Exploring Colour Mixing with My Schmincke Watercolour Set

I'm excited to show you just how versatile my personalised Schmincke watercolour set can be!

In this post, I'll be demonstrating the beautiful range of colours you can mix, including vibrant greens, rich oranges, stunning violets, subtle greys, and natural skin tones. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned artist, these mixing techniques will help you unlock the full potential of the palette. Let’s dive into the endless possibilities you can create with just these 12 handpicked hues.

An open Schmincke watercolour set with 12 tubes of paint displayed next to a ceramic palette with dabs of various watercolour paints and a paintbrush. — My customised Schmincke watercolour paint set.

Colour Mixing

When working with a limited palette like my personalised Schmincke watercolour set, mastering the art of colour mixing is key to unlocking its full potential. While the set contains 12 beautifully handpicked colours, the real magic happens when you start blending and experimenting. By mixing these hues, you can create a huge variety of colours, from subtle pastels to rich, bold shades.

Colour mixing is essential for any artist because it offers flexibility, enabling you to achieve unique tones and adjust the vibrancy or mood of your work. Whether you're painting landscapes, portraits, or still lifes, the ability to create custom shades gives you more control over your composition and allows for a greater level of depth and harmony in your artwork. It also teaches you how colours interact, deepening your understanding of pigments and how they behave on paper.

With just a small selection of primary and secondary colours, plus a few earth tones, you can mix everything you need - from bright and punchy hues to muted neutrals. Let’s dive into how you can get the most out of each colour in this set!

A brush painting swatches of vibrant yellow, red, and blue watercolours on a sheet of paper, with a set of Schmincke watercolour tubes and a water jar in the background. — I absolutely love the colours in the set because you can mix so many different colours from them.

Mixing Greens

In the early days of my painting journey, I relied heavily on pre-mixed greens straight from the tube, and it showed - many of my greens looked artificial and overly bright. Over time, I learned the value of mixing my own greens, which gave my work a more natural and harmonious feel.

I’ve included one pre-mixed green in this set - Phthalo Green - but it’s incredibly versatile and works beautifully when blended with other colours to create a wide range of greens, from bright and fresh to earthy and muted. Let’s take a look at how you can mix some beautiful, natural greens with the colours in my palette

A brush painting various green and blue watercolour swatches on paper, with an open set of Schmincke watercolours in the background, showing the mixing practice. — Green swatched on my paper allows me to see all the variations I can make.

When mixing greens, keep in mind that green is a cool colour. To create vibrant greens, mix with cool colours, while more muted, natural greens come from mixing with warm colours. My set includes a warm blue, two cool blues, a cool yellow, a warm yellow, and warm earthy tones - all of which can be used to mix a variety of greens.

Vibrant Greens

Phthalo Blue and Transparent Yellow.

For vibrant greens, mix Phthalo Blue with Transparent Yellow. Both are cool colours and will create a range of lively, bright greens. Simply adjust the ratio of blue to yellow to vary the intensity and shade of the green.

A close-up of a brush mixing green hues on a ceramic palette from yellow and blue watercolours, with different pigments in the surrounding palette wells. — Green mixture.

Three watercolour swatches, transitioning from a light green to a deeper green and finally to a bluish-green, created by mixing Phthalo Green and Transparent Yellow. — Phthalo Blue mixed with Transparent Yellow in varying ratios

Phthalo Green and Transparent Yellow

Mix Phthalo Green with Transparent Yellow for beautiful greens perfect for a frog!

A single bright green watercolour swatch, vibrant and evenly saturated, likely created with a mix of yellow and green pigments. — Phthalo Green + Transparent Yellow

Phthalo Green and French Ultramarine

For stunning, vibrant blue-greens perfect for water scenes, mix Phthalo Green with French Ultramarine for bright, fresh hues. See image below left.

Two watercolour swatches of vibrant turquoise-blue tones, mixed from Phthalo Blue with subtle gradations in the saturation of the colour. — Phthalo green + French Ultramarine on the left. Phthalo Green + Prussian Blue on the right.

