Mixing Earth Tones Quick and Easy From a Limited Palette. Watercolor Painting.

How do you mix browns or earth tones from a limited palette? Glad you asked. Let's first take a look at a couple of simple ways.
Mind of Watercolor, 10-color watercolor tube set (M. Graham) - wetpaintart.com/graham-wc-steve-mitchell-set/
Large Goat & Synthetic Blend Brush (Lebenzon Brushes. Use code: MIND for a discount)
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[@ptaylor4923]

I have to go back and rewatch your videos. For a few years I've had increasingly bad cataracts. It was like looking through weak tea or watered down chocolate milk. The surgery removed my lens and they were replaced with artificial lens. Not only is it brighter, but the colors are amazing! Wow!

[@MichaelRpdx]

This is more of a great series - a watercolor course that does not get the in-depth treatment that is so needed. And do not apologize for repeating like you did at the start. We need the refreshers.

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

I always watch Steve’s videos multiple times , I find something new every time I do .

[@colleenmcchesney1482]

Me too. So much information about everything.

[@LeesChannel]

An ad 🤣

[@katepanthera7265]

Exactly - no such thing as repeating things too many times!

[@BornAgainFarmGirl]

Every video is gold!

[@karenturner-cf7vq]

I haven't mixed those colours in that way before, I will practise them. Thankyou

[@kashifnadeem1908]

I'm watching you for the last five years off and on. And enjoy learning watercolor painting.

[@kashifnadeem1908]

Hi Mr. Steve Hope you are doing well. It's good to read a Biblical Scripture at the end, Blessings 💕

[@iadenicole931]

Your channel is always so informative and motivates me to try out what you just taught. I also love the scripture quotes at the end. Very uplifting in these difficult times in our world today. God bless you!

[@chrissie4452]

Thank you so much, Steve, a great and fun lesson to practice 😊

[@michaelklein5242]

Thanks again! Browns have been a new stumble, so this helps a great deal!

[@stacygibson9572]

Another great video! This is really helping me to understand colour mixing. It was great to have a side by side comparison of the mixes with the pre mixed colours. I think that help to solidify the idea in my brain in a better way.

[@oliferous]

This is seriously one of the most useful videos I’ve seen in a really long time! Thank you so much Steve! I honestly never even thought that one could mix earth tones like that! Admittedly, I’m not great at mixing colors (which is why watching this video!) but this will open up so many options when traveling with limited pallets! I cannot thank you enough for this incredibly useful information!🤘🖤🤘

[@robertcochran7103]

I'm playing catch up again. This is a great video and thank you for doing it. I can well understand the huge investment in time and effort. My employer has a movie studio staffed by professionals and I've sometimes been able to glimpse some of their work: short movies intended as employee briefings. So I know you have to put quite a lot of thought, preparation, and effort into producing each one of these videos.

[@colleenmcchesney1482]

Wow you’ve given me some great practice ideas. I forget about using the compliments to do the same range of colors. Thanks for sharing this with us.

[@dairienbennett4014]

Thank you!!!!????!? I had no idea you could do it like this?!

[@robertweinblatt2018]

I loved the grayer sepia❤️‍🔥

[@joannhall9733]

I picked up this set. Haven’t tried it yet.

[@valasafantastic1055]

Great stuff very helpful. I’ve been learning how to mix even more lately especially naturals, earth tones and skin tones.

[@pattycyr8662]

Great discovering how to get different colors - thanks!

[@StephenMarkTurner]

Very enjoyable watching you capture those Earth tones 'close enough', but so quickly, very practical. I like using strong colours to mix duller colours because you can leave a little of the original (some Fire in the Earth :-) ).

[@kimyork6774]

awesome lesson with great paint and a better artist! Keep them coming!

[@nanschifris8734]

Wonderful video!! Thanks so much for breaking it down for us.

[@panchoverde5078]

Very pretty pallet. I always add the Earth tones to the colors I've mixed. For instance, Quin Rose + Cad Yellow = Red/ Orange, + Yellow ochre.

[@jensschettler1732]

Earths are normally cheaper and more convenience to use compared to high chroma colors. I use earths as a base and bump these with its intense complements. So I can control value and saturation on the fly. For example if I want my burnt Sienna brighter add cad orange. If I want my yellow ochre more bright I add PY3. If I want my burnt user brighter I add pyrrole or cad red. Works great.

[@mindofwatercolor]

All true but not transparent and not as luminous as when mixed. I use both though.

[@flickaJay]

That was super helpful. You just told me the way to get pretty much any color! Now I can see what to shy away from - the opposite side, unless I want gray. My colors aren't as vivid. But I may have to go play with them a bit. Some of those that you had on that card when you started were also not as vivid as yours. It depends on the brand or the cheapness, maybe?

