The Mother Method of Color Mixing for All Artists and All Paint Mediums

The Mother Method of color mixing works with all art mediums. In this video I demonstrate how I achieve color harmony while painting with watercolors. I do this kind of watercolor for relaxation painting in an art journal because I find it truly fun but most of all, relaxing!
A lot of people will ask about the paper that is in this journal. It is a handmade watercolor paper that I purchased on Amazon and then made my own journal with. It is a yummy, soft paper but not necessarily very good for watercolor painting. It looks great in photos but is probably best used with acrylics or gouache. My next handmade watercolor journal will be made with Arches 90 lb. Rough watercolor paper and we’ll see how that works out.
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Music in this video is Golden by Jeff Kaale

[@karenmorgan4250]

How do you replenish your wells if you do not know the colors in the wells? I really love this but maybe I am missing something about how to do this.

[@renejantzi7441]

I have watched this video so many times! It’s magical! I was immediately taken with your comments about your own palette. I’m fascinated when given a glimpse of artist’s palettes. Might you consider sharing your non - traditional palette? Thank you for sharing your creative life with us; it inspires us every time you post! I originally found you on Instagram.

[@willawanders]

My plan is to write a full blog post about it in a few weeks! willawanders.com is my website

[@juliehouck6154]

Thank you for sharing. You were the first to introduce the “Mother Color” in your watercolor flower course. I just love your color combinations. 🙏🏼😘

[@sybilmartinez3095]

So interesting! I've wondered how you get such subdued colors when doing your watercolor. I will have to get another palette so I can just go wild and have all the colors be mixed with each other. I'll keep my regular palette with the pure colors. Thanks so much for the info! 🎨💖✨

[@katespin99]

What orange are you using in your palette? Is it from Renesans? I like their paints, just trying to decide what orange to order. I have plenty of WC paints except orange. Thanks.

[@willawanders]

Reach out to April at @alittlecreative.me and ask her which orange I use 😂😂😂

[@8548flowerpot]

Your the first to introduce this method to me and it's a game changer. Great video too.

[@KarenElaine]

I love this way of color mixing. Thank you for this relaxing video Wendy, I am going to play with watercolor now. The Opera pink mixes are beautiful!

[@pattitolleyparrish]

Really interesting, will have to have a go at this. TFS!

[@roxie746]

Thanks for this tutorial, Wendy. I'm a bit confused. You talked about using neutral tint before you explained your method. Do you use a neutral tint, or just randomly mix the colors in your palette? Thanks!

[@hopeamen8087]

How do you repeat a color that you like without knowing the combination you used?

[@willawanders]

You practice and get very good at understanding how to mix color! It’s so fun.

[@CSILVESTRO1]

This is awesome, but if you want to reproduce the colour again how do you know what is in there?

[@willawanders]

I think that one thing about the way that I create is that I don't worry about reproducing anything. I don't sell my art so that makes things a lot less presured. They other thing is that I generally understand how to mix colors pretty well, so when I do want a particular color, I can get close to it when I want to. I recommend doing a lot of color mixing exercises from different instructors. I think what happens is that you can achieve a color that you are looking for with a variety of methods, and you find the one that works best for you. When you need that "prefect color" you can mess around until you find it by adding a little of this or a little of that and testing it out on a scrap piece of paper before using it in a finished piece.

[@GrumpetteJV]

These are my ultimate favourite colours! Thank you for this!

[@katespin99]

I am not familiar with this method but I do want to try it now. I haven't had success making a journal out of Arches paper. It didn't fold well. I like using Fabriano hot press. Since this video was a while ago, did you try making the journal?

[@wendysolganik8823]

not yet!

[@cheryllynskey9579]

I have experimented with some paints just as you have done here! I love how mixing colors makes new colors. And YES this is so relaxing! And fun! TFS

[@marycronerealestateatmyhom4123]

Without a lot of painting experience, I'm curious to know what colors you chose in your well to start with? And then do you just leave your well to dry up until next time? Thanks! Great method.

[@willawanders]

Yes, I leave my paint to dry in the palette. I use a small variety of paints, mostly from Renesans Polska. Permanent Magenta, Transparent Yellow and two different blues (a warm and a cool). In this video, I was playing around a lot with an orange by Renesans and Opera Pink from Daniel Smtih. But my four "primary" colors are always in all of the mixes. I get my Renesans paints from a distributor in the USA and Canada who is an Etsy Seller called A Little Creative.

[@marycronerealestateatmyhom4123]

@@willawanders Thank you so much for your follow-up. I'm going to follow what you do and see the results. It doesn't have to be exact like yours, just a blend. Thank you. I love your work!

[@kerry_4everchanges]

Beautiful and very soothing. Thanks for sharing your method.

