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When looking at historic cultures and traditions around the world, we notice distinct differences in how people decorated their homes and dwellings, and may wonder why such distinctions existed. There are too many reasons to detail here, but the most obvious ones are climate, cultural variations, and the availability of raw materials, including colors. Traditionally, paint was made using pigments available from the earth and from plants, so color choices were determined by the natural environment.

Historic Uses of Color

Natural pigments, which were used throughout the ancient world, are basically earth colors in shades of brown, red oxide, yellow ochre, and black. As exploration and trade opened up new, often exotic lands, different color pigments were discovered. The pigments from each geographic area varied slightly, so specific names were used to differentiate them. Many of these names—such as Venetian red, burnt sienna, and Oxford ochre—are still used today. The advent of technology and the use of synthetic pigments mean that any conceivable color can now be manufactured.

In recent years, a heightened sense of awareness has led to the restoration and preservation of many beautiful old buildings. This, in turn, has prompted conservationists and historians to study traditional uses of color around the world. With the aid of historic records and actual samples taken from the walls and ceilings of buildings, many of the older painting traditions have been revived.

Crisp white trim sets off soft pastel façades.

When contemplating exterior decorating effects, look at your natural surroundings: plants, flowers, fruits, and vegetables can all be used as inspiration when it comes to choosing colors that are in harmony with the world around you.

Some international paint companies have added “traditional” colors to their ranges, making it possible to recreate the authentic decoration of a region. These paint ranges vary from one country to the next, but their names associate them with a particular cultural legacy, such as “Heritage” and the “National Trust” in the UK, and “Williamsburg” in the USA.

Think of the soft grays and blues of Scandinavia, the dusty pinks and ochres of Italy, the stark whitewashed walls and blue trims of Greece, the red barns of Pennsylvania, USA and the vibrant colors of Mexico—each of these presents vivid visual images that are commonly associated with that particular location.

It makes sense to take inspiration from your immediate surroundings, not only architecturally and culturally, but also geographically and from the natural environment. Consider the style of your home, look at the plants in your garden, and at nearby fields, forests, or mountains before deciding on a color scheme.

The Color Wheel

Specific terms are used to describe color. The word hue is used to distinguish one color from another; red and green, for example, are different hues. Primary colors—red, blue, and yellow—are hues. These three colors are called primary because they cannot be created by mixing other colors.

They can, however, be mixed to create secondary colors—purple, green, and orange. These six colors are the basic colors, or hues, of a standard color wheel.

Each primary color lies opposite a secondary color on the color wheel (i.e. red opposite green, yellow opposite purple, blue opposite orange). These are called complementary colors, because when they are placed next to each other and mixed optically they complement each other by standing out and appearing brighter. For example, a decorator may introduce green accents to provide the complementary color in a predominantly pink area.

When complementary colors are mixed together as paint, however, they become muddy gray, effectively neutralizing each other.

A tertiary color is a mixture of a primary and a secondary color. For example, purple mixed with red will create a reddish purple, or blue mixed with green will create a bluish green. Tertiary colors have altered in hue but are still pure in their depth and color.

Tints, Tones, Values, and Shades

By adding black or white to any color on the color wheel, a new range of exciting colors emerges.

When white is added to a color or hue, it becomes paler and lighter and is called a tint. For example, white added to red creates pink. Depending on how much white is added, the pink will have a pale or deep tonal value.

Tone is a term that is frequently used in the same context as value, to refer to the depth or intensity of a particular color.

When black is added to a color it becomes darker and is called a shade. The color will vary in value depending on how much black is added.

Colors are categorized into warm and cool. Warm usually refers to reds, oranges, yellows, and colors that contain them. Cool colors can overlap, making it possible to have warm yellow-greens or cool purple-reds.

Earthy Tones

Earthy colors are derived from natural pigments found in the earth. Yellow ochre, raw and burnt sienna, raw and burnt umber, Indian red, Venetian red, and chrome oxide green are found in clay or stone. When ground to a fine powder, they can be mixed with a binder to make paint.

Natural earth tones are inspired by, and in harmony with, the environment.

The first artists, who made their marks in the form of rock paintings, used natural pigments mixed with animal fat, blood, milk, or plant sap to create a usable mixture. Chalk was used for white and carbon for black.

Color Mixing

It is important to experiment with mixing paint if you want to create your own unique colors.

Don’t be alarmed if you find that your mixture does not produce the color you thought it would. In theory, two primary colors can be mixed to create a secondary color. In practice, however, the result can often be duller than expected.

With the development of synthetic pigments, virtually any variation of a hue or shade is commercially available. A full range of colors in artists’ oils, acrylics, gouache, and watercolors can be bought at art stores. The following basic colors will provide the fullest mixing range:

REDS
	Cadmium redVermilionAlizarin crimsonVenetian redIndian redBurnt sienna
YELLOWS
	Cadmium yellowLemon yellowYellow ochreRaw sienna
BLUES
	Cobalt blueCerulean bluePrussian blueFrench ultramarine
GREENS
	Terre verteChromium oxide greenPhthalocyanine green
BROWNS
	Raw umberBurnt umber
TITANIUM WHITE
LAMP BLACK

Complementary colors blend without becoming muddy.

