How to choose the best 3 primary colours for your watercolour palette | Creating a limited palette

Have you been wanting to learn how to mix colours from just the primaries, headed to the art store to grab your yellow, red and blue, and then been TOTALLY overwhelmed when you realised there's like 10+ versions of each colour in every brand?
Or maybe you've been struggling to learn watercolour and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of supplies? A limited palette can be a good way to reduce that overwhelm! Either way, I'm here to help! In this vid I'm sharing my best tips to help you choose the best 3 primary colours for YOUR limited palette... and it's a very personal choice!
Reducing the number of my supplies, in particular my colour palette to just the primaries made a MASSIVE difference to my learning journey with watercolour. I was able to get a handle on my supplies sooner and focus on techniques, so if you've been struggling to get the hang of watercolour - give it a go!
0:15 Intro / What we'll cover in this video
1:21 Why use a limited palette?
2:44 Considerations: personal preference
3:25 Considerations: subject matter
4:19 Considerations: individual colour characteristics
7:57 Exploring different colour combinations
14:27 Outro
WINSOR & NEWTON COLOURS IN THIS VIDEO
Winsor Lemon (Lemon Yellow Hue in Cotman range) (PY175)
Winsor Yellow (PY154)
Yellow Ochre (PY43)
Naples Yellow (PBr24, PW6)
New Gamboge (PR209, PY150)
Permanent Rose (PV19)
Scarlet Lake (PR188)
Quinacridone Magenta (PR122)
Opera Rose (PR122)
Burnt Sienna (PR101)
Winsor Blue (red shade/green shade) (PB15)
French Ultramarine (Ultramarine in Cotman range) (PB29)
Phthalo Turquoise (PB16)
Prussian Blue (PB27)
PAINT WILD COLOURS IN THIS VIDEO
Primary Yellow (PY74)
Primary ‘Red’ (PR122)
Primary Blue (PB15:3)
FREE supplies guide: www.paintwild.com/supplies
FREE colour theory course: www.paintwild.com/wildcolours
Shop my handmade paints and brushes: www.paintwildshop.com
Learn to paint watercolour wildlife: www.paintwild.com/join
LINKS TO WATERCOLOUR SUPPLIES I USE AND RECOMMEND (note: these are Amazon affiliate links and if you purchase something I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you):
PAPER:
- Arches coldpress watercolour paper 90lb/185gsm: amzn.to/3S1AVVg
- Arches coldpress watercolour paper 140lb/300gsm: amzn.to/48PKihM
- Saunders Waterford coldpress watercolour paper 140lb/300gsm: amzn.to/3ShR1f3
- Fabriano Artistico coldpress watercolour paper 140lb/300gsm: amzn.to/48oHRD3
PAINTS:
- Paint Wild handmade watercolours (Primary Palette): www.paintwildshop.com
- Winsor & Newton professional series watercolours (Winsor Lemon, Permanent Rose, Winsor Blue (Red Shade)): amzn.to/49bDATF
BRUSHES:
- Paint Wild watercolour brushes (size 0/3, 6 and 8): www.paintwildshop.com
- Princeton Heritage watercolour brushes (size 0/3, 6 and 8): amzn.to/3vHpLNX
OTHER SUPPLIES:
- Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache in Permanent White: amzn.to/4aYWgra
- Handmade paw palette: www.etsy.com/au/shop/elliesartsoup
- Plastic folding travel palette: amzn.to/3U5vkjL
- Staedtler Mars Technico mechanical pencil: amzn.to/3TYYvow
- Staedtler Mars mechanical eraser: amzn.to/4b7aFSq
- Faber Castell kneaded eraser: amzn.to/48DXFSI
- 3M Scotch blue painter's tape: amzn.to/4aWOs9j
- Heat tool: amzn.to/47uJJcc
Instagram: paintwildacademy