Phthalo Green and Prussian Blue

If you’re looking for a slightly more muted, natural blue-green, try mixing Phthalo Green with Prussian Blue. These combinations create beautiful greens with cool blue undertones. I would use these colours for painting water. See image above right

Prussian Blue and Transparent Yellow

The greens mixed from Prussian Blue and Transparent Yellow are beautiful making them ideal for landscapes, foliage, and botanical paintings. While both colours are cool, Prussian Blue has a darker, more subdued quality compared to brighter blues like Phthalo. This gives the resulting greens a softer, more grounded feel, ranging from deep olive tones to mossy hues, perfect for capturing the subtle shades of nature.

Three watercolour swatches transitioning from a light green to a deep green with a mix of Prussian Blue & Trans Yellow. — Prussian Blue + Transparent Yellow

Mixing Earthy Greens: Perfect for Botanicals and Landscapes

French Ultramarine and Transparent Yellow

French Ultramarine is a warm blue, and when mixed with Transparent Yellow, a cool yellow, it creates beautiful, natural-looking greens. Since both are single-pigment colours, the mixes are clean and vibrant, offering more control and predictability. This combination of warmth and coolness results in soft, organic greens and the single-pigment quality ensures the colours remain clear and easy to work with.

Three watercolour swatches transitioning from a soft yellow-green on the left, to a muted green in the middle, and a blue-green on the right, created by mixing French Ultramarine with Transparent Yellow. — French Ultramarine + Transparent Yellow

French Ultramarine and Indian Yellow

Greens mixed from French Ultramarine and Indian Yellow, both warm colours, tend to have a muted, earthy quality with a slight warmth to them. These greens often feel more natural and soft, making them perfect for landscapes or foliage where you want a more organic, subdued look. The warmth from both pigments adds depth to the greens, creating tones that range from olive-like shades to richer, golden greens that capture the warmth of sunlight in nature.

Two watercolour swatches, the left showing a light green-blue mix and the right a muted greenish-yellow, created from Indian Yellow and French Ultramarine. — French Ultramarine + Indian Yellow

Phthalo Blue and Indian Yellow

Greens mixed from Schmincke's Phthalo Blue and Indian Yellow have a vibrant, yet slightly subdued quality. The warmth of Indian Yellow softens the intensity of Phthalo Blue, resulting in a rich, balanced green that's not too bold.

Two watercolour swatches, with the left showing a soft light green and the right a deeper, rich green, made by blending Indian Yellow and Pthalo Blue. — Phthalo Blue + Indian Yellow

Prussian Blue and Indian Yellow

I especially love the soft, mossy green that comes from mixing Indian Yellow with Prussian Blue, using more yellow in the blend. It creates a warm, earthy green that's perfect for foliage. When I increased the amount of Prussian Blue, the mix shifted to a beautiful, subdued green, ideal for capturing the depth and subtle tones of distant mountains or the ocean. This combination offers great versatility, from warm, glowing greens to cooler, more atmospheric shades.

Two watercolour swatches showing a greenish-yellow tint on the left and a teal hue on the right, created by mixing Prussian Blue & Indian Yellow. — Prussian Blue + Indian Yellow

Phthalo Green mixed with warm earth colours

When I mixed the same pigment - Phthalo Green, with warm colours like Indian Yellow, Burnt Umber, and Transparent Ochre, the resulting greens were vibrant yet subtly subdued. Mixing with Indian Yellow produced a rich, glowing green with a slight warmth, perfect for capturing sunlit foliage. Indian Yellow mixed with Burnt Umber created a deeper, earthy green with a muted, natural tone, ideal for shadows or dense greenery. Mixing with Transparent Ochre resulted in a softer toned green, great for adding warmth and grounding to landscapes. These combinations provide a beautiful balance of vibrancy and subtlety.

Three watercolour swatches showing a gradient from light yellow-green to a rich green, mixed from Phthalo Green, Indian Yellow, Burnt Umber and Transparent Ochre. — Phthalo Green + Indian Yellow on the left, Phthalo Green + Burnt Umber in the middle and Phthalo Green + Transparent Ochre on the right.

