagination in placement, shape, and size of the strokes.

3. Now choose another color. Place strokes, dabs, lines, and dots very close to the first color.

4. Step back and have a look. Think about where you might want to put more color. Load the brush with the third color. Place more strokes, dabs, lines, dots.

5. Step back again. Do the colors seem to mix, taking on a new color as you move away from the paper? That is the effect we want to achieve.

Friendly Reminders:

1. Mist palette often. Don't make the colors run; just keep them moist. This is to avoid premature drying on the palette.

2. For secondary colors, we only mix two primaries. If you mix only two colors in the palette well, you should not get mud. Exception: White may be added. This will create a tint.

3. When applying the paint, I suggest starting with your lightest color. This will lessen the chances of stronger colors over-powering the weaker one.

4. Relax and have fun!