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Hi hi!! 😁 I know how confusing it can be to choose your primary colours when brands have a jillion yellows, reds and blues! I hope this video helps you decide which 3 you want for your limited palette. I could talk about colours and pigments and colour theory all day - let me know if there's any particular topic you'd like me to cover, and stay tuned for a 3 to 12 colour wheel mixing vid soon! ❤

[@LindsayKitson]

I pick a different set of primaries for every painting, according to what colours I need to be able to mix for that painting. But I wouldn't consider myself a beginer :P I keep around 30 paints on my palette at once, but I never use more than 4-7 on a single painting. That's how I keep from getting bored with using the same colours all the time, but still work with a limited palette to maintain colour harmony.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Ooh clever, I love that approach! Do you find you have favourites out of those 30 that make an appearance in your limited palettes often?

[@LindsayKitson]

@@PaintWildAcademy I do, but I have kind of, categories of favourites - some that are just a go-to colour, some that I just like but are hard to find the right place for. Like, Nickel azo yellow is almost the only yellow I use, azo green is my go-to for mixing greens. But I really love cobalt turquoise and it makes a lovely shadow colour for white subjects, so sometimes I like to pick a white subject just so I can use it. I have about ten reds and pinks though, and I can't live without any of them, I'm always agonizing over which one is just the right red or pink for a particular painting.

[@themightierpencil]

I've found that the longer and more experience one becomes with watercolors, the more they (they meaning me) start to love granulation because I thought the wheels with the Ultramarine were gorgeous LOL. I paint a lot of portraits so my primaries are actually (in the DaVinci Watercolors) PY129 (Green Gold), PV19 (Red Rose Deep), and PB36 (Cerulean), but for even darker skintones I've discovered a new set of primaries with New Gold (PY83/PR101), Perylene Red (PR149), and Ultramarine (PB29), so with those 6 I have my split primaries. I know that both Cerulean and Ultramarine granulate, but it adds so much visual interest in my portraits especially since I paint very loosely with a lot of water.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Haha no I totally agree with you! At first those paint qualities were confusing to me but over time I've found them more and more interesting. And even if they're not in my primaries, I like to collect dreamy fun colours. What an amazing set of splits! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your colours, I have no doubt that'll help someone who wants to paint portraits! 😊

[@Bloomkyaaa]

Wow these comments are so rude. You explained everything very well and simply. And your color wheels look fine. I already knew all of this and I still enjoyed the video! 😊

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you! 😊🙏 appreciate your kindness!

[@AFAskygoddess]

I didn't fine the comments rude. 🤔

[@askialuna7717]

Well explained and with lots of information. 🙂 I like the look of the colour wheels with solid colour in the middle and dilution on the outside to be able to see the undertone of the colours. With only three colours in the palette, they are automatically the base colours and primary colours at the same time.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you so much! Yesss I love to see what they all look like diluted as well seeing as I paint wet-in-wet so often! 😊❤

[@jojojo8835]

At last someone who knows where magenta goes! ❤❤❤❤

[@akapoetry]

I made color wheels with limited palettes last year using a set that was only $9.00. I learned a LOT by going through the process, enough that I wrote about it in a blog post. Your review of color theory is much more informed, and I love it.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Ooh how fun! And thank you! I'd love to read your blog post, feel free to link it 😊❤️

[@Brego100]

Great video explaining the basics of color theory and paint properties!

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you so much! Glad it was helpful 😊

[@katelyncawthorn2598]

Thank you so much for this video!! I love colour theory and mixing colours, so this was really cool to see and so helpful!! xx

[@PaintWildAcademy]

You're so welcome! Glad it was helpful 🥰

[@WhstlblwrBlastingEpsteinsPals]

I'm 54. We had maybe 12 clors at most in our paint swts in Art classes. My teachers has us learn & mix the B & W gray scale of 10 and we had to mix the color wheel/spectrum. We had few convenience colors in small midwest town in the early 80s. Which means we HAD to get creative 🎨 🖼 😊

[@PaintWildAcademy]

What an awesome way to learn, I love it!! I've learnt so much from doing value studies and monochromatic paintings in the past - simple can be so effective! Thanks for stopping by! 🙏❤️