Mixing Oranges

A close-up of a brush swirling yellow and red watercolours together on a ceramic palette, creating a soft orange blend, with individual wells holding different colours nearby. — Orange mixture.

While there are plenty of pre-mixed oranges available, it's just as easy - and often more rewarding - to mix your own. By blending the reds and yellows in my palette, you can create a wide range of oranges, from bright and vibrant to soft and earthy. With the right mix, you can adjust the warmth and intensity to suit any subject, whether it's a glowing sunset or the subtle tones of autumn leaves.

Oranges usually require more yellow than red in the mix because reds are generally stronger. For bright, vibrant oranges, use warm yellows and reds. Cool yellows and reds, on the other hand, will give you a more muted, less vibrant orange.

Transparent Yellow and Scarlet Red

The oranges mixed from Scarlet Red and Transparent Yellow are warm, bright, and vibrant. This combination creates bold, fiery oranges with a rich warmth, perfect for capturing the intensity of sunsets, flowers, or autumn foliage. The warmth of Scarlet Red ensures the mix stays lively and eye-catching, while still offering a natural feel.

Indian Yellow and Scarlet Red

When I mixed Indian Yellow with Scarlet Red, the resulting oranges were quite similar to those mixed with Transparent Yellow and Scarlet Red. Both combinations produced warm, vibrant oranges with only subtle differences in tone. The slight variation lies in the warmth of Indian Yellow, which can add a hint of richness to the mix, but overall, both yellows create equally strong and lively oranges when paired with Scarlet Red.

Three watercolour swatches in a warm gradient, transitioning from yellow to orange and deep red, created by mixing Indian Yellow with Scarlet Red. — Indian Yellow + Scarlet Red

Transparent Yellow and Madder Red Dark

The oranges I mixed with Madder Red Dark and Transparent Yellow were more subdued, thanks to the cool nature of both colours. Madder Red Dark, with its deep, cool undertones, tempers the brightness of Transparent Yellow, resulting in softer, more muted oranges. These mixes are perfect for creating subtle, earthy tones that work beautifully in autumn scenes or more natural, understated compositions.

Two watercolour swatches transitioning from a light yellow-brown on the left to a soft, muted pink on the right, created from Transparent Yellow and Madder Red Dark. — Transparent Yellow + Madder Red Dark

Transparent Yellow and Ruby Red

The oranges mixed from Transparent Yellow and Ruby Red are soft and balanced, with a slightly cooler, more delicate feel. This combination creates more muted, peachy oranges, perfect for subtle highlights or natural, gentle tones in florals and skin tones. The transparency of both pigments ensures smooth blending and a harmonious result.

Indian Yellow and Ruby Red

Ruby Red is a cool, semi-transparent red with a pinkish hue. When combined with the warmth of Indian Yellow, it produces a bright, glowing orange. The transparency of both colours allows for a luminous quality, making the mix feel vibrant yet soft, with a beautiful radiant undertone.

Two watercolour swatches, with the left showing an orange tint and the right a more saturated reddish-orange, mixed from Indian Yellow and Ruby Red. — Indian Yellow + Ruby Red

Mixing Violets

A brush blending pink and blue watercolours on a ceramic palette, creating a smooth swirl of pastel hues, with paint wells holding more colour in the background. — Violet Mixture.

When it comes to mixing vibrant violets, the key is to use a cool red paired with a warm blue. This combination creates rich, lively violets with a strong, saturated hue. On the other hand, if you're aiming for more muted violets with a subtle, earthy tone that leans towards brown, using a warm red will give you those softer, less intense shades.

Ruby Red and French Ultramarine

Two pigments I love make my favourite violet. Ruby Red and French Ultramarine make a beautiful violet because Ruby Red is a cool red, while French Ultramarine is a warm blue. This combination creates a vibrant, balanced violet with a rich depth of colour.

