I notice a lot of modelers are very adverse to mixing paint. I don’t mean thinning, I mean mixing two or more colors to change the color or tint, such as toning down a black. As long as it is the same type of paint- same brand and type, what is wrong with mixing paints?
If I had to guess I’d say it probably has more to do with…and I don’t want this to sound mean…but laziness. It so much easier to have the paint you need ready in the bottle instead of mixing it in a separate bottle, cleaning the eyedropper that you used to transfer the paint to the bottle and keeping track of the ratios of paint, especially on custom mixes.
I personally don’t mind mixing paint and I find that the colors called for in instructions, especially on Tamiya and Hasegawa kits tend to be very accurate.
I happen to think that paint mixing is one of the most basic—and, these days, most overlooked—skills in modeling. Like probably many (if not most) of the posters here, I started modeling when there generally wasn’t any great range of premixed colors, certainly not to FS595a or RLM standards. Mixing was all there was. I remember how excited I was the first time I saw formulas for mixing accurate Luftwaffe colors with Testors square-bottle paints in an old IPMS publication–it was like finding the Holy Grail!
Having said that, I have absolutely nothing against using more convenient and vastly more accurate premixed colors. Far from it. They’re a great boon to modeling.
But learning to mix colors teaches invaluable lessons about color theory and effects that you just can’t get from reading or looking at charts. You learn what colors really are, which makes it vastly simpler when you’re trying now-standard techniques like pre- and post- shading, blending, and highlighting.
I actually find mixing my own colors more convenient. Less putting a project on hold waiting for that “special” bottle of paint to arrive, or having everything come to a screeching halt mid-painting because you didn’t order quite enough of that special color. Plus, I can have a whole line of Luftwaffe planes which don’t look like they’re diecast because every color set looks exactly the same.
Last, the simple truth that mixing paint colors isn’t the arcane alchemy that a lot of modelers seem to think it is. Like every other thing in modeling, it’s a few simple principles which grow and expand with experience. But once you’ve got 'em, it makes a lot of other stuff vastly easier and more fun.
[Old fart climbing down off of the soapbox, going back to my easy-lounger to eat my rice pudding.]
I want to mix more colors. Greg touched on what my challenge/obstacle is above, how to achieve the right mix. I am stuck in an “add white to make a color lighter and black to make it darker” rut, which isn’t even correct. Having dabbled in photography off and on for 40 yrs, I still don’t grasp the basics of a colour wheel. It simply won’t ‘click’ in my brain for some reason.
Really want to learn how to mix my basic colors of oils for drybrushing and/or washing, as well. I envy those modelers here who appear so confident with several blotches of colors on thier pallettes, happily and confidently mixing away…
I’d rather mix colors, too, but figuring out what and how much hasn’t been something I’ve taken time to research. That, and the fact that so many colors are available straight out of the bottle.
Greg, oils are actually the easiest paints to experiment with, because you can put little pea-sized amounts out and go to town, without having to worry about the small amounts drying out before you’re into it.
Part of the “experience curve” of working with actual paints instead of a color wheel is realizing that, whereas blue light and yellow light mix to make green light, even “pure color” paints are always tints. You’ll get green—but it might be an olive or an aqua tone, rather than an “apple” green. One of the most common examples in paints is mixing red and blue. The color wheel will give you purple, but the paints might give you a brownish shade instead. The answer to this learning-wise is to work with your chosen paints, and make your own color wheel (or swatches). Mix a drop of each color with a drop of every other color, and make a sample on a 3x5 card. (Add notes and comments.) That will be the fastest shortcut to being able to get a handle on what your most-used paint colors actually do.
[Back to the easy-lounger. Boy, this rice pudding is good. And easy to chew!]
I used to mix paints all the time,before the Model Master and then the Model Master II paints came out,we didn’t have a whole lot of choice.
So, I mixed Floquil Railroad paints into the colors I wanted,I had a few problems with getting some colors right,then FSM ran an article about mixing that solved my problem,and I use that article’s method today.