[@askialuna7717]

Some Triads I use are: Siena Raw PBr7 or PY43, Siena Burnt PBr7 and Indanthrene Blue PB60 for muted landscapes. Nickel Yellow PY53, Caput Mortum PR101 and Cobalt turquoise PB28/PG50 for soft seascapes

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Awesome!! I can just imagine the colour mixes of caput mortuum and cobalt turquoise, I bet they're delicious! 😍

[@SJ-dl6uc]

you're such a good lecturer. love how you impart information. thank you

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you so much, you're so kind! ❤

[@angelicamartacahyaningtyas9083]

8:42 My guess, Phthalo Blue in Cotman is pretty strong, much stronger than the rose and lemon yellow, so it may make difficulties for beginner to learn color mixing. Ultramarine even when it is not the 'right primary color' is much manageable in mixing and it is also the most popular blue in traditional palette.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

That is a really good point!

[@jojojo8835]

Bizarrely, Prussian blue (PB27) actually recovers from fading if you put it in shade with good airflow. And we all still enjoy the vibrancy of the last several hundred years of Prussian blue paintings. I don’t get the modern obsession with extreme lightfastness.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Whaaaat?? Really!!? That's so cool! I actually didn't even know prussian blue was considered fugitive til I was researching for this video 😬 one of the pigments I use in my handmade watercolour range is a prussian blue and it's lightfastness is rated as excellent 🤷‍♀️ might have to do my own test! Even if its just to try the fading reversal haha. So cool!

[@ayamin101]

This was really interesting! I personally use a split primary for further variety but sometimes space can be limited or I just don’t want to deal with that many color choices. Would love to see your thoughts on split primaries!

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you! I felt the same way in the beginning so just stuck to 3 but I'll definitely cover split primaries - scheduled for end of feb at this stage! 🥰

[@AFAskygoddess]

At the beginning of my watercolor journey, I hated granulating and opaque watercolor paint. But as time goes by, I feel there is a time and place for them. I wouldn't use either on a botanical painting. But I live on the ocean. Granulating colors are a must for seascapes. Opaque colors are better on Yupo paper. My biggest rule is to utilize single pigment paint as often as possible. But that's just me. 😊

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Agree! I grew to love 'specialty' paints and supplies over time as well 😊 I've never tried Yupo paper for watercolour though!

[@namisao2409]

Hi, I loved your video very much. Well done :)

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear that! ❤️

[@msfrehel8758]

I‘m really interested in pigments and colour theory, so thank you! As I‘ve got different brands it would help me if you add the pigment numbers of the paints you‘ve used (even if they can turn out a bit differently as well). 🎨

[@PaintWildAcademy]

That is a great request! I've just added them into the description of this video, but I'll paste them here for you too 😊 WINSOR & NEWTON COLOURS IN THIS VIDEO Winsor Lemon (Lemon Yellow Hue in Cotman range) (PY175) Winsor Yellow (PY154) Yellow Ochre (PY43) Naples Yellow (PBr24, PW6) New Gamboge (PR209, PY150) Permanent Rose (PV19) Scarlet Lake (PR188) Quinacridone Magenta (PR122) Opera Rose (PR122) Burnt Sienna (PR101) Winsor Blue (red shade/green shade) (PB15) French Ultramarine (Ultramarine in Cotman range) (PB29) Phthalo Turquoise (PB16) Prussian Blue (PB27) PAINT WILD COLOURS IN THIS VIDEO Primary Yellow (PY74) Primary ‘Red’ (PR122) Primary Blue (PB15:3)

[@msfrehel8758]

Thank you so much! That‘s really nice of you!✨

[@Nora-jt9zy]

Thank you for a fantastic and comprehensive deep dive into both color theory and color mixing. I really enjoyed how you approached this ❤ I also find that ppl disagree slightly when it comes to determining on warm and cool colors, especially when it comes to blue. Could you do a breakdown on that? I find that there are different opinions on that. Some think that purple leaning blues are cold and green leaning blues are warm, because it’s leaning towards yellow, which they argue is warm, but when I try to research, I find arguments pointing in the direction towards purple leaning blues are warm. Since you gravitate towards cool colors, and have done a deep dive into colors, maybe this is something you can explain in a logical way?

