• Blog
  • Shop
  • Supplies
  • Learn
  • About
Menu

Scratchmade Journal

  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Supplies
  • Learn
  • About
×

Support SJ

Committed to keeping this blog ad-free in 2018! If you find my content useful, please consider supporting my work with a small contribution.

Say hello to the Da Vinci Watercolor Trios ©ScratchmadeJournal.com
Tips for setting up & keeping a watercolor mixing sketchbook - scratchmadejournal.com

Keeping a Designated Mixing Sketchbook

Tonya January 20, 2017

When I first began to explore watercolor pigments and how different colors combined and reacted, I quickly became confused. I was constantly searching through my sketchbooks for mixes and colors or trying to decipher what was in a previous mix.

For example, I have a page in an old sketchbook with a lovely, dark teal that I mixed. The color swatch has a heart drawn by it, and that’s it. Now I can’t even remember mixing it, so the recipe is lost forever. {Sob.}

Keeping a designated mixing sketchbook allows me to document & organize the pigments I’ve tried and how various mixes perform.

This helps me avoid repeats or colors-too-close-to-tell, especially in my palette. Keeping up with mixes I've tried allows me to greatly expand or change my palette by swapping out a few colors instead of purchasing new ones. In the words, it saves me money!

Plus, I really don’t like “messing up” my regular sketchbook with a bunch of mixing experiments. My regular sketchbook is my art journal, so I like to keep it pretty.

I'm now working my way through my third color theory and mixing sketchbook. In fact, I'm currently using two simultaneously so I don't have to wait for paint to dry before I can turn the page. (Maybe I should have titled this post Keeping Designated Mixing Sketchbooks... plural.)

I highly encourage you to explore color theory and mixing with the colors in your palette, and I share reasons why at my post here. Below are ideas for setting up a mixing sketchbook.


Tips for organizing a watercolor mixing sketchbook - scratchmadejournal.com

Organizing a Mixing Sketchbook

The first pages of my mixing sketchbook are for reserved for paint swatches. These are grouped mostly by pigment colors. For example, all yellow pigments (PY) on one page, all blue (PB) on another and so on.

I only swatch colors I currently own on these pages along with the brand, color name, and pigment info. I don’t make any additional notes because I can easily find additional pigment information online.

Sometimes I'll put the same pigment on multiple pages. For example, even though Venetian Red (PR101) is a red pigment and is with the reds, it is visually close to Burnt Sienna (PBr7) and Quin Burnt Orange (PO48) so I've also included a swatch with the earth colors.

With convenience colors, or watercolors with a blend of two or more pigments, I just choose whatever page is their best visual representation. For example, M. Graham’s Nickel Quin Gold is a blend of PO48 and PY150, but it looks like a yellow to me so that’s where it goes. Same with watercolors that aren’t labeled with a pigment symbol like Chromium Green Oxide or Bloodstone Genuine.

Adding swatches to a mixing sketchbook - scratchmadejournal.com

When I'm experimenting with mixes and discover one I really like, I’ll paint a swatch of it onto its appropriate color page and note its recipe. (Like the burnt sienna/phthalo blue mix above. So juicy!)

The pages of color swatches in my current mixing sketchbook:

  • Earth/Oranges (PBr & PO)
  • Blues (PB)
  • Yellows/Ochres (PY)
  • Greens (PG)
  • Red/Violets (PR & PV)
  • Neutrals/Blacks (PBk)

The rest of the sketchbook is used for mixing experiments. Though I make careful notes on what each mix contains, I don’t journal my thoughts or any additional notes because I’ve noticed that as my experience grows with a pigment or color, sometimes my opinion of it changes.

How to set up & use a mixing sketchbook - scratchmadejournal.com

As you can see in the pages above, I'll also use my mixing sketchbook to explore various colors before beginning a painting or when wondering what colors work best for certain subjects. Maybe I should start calling it my experimenting sketchbook, because that's actually what it is!

After completing a mixing experiment, I’ll often scan the mixes in and rearrange them into a chart. (You can see and print an example of a green chart here or black mixes here.) This organized, printed version of my previously messy mixes is extremely handy for quick reference, but there are a few drawbacks. The printed version is never an exact representation of the colors, and many pigments flatten during the process and lose a lot character.

However, since watercolor isn’t really a science but an art and it's rare to be able to mix the exact same color twice, I don’t worry about the drawbacks too much. These charts give me a good idea of what is possible with colors and help me better understand what happens when certain pigments mix. And that's all I really need!


Tips for Keeping a Watercolor Mixing Sketchbook

  • Don’t Splurge
    There’s no need to get an artist-grade sketchbook for mixing. Just make sure the paper is decent enough to avoid pilling or buckling. Currently I’m using a 9x12-inch Strathmore Visual Journal [affiliate, so thanks!] with watercolor paper. It cost less than $15 and works great.
     