Ruby Red and Phthalo Blue

The violet created from Ruby Red and Phthalo Blue is deep, cool, and intense. Phthalo Blue’s strong tinting strength and cool tone combine with Ruby Red's cool pinkish hue to create a rich, almost purplish-blue violet.

Two watercolour swatches showing a smooth transition from a purple hue on the left to a rich deep blue on the right, created with a blend of Ruby Red and Phthalo Blue. — Ruby Red + Phthalo Blue

Madder Red Dark and French Ultramarine

The violet created from Madder Red Dark and French Ultramarine is a deep, muted shade with a subtle warmth, perfect for adding earthy, rich tones to shadows or more natural, subdued areas of a painting.

I mixed together Madder Red Dark and French Ultramarine for the violet I used in this Octopus watercolour painting. The granulation properties of French Ultramarine helped to add some texture to the Octopus.

Watercolour Octopus Painting — Granulating pigments like French Ultramarine are useful for creating visual interest.

Madder Red Dark mixed with Phthalo Blue and Prussian Blue

The violets mixed from Madder Red Dark with Phthalo Blue and Prussian Blue are deep and muted, with a moody, earthy quality. Phthalo Blue creates a cooler, more intense violet, while Prussian Blue results in a slightly warmer, more subdued violet. Both mixes produce darker, more natural violets, ideal for creating atmospheric shadows or adding depth to a composition.

Three watercolour swatches, transitioning from purple to deep blue, created by mixing Madder Red Dark with Phthalo Blue and Prussian Blue. — Madder Red Dark mixed with Phthalo Blue on the left. Madder Red Dark with Prussian Blue in the middle and also the swatch on the right. I added more MRD to the swatch on the right.

Ruby Red and Prussian Blue

The violets mixed from Ruby Red and Prussian Blue are deep and muted with a rich, earthy undertone. The left swatch has more Ruby Red, giving it a warmer, burgundy-leaning violet, while the right swatch, with more Prussian Blue, is cooler and more of a dusky, blue-leaning violet. Both have a natural, subdued feel, making them perfect for creating shadows or adding depth.

Mixing Greys

Greys are an important part of a painting because they help balance brighter colours, create depth, and add subtlety to your composition. When you mix your own greys, you're in control of the temperature and mood of your painting, allowing you to shift between cooler or warmer tones depending on the effect you want. Custom-mixed greys can perfectly complement the surrounding colours, helping to unify your palette and give your work a more cohesive, harmonious feel.

Transparent Sienna and French Ultramarine

If you've followed any of my tutorials, you'll know that my favourite grey mix comes from combining Burnt Sienna with French Ultramarine. In my paint set, I've swapped Burnt Sienna for Transparent Sienna because Schmincke's Transparent Sienna is a single-pigment, fully transparent colour, whereas their Burnt Sienna is semi-opaque and made from two pigments. I prefer to use transparent pigments as much as possible, and I also like to keep my palette simple by using single-pigment colours wherever I can.

A hand swirling a paintbrush in a ceramic palette, blending grey and brown tones, with tubes of Schmincke watercolour in the background. — My favourite grey mixture of Transparent Sienna and French Ultramarine.

Transparent Sienna and French Ultramarine combine to create a beautiful grey that I use in nearly all of my paintings. I adjust the temperature by varying the amounts of each colour. For a cool grey, I add more French Ultramarine; for a warm grey, I increase the Transparent Sienna. To achieve a neutral grey, I mix equal amounts of both. These two colours also blend beautifully to create a rich black.

Two watercolour swatches, with the left showing a cool blue tone and the right a soft, muted grey, both created from French Ultramarine and Transparent Sienna. — Transparent Sienna + French Ultramarine

Burnt Umber and Phthalo Blue

The grey mixed from Phthalo Blue and Burnt Umber is deep, rich, and slightly cool. Phthalo Blue’s strong tinting power gives it a subtle blue undertone, while Burnt Umber softens and darkens the mix, adding warmth and earthiness. The result is a versatile, neutral grey that's perfect for natural shadows offering a balance between coolness and depth.

