Objectives: learn to mix colors and label them accurately, and be able turn them into a piece of art. 

Why: Color mixing can give you colors that can not be found. 

Standard: Elements and Principals of Visual Art, Create.

Mixing color

Today I would like you to learn about or practice combining colors. You have several options.  Only turn in one option. 

What I want is for you to show me what happens when you combine

• Red and blue.
• Yellow and blue.
• Yellow and red.

Only use these 3 colors, red, blue, and yellow

In other words, how do you make

primary red, primary blue and primary yellow;

into secondary orange, secondary violet, secondary green, and the intermediate colors blue-green, blue-violet, red-orange, red-violet, yellow-orange, and yellow green.

For all options label all of the above colors, photograph your work and send me a copy.

Option 1

1. Watch the video on how to mix food coloring.
2. Mix colors on a paper towel, napkin, or coffee filter. Make sure that you use the primary colors to make the secondary colors.
3. This one is messy and could stain counters and dishes so make sure to get permission, and to clean up right after you photograph your work. The video says to put it in the garbage can, I want you to dry it instead, just leave it on the plate till it dries. Cut them out into interesting shapes so that each shape has just one color on it (I am ok if the shape has dark and light variations of each color on it.) and glue each shape on a paper. Label them and turn them in. 

food dye color mixing.mp4 Download food dye color mixing.mp4Play media comment. 

Option 2. Mix paint and make me a painting. Remember only use only red, blue and yellow paint. To mix the other 9 colors. This is why I asked you to save your notes from the last lesson. If you go back to the last lesson, the last few slides of the slide show are really good examples of watercolor paintings that show what I am looking for in a painting. Label each color and turn your painting in. 

Option 3. Mix colors with drawing, colored pencil or marker.  Once again, use only red, blue and yellow, to mix the other 9 colors. For pencil draw with lightest color, yellow, then go over it with the darker color, red or blue. Experiment with how dark you need to color each primary color to get the desired secondary or intermediate color. That process can damage markers. So if you choose markers, put yellow dots down first, then red, then blue. Don’t draw the dots right on top of each other. Draw the dots next to the others, it is called stippling. Hold the paper a little way off. When you look at the dots they will combine to make another color. Remember when we did stippling to get light and dark shades during the value unit? See example of color swish. Yours doesn't need to be a swish, you may make the image of your choice, it is just a good example of combining colors with stippling.  Label each of the 9 colors and turn them in.

Option 4. Mix colors with clay. Start with red, yellow and blue clay. Mix them together to get the other 9 colors. Yellow isn’t a very strong color so start with more yellow than the other color. Blue tends to be the strongest so start with just a tiny amount of it. place the clay mixtures on a piece of paper and label each color of clay. Photograph your work and turn it in.