Is there a Shortcut for Learning How to Mix Paint Colors?

I’ve just finished my first week of filming my new course, Color Mixing with Acrylic, and it’s been incredible. After brainstorming how I’d like to teach this for over a year, seeing the exercises come to life on the paper in front of me truly feels like magic.

But it’s also been humbling. Let me explain.

I’m often asked how I decide what to paint or how I choose a subject for a video tutorial. The truth is, I pay very close attention to patterns in the comments section on YouTube and Instagram. Whenever I see the same question or frustration voiced repeatedly by different people on different platforms, I know there’s an area of need.

Here’s an example: Whenever I shared my acrylic landscape sketchbook, I kept seeing variations of the same comment: I thought it was a photo! How do you paint such realistic landscapes with acrylic on paper?

So I made a video called, Are Those Paintings or Photos?! How to Paint Realistic Landscapes with Acrylic on Paper. It did really well because it addressed a recurring need that many viewers had expressed.

That same approach has guided me through the creation process for this color mixing course. I’ve read your comments and heard your frustration when it comes to mixing colors.

I know how aggravating it can be when you’re trying to mix a secondary color, like orange or purple, and it either turns out muddy or too vibrant. I know how infuriating it is when you need to darken a color like yellow, but adding black only makes it green. And I definitely understand the confusion of standing in an art supply store, searching for a primary red, only to find 10 different options at wildly varying price points.

I’ve been there. After over a decade of study and practice, I assumed I could distill complex color theory into a simple, express course that I could teach in under two hours. After all, we’re all busy, right? And in today’s culture, we all want a shortcut that delivers the results we need in the least amount of time possible. So I set out with the goal of hacking color, convinced I could find an easy path.

Except I couldn’t.

There’s no hack or shortcut to truly understanding color. While researching the work of contemporary American painters John Pototschnik and Richard Schmid, I found they both emphasized the same thing: learning color takes time and practice, but it’s time well invested.

It means sitting down, taking out the paints, and doing the exercises. It means learning key terminology to identify which elements of your hue need adjusting while mixing. It requires a thorough understanding of undertones, color bias, and opacity. It means knowing how to create color charts and how to choose the right colors for a successful limited or split primary palette. I could go on, but you get the point.

If you want to build mastery in anything, you have to put in the time and the reps. That’s why I’ve felt humbled. With every day of filming, I grow more baffled at how I ever thought I could teach this in just two hours.

Spending the time and energy to develop your core skill set isn’t glamorous. If anything, it can feel like a bit of a slog. But the payoff comes when a beautiful idea for a painting pops into your mind, and you know you have the knowledge and technique to bring it to life. When a commission request comes in, you feel confident asking for a fair rate because you’ve built a level of mastery that’s in demand.

There’s no cheat or hack to becoming a highly skilled artist in a short time. Sure, you can find prodigies on social media, but they’re exceedingly rare. Most of the best artists you see have spent years on the invisible labor that made them who they are.

And you can, too—whether you’re a hobbyist or an aspiring professional.

Learn to enjoy the process. Slow down, savor the reps, and you’ll find yourself reaching new heights with your work.

As for me, I'm one week in, with at least five more weeks of filming and editing to go. If you'd like to get on the waitlist and be notified of the course's completion (plus receive a sweet discount), you can sign up here. I can't wait to see you on the inside of this, it's going to be epic.