Mastering the Art of Mixing Greens

Green is everywhere in nature, yet many artists find it one of the trickiest colours to mix. Whether you're painting landscapes, foliage, or even fabric, achieving the right green can make or break a painting. In our recent art lesson, "Mixing Green," we explored the nuances of this complex colour and how to create more natural, harmonious greens.

The Common Struggle with Green

Many artists, especially beginners, approach green by simply mixing blue and yellow. While this is the basic starting point, the result is often too raw, artificial, or neon-like. The instinct is to keep adjusting — more blue, then more yellow, then a touch of white — yet the green still doesn't look quite right.

Another issue is using tube greens, like Viridian or Sap Green, straight from the tube. While these can be useful, they often appear unnatural and require careful modification to blend well into a painting.

Eye-level view of a vibrant green landscape — Colour chart showcasing various shades of green during a masterclass with Elena Valerie on the Gold Coast.

The Solution: Adding Red & Understanding Temperature

The key to more natural greens is understanding colour temperature and complementary colours. Instead of endlessly tweaking blue and yellow, introducing a small amount of red or an earth tone can neutralize overly bright greens and make them look more organic.

To warm up a green, add a touch of red, vermilion, or cadmium red. This creates a more muted, autumnal green. Warm yellows like Indian Yellow or Yellow Ochre also help create richer, more grounded greens.
To cool down a green, use Ultramarine Blue and Alizarin Crimson to push it towards the cooler side of the spectrum.

Close-up view of color mixing on a palette — A detailed colour mixing exercise showcasing a range of green shades, organized in a grid pattern from vibrant to muted tones.

The "Green Colour Ladder" Exercise

In our lesson, we created a green colour ladder, which helps visualize how green shifts in value and temperature. The exercise involved:

The idea is to create a spectrum of greens that reflects the variety present in nature. Many artists are surprised at how much subtlety green can possess once you explore it.

High angle view of a color spectrum created on a canvas — Color mixing exercise featuring a green gradient chart, created using oil paints, including Viridian, Spectrum Yellow, Cadmium Red Light, and Ivory Black

How to Do the Exercise:

Choose your main green: It can be a mixture of your favourite blue and yellow or a ready-made green paint like Viridian. You may add some yellow to brighten it up.
Mix your brightest green: This will be your central square.
Lighten upwards: Add white in steps going up, aiming to make even, gradual steps.
Shift to warm: Moving to the right of the central column, add a tiny amount of warm red (such as vermilion, cadmium red light, or naphthol red) to the main green. Then lighten upwards again with white.
Warmer green column: Create another column further to the right by adding a bit more red to make the green warmer. Lighten with white as you go up.
Shift to cool: On the left side of the central green, begin to add blue—such as Ultramarine Blue—to cool the colour.
Cooler mixture: For another cooler variation, try mixing a red-blue combo like Alizarin Crimson and Ultramarine with your green base. Then lighten upwards with white.
Tip: On the very top square of each column, add a hint of light blue. This helps mimic the look of distant greens in landscapes, which naturally appear cooler and bluer due to atmospheric perspective.

Final Thoughts

Mixing greens is an essential skill for any painter, and once you understand how to adjust the temperature and tone, it becomes much easier to create realistic and beautiful greens.

Stay tuned for more exciting lessons! If you missed this one, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for updates on upcoming masterclasses. 🎨✨