Applying color blends
With our Smart Color Chart stencils
This application of the stencils is for research and experimentation, making it easy to test color blends. It also simplifies the process of blending and applying colors with precision, allowing artists to create consistent mixtures, explore color relationships, and document results for future use, whether for studies or small to medium-sized paintings.
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Let’s take a closer look at how you can use the stencils to blend and apply colors with precision:​
Stencil No. 1
Stencil No. 1 is designed for research and experimentation, allowing you to find color mixtures using very small amounts of paint. It converts abstract percentages into clear, practical proportions that are much more faithful to the reality of mixing paint on a palette. A 70% : 20% : 10% mixture can be converted into a ratio, as follows: 7 : 2 : 1
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Fill 7 openings with yellow ochre, 2 openings with ultramarine, and 1 opening with phthalo blue.
Then remove the stencil, mix the three colors using your palette knife, and save the resulting color with a brush stroke in your color chart.
Stencil No. 2
Stencil No. 2 is perfectly suited for creating small to medium-sized paintings, widely used in art academy classes, by private teachers, or in online courses. A mixture of 60% light cadmium red and 40% lemon yellow can be converted into a ratio, or parts, as 6 : 4, or simplified to 3 : 2.
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Fill 3 openings with light cadmium red, and 2 openings of the same size with lemon yellow.
Then remove the stencil, mix the two colors using your palette knife, and save this color with a brush stroke in your color chart.
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You can even easily scale the proportions according to the needs of your project, as illustrated by the example 9 : 6.
The result is an exact colour, prepared with highly accurate proportions and dosages, which can be documented in your colour chart and reproduced at any time, whether in small or larger amounts.
With stencil no. 2, you can quickly create a color chart of 10 colors, blended in equal parts: 50% : 50% or 1 : 1, such as:
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Cadmium red light mixed with Ceruleun blue gives neutral violet slightly greyed
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Naples yellow mixed with Carmine gives soft peach or warm old rose
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Yellow ochre mixed with Burnt Umber gives natural golden brown
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Ultramarine mixed with ceruleum blue gives cool-toned medium blue
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Alizarin red mixed with indian Yellow gives rich, transparent deep red-orange
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Viridien mixed with lemon Yellow gives lively, fresh light green
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Cadmium red dark mixed with cobalt Violet rich deep burgundy with a hint of violet
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Burnt Siennamixed with titanium white gives gentle, warm rosy flesh tone
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Phtalo blue mixed with sap Green gives vibrant, saturated deep tea
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Cadmium Yellow mixted with ultramarine Violet gives slightly muted brown earthy tone by origin
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For this exercise, we used the “B” slots. The amount of each two-color mixture is carefully adjusted and just enough to completely fill one slot of stencil No. 3.
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If you prefer to prepare a slightly larger amount of mixture, use the “E” slots. These are larger and allow you to mix a greater quantity of paint.
Stencil No. 3 for creating your color charts
The area reserved for the color swatch measures a maximum of 2.2 cm × 1.5 cm. 1 Cadmium Yellow light 2 Cadmium Yellow deep 3 Vermillon 4 Naphthol carmine 5 Primary Red 6 Ultramarine 7 Phtalo Green.​
Fill the top openings with 1 Cadmium Yellow, and the row just below with the other colors. Then remove the stencil, mix each pair of colors (both are exactly 50% : 50% or 1:1) and apply the resulting colors with a brush in the designated spaces. Repeat the process with the remaining colors.
1 Cadmium Yellow light - 2 Cadmium Yellow deep - 3 Vermillon - 4 Naphtol Carmine - 5 Primary Red - 6 Ultramarine - 7 Phtalo green