[@MusingsFromTheDen]

That was very interesting, thank you. 😊

[@Wildflowerafternoons]

I find these mixing videos very helpful. It makes me not afraid to try different mixes. Not as scary. 💀

[@babyruth225]

Helpful

[@annejameson3425]

GREAT! Thank you

[@ContagionStudios]

Awesome stuff! 😍 I can't wait to see you cover reds! Also, when you do botanical studies, do you add any reds? If so, which?

[@mhergoparian174]

I love your pallet a lot, was going to ask which colors do you have extra in your 20 set pallet which are not in this pallet ?

[@screwtape6954]

Congratulations on your new set. I love m graham paints. I would buy the set but I already have and use all your colors.

[@jimschneider7097]

I purchase your set today from wet paint can't wait to get it in the mail and try it out fan of Steve thank you for all your videos you've helped me learn a lot about water paints and what they can do I still watch your programs every day very inspiring to me you're the best teacher I've ever had thanks again keep up the awesome work you're doing you and Reese

[@mandiekins316]

Wow Steve! Congratulations on the watercolor set! Not sure if you remember me, I took a class of yours in Gville about two years ago? (Wow it’s been too long!) Had my baby girl since then! You got me comfortable with watercolors which I never liked in my entire art career, and now I have a small commission business painting watercolor house portraits! My palette is all M. graham (as recommended by you). Love the non drying/honey aspect, I really do love them! Can’t wait to try your pallet! Hope to get back to a class in the future if you’re teaching!

[@mindofwatercolor]

OH Cool! Um, don't remember you by name exactly, but yeah it's has been a while. Congrats on the baby and the business sounds awesome! I'm glad you stuck with it. Not currently teaching classes at GCCA but I might do a workshop at some point in the future. Undecided currently. Thanks for stopping by and the kind comments.

[@BigDomski]

Love this series so much... Makes me wanna try out my Payne's gray to mix browns. It's the only "neutral" I have, and since it leans towards blue I guess it won't be as effective 😆

[@ContagionStudios]

I was able to get browns mixing Payne's Grey with warm yellows, oranges and red oranges. For Steve's palette, that'd be the Indian Yellow and Scarlet Pyrrol. I also tried Azo Orange and Pyrrol Red. Though the Pyrrol Red mix gave an interesting muted purple, not brown, that I'm going to play with more.

[@ContagionStudios]

My favorite neutralizing pair for right now is Indanthrone Blue and Quinacridone Burnt Orange. You get a range of browns, Payne's Grey, Indigo and Grey and black tones.

[@BigDomski]

@@ContagionStudios Interesting, I have pyroll scarlett too! Also quin rose, new gamboge, hansa yellow. Just need to test it out i guess

[@AlexYorim]

Chocolatey!

[@hannastocksick7395]

Do you have a video teaching how to make a color wheel like this?

[@catbraunwell6450]

Thanks for this Steve. Quite interesting. I am a huge fan of neutral tint. I am currently trying to decide what to put on my palate raw sienna or yellow ocher. Do you have any helpful tips for me. I don’t tend to like yellow ocher mostly because it crumbles on my travel pellets that I make

[@mindofwatercolor]

Preference really but I prefer Raw Sienna over Yellow Ochre. Though to be honest, I don't use either much. I mix from golds or yellows.

[@journalersketcher]

Steve, have you ever tried a medium yellow plus something like a neutral tint or a warm grey as way of getting olive green?

[@mindofwatercolor]

I've tried just about every way. Those mixes will more likely give you browns. There needs to be something with a little blue in it to get any green.

[@davidkemp1585]

Very helpful! I ordered the M of WC palate. Where can you find enameled butcher trays?

[@chrissie4452]

I bought the butcher tray on Amazon …

[@mindofwatercolor]

There is a link in the video description.

[@biamauricio]

Hi I'm from Brazil, I loved the video but I didn't get the names of the colours of the palette you used. I would love to have it, can you write down then here?

[@RobScebold]

Thanks Steve. My wife and I both made up the M Graham pallets you demo in this series so we can practice from your mixing videos. Question for you. In a video you did some time ago you featured Daniel Smith Moon glow as a neutral tint. I love the greens I can get from it. Using the Graham pallet how would you get the same effect as Moon glow?

[@colleenmcchesney1482]

Yes great question because I love Moon Glow as my neutral too.

[@mindofwatercolor]

Moon glow is very similar to M. Graham's neutral tint but has just a tad more violet. Your results should be about the same.

[@colleenmcchesney1482]

@@mindofwatercolor Thanks for answering this question.

[@hawkowldolphin]

John Mullens had a question about getting a smooth flat wash with a water brush. Turns out he is using pulp and I referred him, and others, to Steve's video on paper. Strathmore 400 will not give you a smooth flat wash and definitely not by using a water brush. Switch to cotton, right Steve?

[@hannastocksick7395]

How did you get the swats around neutral tint?

[@mindofwatercolor]

by mixing NT with the color they are pointing to.

[@biamauricio]

I really didn't understand what colours you included ...the orange one, what's the name? Thank you

[@mindofwatercolor]

Indian Yellow, Red Iron Oxide, Scarlett Pyrrol, Quinacridone Rose, Neutral tint.

