Colour Mixing Chart: Exploring Different Yellows with Violet

What happens when you mix different shades of yellow with violet? You get a beautiful range of muted yellows, earthy browns, and subtle neutral tones!

In this experiment on mixing colors, I investigate how various shades of yellow blend with violet and how altering the ratios of each pigment can produce intriguing colors for painting shadows, depth, and texture.

Let's delve into each combination!

Watch Video here

Download this colour mixing chart here

Understanding the Colour Mixing Chart

Yellow and violet are complementary colors on the color wheel. When combined, they tend to neutralize each other, resulting in a variety of muted and earthy tones.

In this chart, I have used seven shades of yellow and orange, mixing each with violet in three different ratios:

• Less violet than yellow.

• Equal amounts of yellow and violet.

• More violet than yellow.

The violet is sourced from Winsor & Newton, while most of the yellow pigments are also from Winsor & Newton, with a few from Holbein.

The yellow and orange colours used are:

• Lemon Yellow

• Gamboge Hue

• Yellow Ochre

• Cadmium Yellow Deep

• Quinacridone Gold

• Raw Sienna

• Cadmium Orange Hue

Let's see how each pigment behaves when mixed with violet.

1. Lemon Yellow + Violet

Cool, bright, and transparent yellow

Lemon Yellow is a cool and vibrant yellow with a transparent nature.

• More yellow, less violet: Adding a hint of violet slightly reduces the brightness of lemon yellow.

• Equal proportions: This combination results in a neutral brown with an ochre-like look.

• More violet: A transparent brown emerges, with violet having a stronger influence on the mix.

Painting tip: These subdued browns are perfect for creating delicate shadows while staying within the same color family as the yellow areas in your painting.

2. Gamboge Hue + Violet

Warm, glowing, and transparent yellow-orange

Gamboge Hue is a warm, radiant yellow-orange. Despite its transparency, it has a more pronounced visual impact on paper than Lemon Yellow.

• More yellow, less violet: A touch of violet reduces its brightness.

• Equal proportions: Results in a lovely, light yellowish-brown.

• More violet: Produces a richer brown, akin to what you get with Lemon Yellow.

Painting tip: This combination is ideal for achieving warm, muted shadows while retaining the inherent warmth of your subject.

3. Yellow Ochre + Violet

Warm, earthy, and naturally muted yellow

Yellow Ochre is a warm, earthy yellow that is typically considered semi-transparent or semi-opaque, with a naturally muted look.

Adding violet makes it even more subdued.

• More yellow, less violet: Results in a soft yellowish-brown.

• Equal proportions: Yields a deeper, more neutral tone.

• More violet: The resulting color starts to shift towards violet.

Painting tip: These earthy combinations are ideal for shadows and old architectural structures, where natural, muted colors are often required.

4. Cadmium Yellow Deep + Violet

Warm, intensely pigmented, and opaque yellow

The next color is Cadmium Yellow Deep from Holbein. This is a highly pigmented, opaque color that spreads smoothly and stands out on paper.

As a warm yellow, it creates an intriguing range of neutral colors when mixed with violet.

• More yellow, less violet: Results in a warm, desaturated yellow-brown.

• Equal proportions: Yields a rich neutral brown.

• More violet: Produces a deeper brown, almost like Burnt Umber.

Painting tip: This combination is especially useful for crafting rich, natural-looking shadows in warm yellow subjects.

5. Quinacridone Gold + Violet

Radiant, golden-orange and translucent yellow

Holbein's Quinacridone Gold is a stunning golden-orange yellow. Its warm and transparent qualities make it ideal for painting luminous golden surfaces, light, and highlights.

When combined with violet, it results in a beautiful spectrum of transparent browns.

• More yellow, less violet: Yields a gently desaturated golden hue.

• Equal proportions: Results in a transparent, warm brown.

• More violet: Creates a deeper brown that gradually shifts towards violet.

Painting tip: These transparent blends are perfect for adding depth and forming natural shadows without making the painting appear dull or heavy.

6. Raw Sienna + Violet

Warm, earthy, and transparent yellow-brown

Raw Sienna is a warm, yellow-brown earth pigment. I sometimes prefer it over Yellow Ochre because ochre can occasionally appear flatter. However, the choice really depends on the subject being painted.

Raw Sienna is also transparent, making it an intriguing pigment to experiment with.

• More yellow, less violet: Produces a subtle, muted golden-brown.

• Equal proportions: Creates a soft, neutral brown.

• More violet: Gives a deeper, muted brown with a stronger violet influence.

Painting tip: These transparent, understated browns are useful for adding gentle shadows and depth without overpowering the original color.

7. Cadmium Orange Hue + Violet

Warm, semi-transparent orange

I included Cadmium Orange Hue in this chart because many of the yellows used here are warm colors that naturally tend towards orange.

Interestingly, when this orange is applied very lightly, its lightest tonal value appears yellowish-orange, making it a beautiful addition to this color study.

• More orange, less violet: Creates a softly desaturated orange.

• Equal proportions: Produces a muted, earthy orange-brown.

• More violet: Develops a deeper neutral tone with a stronger violet influence.

Painting tip: This combination can be particularly useful for painting shadows on tangerines or adding depth to the inner parts of flowers.

What Did We Learn from This Colour Mixing Experiment?

While these pigments are all part of the yellow and orange spectrum, their interactions with violet vary significantly.

Here are some intriguing findings from this experiment:

• Cool yellows result in different neutral browns compared to warm, orange-leaning yellows.

• Transparent pigments yield softer, more translucent mixtures.

• Opaque and highly pigmented yellows produce bolder, richer mixtures.

• Adjusting the amount of violet can transform a colour from a slightly muted yellow to a deep, earthy brown.

• Some mixtures gradually shift towards violet with the addition of more violet.

The most fascinating aspect is the ability to create numerous natural shadow colours using just two complementary colours.

Final Thoughts

Watch video here

Download this colour mixing chart here

One major benefit of understanding color mixing is that we don't always need to use black to paint shadows.

By mixing the dominant yellow or orange pigment with violet, we can create harmonious shadows that naturally belong to the same color family.

Whether painting yellow flowers, golden objects, tangerines, or old architectural structures, these combinations provide numerous possibilities.

Experiment with different proportions, observe how each pigment reacts, and develop your own collection of beautiful neutral colors!

The complete color mixing chart is available for download on my Patreon page for all free members.

Thank you for reading, and happy painting!