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 😊 I can definitely go into that - I've got an upcoming video planned on split primary palettes so I reckon I'll chat about it then. Honestly though I think the easiest way I can explain it (and how I choose to think about it anyway) is that a colour's temperature is relative! A blue compared to red looks cool, but you could put a different blue next to the original blue, and all of a sudden the original blue looks warm in comparison. I think that people approach colour from different standpoints as well - some from an art background, others from a scientific, and others from fashion - and everyone thinks about it and sees it a bit differently. I've decided to stick with 'temperature is relative' rather than looking for a definitive answer - because like you said, everyone seems to have a different opinion! 😂 I look forward to covering it more soon though, thank you!

[@angelicamartacahyaningtyas9083]

14:19 What warm yellow used in the bottom rows? Have you tried transparent yellow PY150 or PY128?

[@PaintWildAcademy]

New gamboge! PY150 + PR209. I do have transparent yellow in my collection actually - I'll have to try it!

[@tecec3503]

Wish I had this when I first started!

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you! I hope it helps lots of beginners!

[@debbrantstevens8826]

Interesting. A bit confusing keep switching between W&N professional and Cotmam. Two videos would have simplified this, though it was useful to see common pigments.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Aww no, I'm sorry to hear you found it confusing! Only one of the colour wheels was with Cotman colours, everything else was professional series if that helps 😊 I'll label them better next time!

[@maryannegunter115]

Aren't there only 3 primary colors? Blue, red, yellow. Your choice of words can be confusing to beginners.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Hi Mary Anne! Thanks for your feedback. Yes those are the primary colours, but watercolour paint brands sell many different reds, yellows, and blues. This video is to help people decide which particular red, yellow and blue are the best for them 😊

[@annenglish2935]

Are you going to share "Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow" color wheel. Magenta can't be made with the regular color wheel. You can make red with Magenta and yellow. Maybe next time .... thank you 😊

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Hi Anne! Yes, this video shows many colour comparisons. In the second half I show colour wheels made of red, yellow and blue, plus others with magenta, cyan and yellow - and even some muted and earthy versions of each primary. Hope this helps!

[@annenglish2935]

Thank you 😊 so much!!! You must be in a time zone similar to California! With love ❤️ from a grateful California Gramma ❤️

[@annenglish2935]

AUSTRALIA!!! YOU'RE A DAY AHEAD!!! WOW! My husband and youngest son, 39, have visited your beautiful country! I heard your accent, but that doesn't always mean you live there... but just looked up your info!!! Wishing you continued success sharing your journey with all of us! 🎉❤😊

[@user-uv9zr8qs2c]

The colour wheels arent even well made- the colours are so washed that you can barely see well the mixes..... cold reds make bad orange tho so nah tradiitonal is best

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Hi!! Thanks for your feedback. Do you mean the edges of the wheels are washed out? If so, that's intentional to show the lighter values of each colour at the same time. If you meant something else, let me know so I can improve them for next time! 😊

[@AnnaReed42]

It makes sense that she would prefer CMY, then, since she isn't interested in oranges. As she said, different people have different preferences and it's OK that you prefer traditional primaries. And her color wheels look great. Watercolor is often used in diluted washes, so it makes sense to show a range, and just about anyone showing their watercolor mixing tests will do the same thing.

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you Anna! 😊🙏

[@jenneke2]

Fascinating! Really appreciate all the work you’ve put into this and the side by side colour wheels! I DID love the colour wheel where you specifically pointed out the granulating greens! 😅😍🤣

[@PaintWildAcademy]

Thank you very much! And haha to be fair granulation can be pretty dreamy 🤤 even if I don't always want it!