How to Mix Orange Paint

Secondary paint colors, such as orange, can be easily bought in a tube. However, if you are interested in saving money or creating your own custom colors, learning to mix paint is essential. You can create orange paint by mixing two primary colors--yellow and red. By mixing your own paint, you can adjust the intensity to fit the style and color scheme of your artwork.

Things You'll Need

• Palette
• Paintbrush
• Water
• Red paint
• Yellow paint

Instructions

1. Choose a palette and a paintbrush.

2. Keep a cup of water on hand to moisten your brush and help mix your paint.

3. Squeeze a small amount of red paint onto your palette and a small amount of yellow paint onto your palette as well.

4. Dip your brush into the yellow paint and smear it on a clean area of your palette.

5. Put your brush into the red paint and swirl it around on top of the yellow paint smear. This will create orange.

6. Add more red paint to make a deeper orange hue or more yellow to create a lighter orange hue.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are using watercolor paints, choose a plastic palette that has cupped areas to contain the paint. Acrylic and oil paints can be mixed on a wooden, plastic or paper palette.

• If you are mixing orange paint to use over a large area, note how much red and yellow paint you used in your mixture so you can re-create the same color if you run out of orange paint.

• Some paint, such as watercolors, can be mixed directly on the paper. Just place yellow paint on a moistened area of watercolor paper, and add red paint on top.

• Keep paint and painting supplies out of children's reach.