September 11, 2026
Should you mix your watercolor colors before painting?
No. Preparing all your color mixes before the first brush stroke seems like the right move, but it creates 3 problems: it takes up all the space on your palette, it feeds the perfectionist within you, and it gives you washes that are less vibrant and less nuanced. I mix my colors on the go, directly on the paper, and let the pigments mingle there instead of forcing them to marry on the palette.
Why does preparing your mixes beforehand seem like a good idea?
It all started with a live painting I did with my students. At one point I was explaining how to create vibrant green colors, and a student saw all the green puddles in my palette. She asked me whether it was a good idea to prepare my color mixing beforehand, so that if I want to paint loosely, I don't waste any time creating all my color mixes on the go.
On paper, it looks like a good idea. In practice, it isn't.
Issue 1: Is there enough room on your palette?
If you prepare all your washes, all your puddles and all your colors before the first brush stroke, they take so much space on the palette that you won't have anywhere left to create any spontaneous color mixing on the go.
On my palette, there are about 4 big areas to mix colors. It's not possible to create something like 10 different puddles there: at one point you will lack space. If you have a huge palette, yes, you can do it.
There is 1 exception in my own practice. Sometimes I prepare 1 color mix because I know it's going to take a lot of water and a lot of pigment. For example, in a night watercolor where the sky is very dark, I tend to prepare part of the sky with lots of pigment and lots of water. But this is an exception.
Issue 2: Are you feeding the perfectionist within you?
This second issue is even more vicious, and if you recognize yourself in it, you set yourself up for failure in watercolor.
When you decide to prepare your color mixing beforehand, it means you don't trust yourself enough to adapt during the painting and find the right color combination. By doing so, you make the perfectionist within you more relevant than it should be, because it will convince you that you need to prepare all your color mixes.
If you want to paint loosely, this is a big issue. In terms of color mixing, you are doing the exact opposite of what you need in order to learn to let go. So don't feed the perfectionist within you. Preparing everything beforehand is a very strong habit, and it's one you need to detach yourself from.
Issue 3: Why are pre-mixed washes less vibrant?
Here is the example I showed my student, painting a green wash in 2 different ways.
With prepared mixes:
- I take some green and put it on the paper.
- I take another color mix, already prepared, that is a little more yellow, and put it on the paper.
- I extend my wash.
- I take a darker green and add it, so the pigments mingle on the paper.
This gives quite a nice wash, with some nuances and different greens. It's not ugly in itself. But you can see it's made of one brush stroke, then another, then another.
With mixing on the go:
- I know that to create green, I need some yellow and some blue.
- I take the colors directly. I don't mix and I don't prepare anything on the palette.
- I take some water and put all the pigment directly on the paper.
Sometimes I get a huge amount of pigment in one spot, for example the ultramarine blue. And the nuances I get from this wash are much richer than in the first one.
When you prepare your mixes, the rendering of your painting will be less vibrant, less nuanced and less beautiful than when you mix all your colors on the go, without overthinking your color mixing.
How do I mix colors directly on the paper?
I spontaneously mix my colors and put them directly on the paper, then let them mingle. Instead of mixing them, blending them and forcing them to marry on the palette, I let them meet on the paper. This way I get so much more fusion, the painting itself is more beautiful, and it is painted loosely. This is exactly what I'm looking for, and exactly what I teach my students.
This is how I painted 4 watercolors without preparing any color mix beforehand.
FAQ
Is it ever OK to prepare a watercolor mix in advance?
Yes, as an exception. I sometimes prepare 1 mix when I know it will need a lot of water and pigment, such as part of a very dark sky in a night watercolor.
How do you get a vibrant green in watercolor without pre-mixing?
I take some yellow and some blue directly, without mixing them on the palette, add water, and put the pigment straight on the paper. The colors mingle there and give more nuances than a prepared green.
Why does pre-mixing stop you from painting loosely?
Because it comes from not trusting yourself to adapt during the painting, and it feeds the perfectionist within you. To paint loosely, you need to learn to let go, and preparing everything is the opposite habit.
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