  • Avoid Smooth Papers
    Cold pressed or textured paper works well because the hills and valleys often bring out the pigment’s hidden attributes and allow granulation to settle.
     
  • Go Big
    I enjoy mixing and can get carried away sometimes, so even the 9x12 I’m using can seem a little small, especially when I’m working on a chart. Make sure you grab a sketchbook big enough for your needs.
     
  • Paint Generous Swatches
    Don’t be miserly with the paint! Make color swatches large enough to go from full strength to wash. Bigger swatches more easily display the pigment variation and gradation and give a more accurate representation of the color.
     
  • Label Like Crazy
    It’s easy to get caught up in the throes of a mixing experiment and forget what you just mixed and charted 5 minutes ago. Immediately label colors and jot notes on mixes— don't wait!

Free printable watercolor mixing chart - scratchmadejournal.com

Alternatives to a Mixing Sketchbook

Keeping a mixing sketchbook works for me. It is a low cost, low maintenance way to keep up with things. Plus, I don’t own bins full of watercolors. (They are oh so fun to play with, but really, how many tubes do I actually need? Not a lot, I’ve discovered.) Therefore I don’t need an advanced organizing system.

Some artists prefer making watercolor paint chip cards and organizing them on binder rings or in card files. Small mixing samples can also be organized this way.

This binder system posted on Wet Canvas is impressive, but this level of organization requires a lot of time and a need for it. Regardless, a binder can make a great mixing notebook and allows one to rearrange, add, or remove pages.

To help with practice and organization of mixes, I've shared a free, blank watercolor mixing chart (pictured in use above) that you may download and print.

There is enough space to mix up to 7 colors which will result in a whopping 21 additional colors. Plus, there is room at the top for a 3-hole punch so you can organize the charts in a binder. Instructions for printing and using the chart are included at this post.

If you have discovered a convenient way to keep up with watercolor swatches & mixes, I'd love to hear about it. Leave me a comment below, and happy mixing!


More on Mixing
Watercolor Comparison: Indanthrone Blue (PB60) Plus a Mixing Chart
Watercolor Comparison: Indanthrone Blue (PB60) Plus a Mixing Chart
Watercolor Comparison: Quinacridone Violet (PV19) Plus a Mixing Chart
Watercolor Comparison: Quinacridone Violet (PV19) Plus a Mixing Chart
How to Mix Gray Watercolor
How to Mix Gray Watercolor
Comparing & Mixing Earth Tone Yellows
Comparing & Mixing Earth Tone Yellows
12-Color Watercolor Palette
12-Color Watercolor Palette
6-Color Watercolor Palette
6-Color Watercolor Palette
Comparing & Mixing Yellow Ochre Watercolor
Comparing & Mixing Yellow Ochre Watercolor
4-Color Watercolor Palette
4-Color Watercolor Palette
Comparing Blue Watercolors: Phthalo Blue
Comparing Blue Watercolors: Phthalo Blue
Keeping a Designated Mixing Sketchbook
Keeping a Designated Mixing Sketchbook
Creating a Watercolor Mixing Chart PLUS a Printable
Creating a Watercolor Mixing Chart PLUS a Printable
How to Mix Black Watercolor
How to Mix Black Watercolor
5 Tips for Setting up a Watercolor Palette
5 Tips for Setting up a Watercolor Palette
Experimenting with Green Watercolor Mixes
In Watercolor, Sketching Tools Tags mixing paint, sketchbooks, pigment
← Comparing 3 Top Watercolor BrandsCreating a Watercolor Mixing Chart PLUS a Printable →

Subscribe

Receive occasional updates & subscriber-only benefits.

Scratchmade Journal will never, ever share your information.

Thanks a million! I’m honored to have you as a reader.

Shop my original artwork & prints -ScratchmadeJournal.com
Learn all about watercolor, sketching & more - ScratchmadeJournal.com
My favorite sketching tools - ScratchmadeJournal.com
Beginner watercolor supplies - ScratchmadeJournal.com

Shopping via the links below helps support this site, so thanks!

Shop Amazon button - ScratchmadeJournal.com
Shop Da Vinci Paints Button - ScratchmadeJournal.com
Shop Jackson's Art Button - ScratchmadeJournal.com

"Have we grown dull toward this world in which we live; have we forgotten that it is not normal or scientific in any sense of the word? It is fantastic. It is a fairy tale through and through. Really now. Elephants? Caterpillars? Snow? At what point did you lose your wonder at it all?"

~John Eldridge, Epic


"Give me the man who will surrender the whole world for a moss or a caterpillar and impractical visions for a simple human delight."

~Bruce Frederick Cummings


Scratchmade logo footer ©Scratchmade.com

To help pay for this site & art supply costs, this blog is supported through the use of affiliate links. All this means is that I work on commission at no cost to you. Thank you for making SJ possible! For more information, click the disclosure link below.


©Scratchmade Journal, 2015-2018 · All Rights Reserved
Copyright, Statement & Disclosures