This entry was originally posted on Sunday, January 15, 2012.

Are you one of those people that has a BAZILLION colors and don’t ever remember which of your colors you used to get that perfect color? That is usually because you have a bazillion colors.

I highly recommend starting with a limited palette and get to know those colors really, really well before you add anymore. You will also discover that you don’t need to add too many more colors. You’ll know how to mix just about anything from the colors that you have.

My basic palette consists of 8 colors.

A warm and cool of each primary and 2 earth colors.

All the secondaries can be mixed (imagine that!)

 You may choose your own but I find that having a warm and cool of each color works really well.

This is just my list of basic colors:

New Gamboge (warm yellow)

Winsor Yellow (cool yellow)

Cadmium Scarlet/Red (warm red)

Permanent Alizarin Crimson (cool red)

French Ultramarine Blue (warm blue)

Winsor Blue (green shade) (cool blue)

Raw Sienna (earth)

Burnt Sienna (earth)

Every now and again I do use other colors but I find that I keep coming back to these 8.

Leslie Lambert

Author Leslie Lambert

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