Two watercolour swatches showing a deep bluish-green tint on the left and a softer, greyish-green on the right, made from a mix of Burnt Umber and Phthalo Blue. — Burnt Umber + Phthalo Blue

Burnt Umber and Prussian Blue

The greys mixed from Burnt Umber and Prussian Blue have a beautifully muted, earthy quality. The cooler undertones from the Prussian Blue add depth, creating a dark blue-grey that's perfect for shadows and more natural tones. Burnt Umber softens the mix, resulting in a grey that feels organic and grounded.

Two watercolour swatches, with the left one showing a rich greenish-blue and the right one displaying a muted, grey-blue tone, created using Burnt Umber and Prussian Blue. — Burnt Umber + Prussian Blue

Scarlet Red and Phthalo Green

Complementary colours mix beautiful neutrals and greys. The greys mixed from Scarlet Red and Phthalo Green are rich and balanced, with a slightly cool undertone due to Phthalo Green’s strong tinting strength. The grey on the left is lighter and more neutral, perfect for soft shadows or delicate backgrounds. The grey on the right, with more Phthalo Green, has a subtle blue-green tint, making it ideal for deeper shadows or cooler areas in a composition. These complementary colours create a versatile grey.

Two watercolour swatches with contrasting tones: a warm red on the left and a deep greenish-blue on the right, mixed from Scarlet Red and Phthalo Green. — Scarlet Red + Phthalo Green

Skin tones

When it comes to painting skin tones, having a versatile palette is key. With just a few colours from my Schmincke set, you can create a wide range of natural skin tones, from light and rosy to deep and rich. By mixing reds, yellows, and earthy tones like Burnt Umber or Transparent Ochre, you can adjust the warmth and depth of your mixes to perfectly match your subject.

Scarlet Red and Transparent Yellow

I used Scarlet Red and Transparent Yellow to create some vibrant oranges but these two colours mixed together and diluted with water can create some warm skin ones perfect for sunlit skin.

Two watercolour swatches with contrasting tones: a warm red on the left and a deep greenish-blue on the right, mixed from Scarlet Red and Transparent Yellow. — Scarlet Red + Transparent Yellow

Transparent Sienna and Ruby Red

These skin tones, created from Ruby Red and Transparent Sienna, have a warm, natural feel. The mix on the left, with more Ruby Red, results in a soft pink tone, ideal for rosy complexions or highlights. The middle tone is a balanced mix of the two colours, producing a warm, peachy skin tone that's perfect for mid-range complexions. The tone on the right, with more Transparent Sienna, gives a subtle, pale beige perfect for lighter skin tones.

Scarlet Red and Transparent Ochre

These skin tones, mixed from Scarlet Red and Transparent Ochre, have a warm, earthy quality. The tone on the left, with more Transparent Ochre, creates a golden, sun-kissed hue that’s ideal for mid-to-deeper skin tones or for adding warmth to shadows. The mix on the right, with more Scarlet Red, has a soft peachy tone, I'd use it for lighter skin tones or adding a gentle blush.

Madder Red Dark and Burnt Umber

The combination of Madder Red Dark and Burnt Umber produces deep, warm, and earthy skin tones. The mix on the left has more Madder Red Dark, making a rich, reddish-brown hue, perfect for creating depth or darker mid-tones in portraits. I added more Burnt Umber to the tone on the right, creating a darker, more muted brown, ideal for shadows or adding warmth to deeper complexions.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, the possibilities for mixing colours with my personalised Schmincke set are endless. By experimenting with different combinations, you can create a wide range of hues - from vibrant and bold to soft and subtle. Whether you're looking for the perfect greens for your botanicals, the ideal oranges for a warm painting, or rich greys and violets for added depth, this set offers the flexibility and control to achieve it all. I hope this post inspires you to explore the beauty of colour mixing and discover your own favourite combinations. Happy painting!

If you are interested in learning to paint in watercolour, I have over 200 online, voiced over watercolour tutorials for all skill levels.

If you are interested in this paint set and want to find out more or purchase the set , you’ll find them on my website here. https://www.louisedemasi.com/paints