[@SwizZLe333]

Been seeing alot of artists refer to Neutral Tint.....a different Artist, in their Beginner Series suggested some colors, so I got all the suggested colors...which I feel I can do alot with, just trying to learn all the colors and names across different manufactures....My question is...can I use Mars Black PBk11 as a neutral tint or would it be best to attempt to mix my own type of greyish from my non grey colors? I'll just list what I have and anyone that can help would be awesome: Mars Black (PBk11) Burnt Umb (PB7, PR101 PY42), Ult. Marine Violet (PV15), Cobalt blue (PB28), Prus. Blue (PB27), Phthalo Turq. (PB16) Perm. Sap Green (PG36 , PY110) Opera Rose (PR 122) Scarlet Lake (PR188) Cadmium Orange (PR108 , PY35) Lemon Yellow Deep (PY159) and Yellow Orchre (PY43). This is what I have to work with....thanks to anyone that can help a newb out ;O)

[@mindofwatercolor]

Mars Black is much more opaque which produces a dull flat look. I wouldn't use it as a neutral tint. It will also skew yellowish colors to a green hue.

[@SwizZLe333]

@@mindofwatercolor I'm thinking I could probably make a nice neutral tint with cobalt blue perhaps or at the very least a nice grey, I'll have to play around...thanks for your reply, much appreciated and Happy New Year!

[@jmullens90]

Does anyone have any tips for getting a smooth flat wash over a large area with a water brush? Nothing I've tried has worked on anything bigger than a couple of inches.

[@hawkowldolphin]

What type of paper are you using. If not 100 percent cotton it would be tough. Wet paper first evenly.

[@jmullens90]

@@hawkowldolphin it's Strathmore 400, IDK if it's cotton or not.

[@panchoverde5078]

The painting starts when you add water to the paper. Paint the water on in a smooth manner and it will set up the rest of your painting.

[@edzejandehaan9265]

Search this MoW channel, there are very good tutorials on exactly that. Edit; here you are: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l53UYYynjZ1pndU

[@heyitsLOOOU]

Try using a regular brush, since it's kinda difficult to control the water flow with an water brush. As the water keeps coming out, you will either have diluted the paint too much or have too much water in an area you didn't want to (resulting in blooms or darker edges) I'd recommend an big or medium sized flat brush for larger flat washes. Hope it was helpful!

[@anubhavpathak2131]

Damn it steve, organise a giveaway of that 10 watercolor tube set already. Some contest etc or anything. Cant afford to buy it here in india. Too costly. Only hope is to somehow win it in a giveaway contest. Much Love from india❤😋

[@morefiction3264]

No mummy brown? One of the strangest stories ever.

[@jekalambert9412]

I'll stick to convenience colors.

[@creativecolours2022]

Is there a particular reason why one should mix the hue of a single pigmented Earth colour with four other pigments? R.Umber is f.e probably made by PBr7. In order to mix it you use M.Graham Neutral Tint that is a PV19+PG7 and Indian Yellow that at M.G is PY110 and Scarlet Pyrrole that is a PR79. In other words you can indeed mix it with 4 other pigments but why bother to do so? It is supposed that single pigmented colours are clearer and less prone to give muddy results. Why mix the Earth colours this way? I'm asking because I don't really understand the reasoning behind this.

[@mindofwatercolor]

This video explains why I like to mix earth tones. kzbin.info/www/bejne/joe2kp2BjZWCqc0 It's just a preference. Nothing wrong with using PBr pigments but you need to watch them because some are more opaque and that causes mud more than multiple pigment colors. BTW there is no rule that says multi pigment colors cause mud. The main problem is sometimes they cause unexpected results when you don't know what pigments are in them. When you're painting you're always mixing multiple colors anyway so thats not the problem.

[@creativecolours2022]

@@mindofwatercolor Thank you for the reply. Yes I agree that is a matter of transparency, but it is also supposed that one knows what sort of Earth colours is using not to mention that a good number of the Earth colours available on the market are transparent by default, depending the manufacturer of course. My point is that the more pigments are into a mix the more are the chances to come up with unexpected results particularly when you paint with transparent and multiple layers. If you rely on glazing in order to achieve depth of colour then mixing the Earth colours increases the chances to come up with something that doesn't work. Anyway.. thank you for the explanation and the link to the other very interesting video. :)

[@alang253]

You are way too effective. I just splurged on an expanded landscape watercolor set with a bunch of extra earth tones. First try I mix cad yellow, carmine, and a dab of neutral and I completely blow away the yellow ochre that it came with. Next I mix the same thing but with Cad Lemon instead and it's splitting image of the umber. Mind blowing to think I could've bought a set with half as many hues

[@mindofwatercolor]

Its ok. But the mixing knowledge is pure gold. It will help you use those expanded earth tones ever better.

[@alang253]

@@mindofwatercolor they will still be helpful when doing plein air and needed to save as much time as possible! thanks for the knowledge!