[@jeanieferretti4203]

All those colors from so little! Thank you

[@lindaflorida8945]

Hi Wendy, I'm new to your channel and found your video and method fascinating, thanks so much for explaining how it works. However I have a question about your palette itself because if I listened correctly you use 4 colors plus Opera and a turquoise. But there are 20 wells total. I'm guessing your original 6 pigments are in the round wells but there also appears to be pigment in the rectangles, and obviously in the remaining 4 round wells. I have no idea know why this is confusing me (or even why it matters! 🤔) and I'm sure there's an obvious answer so thanks for your time and explanation of how this palette math works out 😊

[@wendysolganik8823]

The squares are where I do my mixing and my new colors that I mix up end up in there.

[@lindaflorida8945]

@@wendysolganik8823 Thanks, appreciate your reply and that makes sense. It looks like actual pigment in some of the rectangles but I gather that's what remains when a mixture dries between sessions.

[@ALittleCreative]

This is amazing Wendy!! Thanks so much for sharing. Are there any pure pigments in the wells of your palettes? I would love to know how they are arranged. GORGEOUS!!

[@willawanders]

You're gonna laugh but there is no special arrangement to where the pure pigments are set into the palettes. But yes, I'm always refilling the wells with paint from the tubes-just a few basic colors that I love!

[@kerryklaassen]

I haven't tried watercolors yet, so I'm saving this video for when I do. Your color harmony is GORGEOUS!

[@willawanders]

They are so much fun. I recommend taking some kind of beginner's course so that you understand how watercolor works, but one you understand the basics, it's such an easy medium to work with IMHO.

[@nancybuzzard2079]

Question: is this method just an exercise, or would you use this method, for example, to paint flowers or something of your choosing? The method is intriguing and certainly poses other application possibilities.

[@willawanders]

It is for painting anything at all, any subject or design, and also just a fun relaxing thing to do.

[@GoodbyeAngel]

Mixing colors scares me. I'm not sure why....well, maybe because the few times I did try it, everything turned to mud 🙈 But I find it fascinating to watch

[@michelel3372]

Wow, this is really neat. I've never heard of this method and am so intrigued with your process. Thank you so much for sharing this. ❤

[@lafabriquedeloulou8650]

Thanks for sharing this Mother method of color mixing which new to me. Wendy, you started your page like if you were writing in Hebrew 😉 Merci!

[@willawanders]

I’m a Jewish lefty! 😂

[@lafabriquedeloulou8650]

@@willawanders 😉

[@123gp1833]

Hi. Do you let the watercolor ground dry before you paint ❤.

[@catherineclement9603]

Can you tell us about the watercolors you're using, the paper and the brush?

[@willawanders]

I'm going to be writing blog posts about these subjects over the next few weeks so that I can really explain the answers to these questions. You can see my blog at willawanders.com

[@willawanders]

I just published a full blog post about the paper. Here is a link to it: www.willawanders.com/blog-posts/art-journal-deckled-paper

[@betinabjerre5428]

Absolutly love your inspiration 🥰 how do you make the paper edge i this book 😊

[@Spidy388]

Beautiful!! Thank you for sharing this!

[@KriRama]

Fascinating!! Can’t wait to try this!

[@lindastone8582]

What watercolour brush are you using here.

[@georgiagibbons56]

Do you gesso your paper ahead of doing this?

[@willawanders]

I use a watercolor ground made by Daniel Smith on the handmade cotton watercolor paper that I put in these journals because without the ground. the paint isn't very vibrant. It's a big pain in the butt though!

[@ellyhobgood8576]

such a soothing voice!

[@isabellegoliot4964]

Hi Could you please tell me please the names or numbers of the watercolors on your limited palette ? I find the blends luminous ❤

[@willawanders]

Almost all of my colors are from Renesans. www.etsy.com/listing/1274522591/the-willa-set?click_key=5e1a44ee4f165ef59b475449b9ecc706dfb71765%3A1274522591&click_sum=c195be77&ref=shop_home_active_6&crt=1&sts=1

[@willawanders]

There is one color called Malachite that I use that is from Kuretake. It is a Gansi Tambi (I think that is what it is called-it is more like a gouache than a watercolor).

[@isabellegoliot4964]

Thank you for your answers 😘

[@sheilacook1395]

Wow! Thank you🙏🏼

[@karenkuschel1748]

What and where is your neutral tint in the pallet you're using in this video?

[@willawanders]

I don't use Neutral Tint, instead, I just keep the pigment in my brush as I'm working and a little bit of what came before it mixes in with everything else!

[@karenkuschel1748]

@@willawanders I listened through again and thought thats what you meant but thanks for clarifying. I'm a newbie.