How to Mix Rich and Subtle Colours Using a Limited Palette

One of my favourite challenges as an artist is working with a limited palette. It might sound restrictive, but in reality, using just a few colours forces you to get creative—and the results can be incredibly rich, subtle, and harmonious. With just a handful of colours, you can mix an endless array of shades that give your painting depth and life.

Here’s how to mix rich and subtle colours using a limited palette in acrylics.

1. Choose Your Core Colours Wisely

When working with a limited palette, the colours you choose as your base are key. A simple, effective palette consists of three primaries—red, blue, and yellow—plus white. This allows you to mix a wide range of hues, from rich, vibrant colours to more subtle, subdued tones.

Penny’s Go-To Palette:
I work with three primaries plus white. This minimalistic approach forces me to get creative with mixing, but it allows for incredible versatility in both vibrant and muted colour mixes.

2. Use Complements to Neutralize and Subdue Colours

One of the best tricks for mixing subtle, subdued colours is using complementary colours—those opposite each other on the colour wheel. Mixing a little of one colour’s complement into it will neutralize the brightness and create a softer, more subtle tone.

How I Do It:
To create a muted green, I mix green with a touch of red, which subdues its brightness. This same technique works for any colour—just add a bit of its complement to tone it down.

3. Layering to Build Richness

A limited palette doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice richness or complexity. By layering thin glazes of colour, you can build depth and richness in your painting. Each layer interacts with the one beneath it, creating a more complex final colour.

Penny’s Layering Tip:
I often start with a base colour and then layer subtle glazes on top to adjust the tone and add depth. This technique is especially useful for creating shadowed areas or rich, nuanced highlights.

4. Mix for Temperature, Not Just Hue

When mixing colours, don’t just think about the hue—think about the temperature. A colour can be warm or cool, and adjusting the temperature can give your painting more depth and contrast. For example, a warm yellow next to a cool blue can create a stunning contrast that adds dimension to your work.

My Approach:
When mixing neutrals, I pay attention to the temperature of each colour. A neutral grey with a warm undertone will create a different effect than one with a cool undertone, adding subtle complexity to the painting.

Final Thoughts

Using a limited palette doesn’t mean limiting your creativity—in fact, it’s quite the opposite! By focusing on how colours interact and learning to mix rich and subtle tones, you’ll unlock a whole new level of depth, harmony, and vibrancy in your paintings.

Until next time, Keep splashing colours!

Penny 😊🎨✨