Acrylic Paint Set: Mix a Five-Colour Palette

An acrylic paint set gives you ready-made colours, but mixing helps you use them in more ways. Before starting a painting, build a small reference chart from five colours. Keep it beside your work so you can choose a mix instead of guessing.

This exercise uses red, yellow, blue, green and white. You will compare orange and green mixtures, then make lighter versions. The aim is a useful record of your own paint, not a perfect colour wheel.

Choose a set for the exercise

The Mont Marte Dimension Acrylic Intro Set, 8 × 18ml contains the colours needed here. Its thick paint has a gloss finish and suits brush or palette knife work. Select five tubes for this chart and leave the others aside.

If you already own acrylics, use those first. Read the tube labels and record the exact colour names. Different reds and blues can give different mixtures, so avoid treating a colour name as a promise of one result.

What you need

• Red, yellow, blue, green and white acrylic paint.
• A flat acrylic brush, such as the flat brush in the Mont Marte Signature four-piece brush set.
• A palette or mixing tray, water container and wiping cloth.
• A primed painting surface. The Mont Marte A5 Canvas Pad has ten gesso-primed sheets.
• A pencil and a separate note sheet for your mix labels.

Protect your table and squeeze out small amounts. Leave clean space between colours on the palette.

Make your five-colour mixing chart

1. Set out three rows. Reserve one for orange mixes, one for green mixes and one for lighter colours. Leave space beside each sample for a label.
2. Start with yellow and red. Put yellow in a clean mixing area. Add a little red, stir and paint a sample. Add more red to the remaining mix and paint another beside it. Note which mixture contains more red.
3. Repeat with yellow and blue. Begin a fresh mix and add blue gradually. Paint two samples with different balances. Compare these with a separate swatch of the green straight from its tube.
4. Explore lighter versions. Move a little of each mixture into a clean area. Add white gradually and paint the new sample below its original. Keep the original mix free of white.
5. Let the chart dry and label it. Write the tube names and brief mixing notes on your note sheet. Compare the dry samples before choosing colours for your next painting.

Look for warm and cool differences

Compare the yellow-heavy and red-heavy oranges. Then compare your yellow-heavy and blue-heavy greens. Decide which samples look warmer or cooler beside each other.

Colour temperature is relative: a sample can look different beside another colour. You do not need to label every tube as warm or cool. Use the comparison to choose a sunny accent or a cooler area in your next sketch.

Common mistakes and simple fixes

• Every mix looks dull: rinse and wipe your brush between mixtures. Use clean palette space.
• One colour takes over: add it in smaller amounts. Restart with the lighter colour if needed.
• You cannot repeat a mix: label each sample as you go, including which colour you added next.
• Paint dries on the brush: clean it promptly. Mont Marte recommends warm soapy water while its acrylic paint is wet.

Quick questions

Can five colours make every colour?

No. This is a focused practice palette. It helps you learn a few useful mixtures without claiming a complete colour range.

Do I need exact mixing ratios?

Not for this exercise. Add paint gradually and keep notes. Your tubes and chosen colour balance determine the result.

Should I buy a bigger set first?

Try the chart with what you own. If a project needs a colour you cannot mix well, look for that gap in your next set.

Put your chart to work

Choose one orange, one green and a lighter version for a small abstract painting. Repeat those colours across a few simple shapes. Browse our acrylic paint sets and check the colours and finish against your project.