Black mixed with yellow produces an olive green shade.

When acrylic paint is diluted with water, a wash is created.

Hardware and paint supply stores have many of these colors available in the form of universal tints, which can be used to create colors in water- or oil-based interior or exterior paints.

When mixing colors, it is very important to establish which type of paint you are going to use—oil- or water-based. Remember to use the appropriate pigments to change colors and the correct solvent to dilute the paint and clean the tools.

Tips on Mixing Paints

♦ When mixing a pale color or tint, start with a white base and add small quantities of the color. Depending on their pigment composition, some colors are stronger than others. If you start with the color and add white to it, you could end up using a lot of white paint to get it pale enough.

♦ Black is not always the best option to darken other colors, as it can often change them completely or make them dull. For example, adding black to yellow turns it olive green. Rather use raw or burnt umber, or even a darker hue in the same family. Yellow ochre or burnt sienna will produce a darker shade that is rich and lively.

♦ If a color is too bright or crisp in its natural state—for example, bright green—add a few drops of its complementary color (in this case red), to obtain a slight dulling without making the color muddy. Complementary colors can also be used to cool a warm color, or add warmth to a cool color.

♦ Pastel colors premixed by a paint supplier tend to be very “sweet” and ice cream-like. Adding a drop or two of either raw umber or the complementary color (for example, a drop of orange into blue) will reduce the glare without changing the overall effect of the color.

The following rules apply to both water- and oil-based paints:

♦ Use a brilliant white base when mixing pale colors.

♦ Use a transparent base when mixing dark colors.

Using Universal Tints to Color Paint

Universal tints, which are very easy to use, are the only colorants that can be used in both oil- and water-based paints.

1. Add a few drops of the appropriate universal tints to a container filled with either oil- or water-based paint. Remember, if a pale color is required, start with a white base, if a dark color is required, start with a transparent base.

2. Stir the paint well. Paint a test patch on a piece of card and dry it with a hair dryer. (Oil-based paint will take longer to dry than water-based paint.) At this point you will notice that the dry color is different from the wet color. The degree of difference will depend on the type of paint used and the surface onto which it is applied.

3. Adjust the paint mixture by adding small quantities of universal tint, blending each addition well, until you achieve the desired color.

Using Artists’ Oils to Color Paint

Artists’ oils can only be used to color oil-based paint, glaze or varnish. They give a much purer color than universal tints and are the best paints to use for intricate decorative finishes such as tortoiseshell, lapis lazuli, and malachite.

1. Squeeze about 1¼" (30mm) of a single color, or a combination of colors, onto a palette. Using a palette knife, mix them together until the desired color is achieved.

2. Scrape the color mixture into a small bowl or jar and add enough mineral spirits to dilute it to the consistency of thin cream, removing all the lumps.

3. Keep adding a few drops of the color mixture to the base paint (white alkyd or transparent glaze) until the desired color is achieved.

A few drops of a drier can be added to the paint to speed up the drying process.

Mixing white with a pure color creates a paler color.

Raw umber takes the “sweetness” out of a pale or pastel color.

Universal tint mixed with water-based emulsion.

Using Artists’ Acrylic to Color Paint

Artists’ acrylic is water-based and can only be used to color water-based paint, glaze, or varnish.

Some acrylic colors are more opaque than others and can produce a cloudy effect when used to stain transparent glaze or varnish.

1. Squeeze about 1¼" (30mm) of a single color, or a combination of colors, onto a palette. Using a palette knife, mix them together until the desired color is achieved.

2. Scrape the color mixture into a small bowl or jar and add enough water to dilute it, mixing it well to remove all the lumps.

3. Keep adding a few drops of the mixture to the base paint (white paint, transparent glaze, or varnish) until the desired color is achieved.

Commercially Mixed Colors

If you decide not to mix your own colors, you can make use of the vast spectrum of commercially produced colors that are readily available from your local paint supplier.

Most paint manufacturers mix paints to order and have coded paint swatches, which are available in a fan deck or as individual swatches. Use the swatches to match fabrics or existing colors. When you have reached a decision, a paint supplier will mix up any colors you need, in the type of paint most suitable for the particular project you have in mind.

It is advisable to start off with the smallest amount of paint that the store is prepared to mix—usually one quart or liter. Paint a test patch onto sample board or directly onto the wall. A sample board can be made from a smooth piece of hardboard or Masonite that has been primed and undercoated with the same products used on the walls. Very often, the test color will dry differently from the printed swatch, depending on the type of paint or the wall’s surface.

By making a sample board you can check whether the color will work in different lighting—during the day, with artificial light, at night, or in shadow. You can also use the sample board to test decorative techniques. Once you are satisfied with the color and the technique, buy the amount of paint required to complete the project.

Different colors liven up a wall.

Blue pigment mixed with whitewash is traditional in India.