Coral is a vibrant and lively color that can add energy and brightness to watercolor paintings. While coral pigments are available, many artists enjoy mixing their own custom coral tones. Mixing a perfect coral requires balancing warm and cool paint pigments while factoring in transparency and intensity. With some practice and an understanding of color theory, you can learn how to mix beautiful coral watercolor paints for your artwork.
Pick Your Base Pigments
When mixing coral watercolor, you will need to select both a warm and a cool base pigment. This creates a balanced foundation for a vivid coral tone. Here are some potential base pigment pairings to try:
| Warm Pigment | Cool Pigment |
|---|---|
| Cadmium Red | Pthalocyanine Blue |
| Quinacridone Red | Cerulean Blue |
| Scarlet Lake | Cobalt Blue |
Cadmium red and pthalo blue are classic pairings for a bright coral. Quinacridone red has good transparency for mixing. Scarlet lake can create more subdued coral tones. Match your cool pigment to the warmth of your red/orange paint.
Add A Touch of Yellow
Once you’ve selected your red and blue pigments, add a small amount of yellow to boost vibrancy. Lemon yellow works well for transparency. New gamboge or cadmium yellow add opacity. Only use a little yellow so your mix doesn’t become too orange.
Tune Transparency
One of the keys to mixing coral is achieving the right level of transparency. Very transparent mixes result in a pale peach. Opaque pigments create a deep orange-red. For bright coral, aim for a delicate balance of transparency.
If your mix is too sheer:
– Add a bit more of the red/orange pigment to intensify color
If your mix is too opaque:
– Substitute the blue for a more transparent option like cerulean
Test washes on scrap paper to check transparency as you go.
Adjust Intensity
The intensity of your coral color also depends on getting the ratios right. Start with a 3:1 ratio of red to blue pigment. Adjust from there:
More red = brighter, more orange coral
More blue = softer, more pink coral
Closely observe how small amounts of pigment affect intensity. Make gradual adjustments until you achieve your preferred coral vitality.
Consider Temperature
Fine tune the temperature of your mixed coral using warm and cool pigments:
– To create a warmer, more orangey coral, add a touch of yellow or warm red like cadmium red.
– For a cooler, pinker coral, add more blue pigment or a dot of purple like dioxazine purple.
Test your mix on paper to see if the temperature needs adjustment.
Deepen with Neutral Tint
Once you’ve achieved the right coral tone, you can deepen the shade by adding a neutral tint. Try mixing your coral with:
– Burnt umber
– Raw umber
– Sepia
Add neutral tint sparingly so you don’t lose the brightness of the coral. Test out ratios to find the right balance.
Consider Granulation
Some watercolor pigments have a granulating effect when mixed. This can create interesting texture in washes of coral paint:
– French ultramarine
– Manganese blue
– Winsor red
Try substituting these granulating pigments into your mix if you want a grained look.
Mix A Range of Corals
With all of the variables for mixing coral watercolor, you can create an endless range of coral tones. Try mixing:
– Pale peach coral
– Vibrant orangey coral
– Dusty muted coral
– Bright pinky coral
– Deep red coral
Mix coral collections on a palette for painting flowers, tropical scenes, landscapes and more. Adjust granulation, transparency and hue for each one.
Troubleshoot Muddy Mixes
It can take some trial and error to mix the perfect coral. Here are some tips if your mixes turn out muddy:
– Add more warm pigment to brighten coral
– Use more transparent blue/red rather than opaque
– Make sure not to overmix pigments
– Add a touch more yellow to boost vibrancy
Test small mixes until you learn the right coral color balances.
Practice Mixing on a Palette
When first starting with coral mixing, practice on your palette before incorporating into a painting. Try out a range of pigment combinations, transparency levels and intensities. Get familiar with how the coral changes with small additions of paint.
Once you have a better sense of the mixing nuances, you can translate that to the painting paper for beautiful watercolor coral.
Store Mixed Corals in Empty Wells
To save your mixed coral tones for later, fill empty wells in your palette with the blended paint. Be sure to label the mixes. Store flat until you are ready to paint with your custom coral again.
This allows you to easily access your unique mixed corals without having to remix each time. Mix them relatively thickly so they don’t quickly dry out.
Moisten Your Paint Before Using
If storing coral mixes in palette wells, be sure to rewet them before painting. Add a few drops of water and use your brush to reconstitute the paint.
Stir the coral mix well until it dissolves from the dried paint cake back into fluid paint. Test the consistency before applying to paper.
Conclusion
With the right combination of warm and cool pigments, you can create an endless array of lively coral tones with your watercolor paints. Mixing custom corals allows you to achieve precisely the shade and intensity you envision in your artwork.
Practice balancing base pigments and experimenting with ratios. Pay close attention to granulation, transparency and temperature as you tweak your mixes. Be patient – coral mixing takes trial and error to perfect. But the payoff is beautifully rich, vibrant coral washes that you created yourself.