Basically what you need to do is to mix up variables in the formulas you are trying, at the same time you are trying the “main idea” formula,so, when you mix 10 parts of “specific item number Green” to 1 part Yellow,you mix 9 to 1, 11 to 1, 19 to 2, and 21 to 2,you do that so that you aren’t tempted to mix your 10 to 1, dip some out onto a card,and when it doesn’t match, you add another drop of the Green,you now have it right, and you can’t ever duplicate it, because when you dipped out that couple of brushfuls, you changed the ratio when you added that one drop in there
so, you mix up many different mixtures, all around your target,and you write them all down on their cards, and never throw any of those away,maybe a year later you need a mix,and find that you already have it on file from your earlier mixing
but, that was then, this is now,I just switched to Acrylics, and have found ALL BUT 3 colors to match the 595A, ANA and some BSC colors I need for all of the hundreds of aircraft I have,heck, I even got some matches to the few 595B and C colors needed for a couple of really modern aircraft
those 3 missing numbers are colors that no one else has published a match or a mixture for, either,so, I will someday mix those three, match them up to the 595A, or just find them by dumb luck
so, other than 3 possible colors,I don’t have to mix anything anymore, so I don’t see any reason to do that
Rex
There is nothing wrong with mixing paint colors, I do it quiet often.
Granted it’s a lot of trial and error but I can get colors that aren’t available for my needs.
Oh yes, I use enamels exclusively (old school).
Have fun and experiment!
I used to do a lot of painting wildlife art on canvas so mixing paint is something that I have done a great deal of. I dont find myself doing it much in modeling however. The first thing is that the liquid nature of model paints makes it necessary to find a container of some sort to mix them in. Artist paints are paste- like and are mixed on any horizontal surface. Second, whatever you dont use right away simply dries up and is wasted and you always must mix up more than you need to prevent yourself from running out halfway through the job.
Chris
Greg, thanks for the index card idea. It is a good one. Believe I shall try that with my oil wash ongoing experiments, for sure. Interesting to hear your real life experiences with mixes that ‘should’ work, but don’t. That’s exactly what I’ve been finding so far.
Rex, interesting to hear you did the index card thing too, and your in depth commentary is very interesting.
Also interesting to read all of the other takes on the subject, here. Good thread.
Greg, I did change up the method a little bit when I switched to Acrylics.
I noticed on a couple of the darker green index cards that I had quite a bit of bleed through of paint on the back side of the index card. (leaving me wondering how true the color as on the actual viewing surface)
So, this time, I went with cardstock cut into baseball sized cards,with a selfadhesive label as the paint area,that way there I am sure that the two coats don’t bleed through.
I have 40+ pages like this now, for Acrylics.
I won’t claim to know every Acrylic color match (there are thousands, now), but for about 300 of the paints, I can say what color they are when painted and held up to the standard’s chips)
What to use when, and on what, and where,those are up to other people to point out, lol.
Rex
If you’d like to get started with color mixing, two suggestions. First, go to an art supply place and buy a cheap color wheel. Second, go to the library and check out a book on beginning painting (not house painting, picture painting 
). Almost all books on beginning painting have a chapter on how to mix colors- what to add to what to get what. Or, buy such a book- many include a color wheel or picture of one.
Rex, really like that idea. I am only beginning to realise how much different dried paint looks than wet. Thanks for that.
Don, stellar idea, thank you. I spent some time on the internet a few weeks back looking for basic paint mixing info, to no avail. Library. Book. Color wheel. D’oh!!!
Got that color wheel (specifically for mixing), Don. Now to start experimenting. Thx again for the tip.
If we start mixing our own colors, won’t that be one less reason to “have to go” to the Hobby Shop on Saturday while the wife does some ‘other’ shopping? Let’s not get carried away here folks!
I have been mixing colors more and more lately- especially on figures and stowage equipment for vehicle builds. I am really enjoying the subtle varition s in uniforms that I get from making my own mixes, along with washes and dry brushing.
That certainly is a valid point! [Y]
However, in my case, there is no LHS with a paint selection worth mentioning, sadly.
Stik, that is interesting to know. I am planning to try same on some cockpit details, maybe a seat cushion for example. It is encouraging to hear that you have been doing this lately, with success.
I like using Humbrols, and and with just a drop or two of one color into a few of another type, I get some better colors. I have had similar results with Tamiya colors in acrylics for airbrushing.
I like mixing colors. The only bug I get into is when I am painting a model in stages and have to go back again with a mixed color. Either have to save some, or recreate it (difficult)
Figures is one genre I almost always mix paint for. Most hobby paint has highly saturated colors. Skin and most clothing (except for some nylon and Spandex) are very low saturation colors. I mix grey and either black and white till I get the luminance I want (the gray value), then slowly add the color till I get the saturation I want, erring on the side of “less saturation is better.”