How to mix and choose the right shade of yellow for your watercolor paintings.

Do you have trouble mixing vibrant yellows in your watercolor paintings? Do shadows painted on yellow always look green? Why do your yellows look so muddy, and how can you avoid this?

In this full length watercolor lesson, I'm going to share what I've learned about using yellow in watercolor painting. Color theory is a complicated topic, but the good news is that you can learn by doing. There is no substitution for just spending time getting to know a color by painting with it and mixing it with other hues. Have fun exploring color varieties and mix up a rainbow of possibilities!

***Supplies used today are listed and linked at the bottom***

***Bonus content! I'm playing with yellow and creating an abstract, intuitive painting in this free video. You can sign up to access the bonus content playlist here:

***MORE videos on color:
Greens in watercolor:
Reds in watercolor:

Remember that yellow is a light value color, but that doesn't mean you use it full strength all the time. The lightest value is still the white of your paper.

Yellow and violet create beautiful neutrals. Experiment with warm and cool shades of violet to create different neutrals, and vary the proportions to see even more variations.

Yellow is commonly considered a warm color, and it will always appear warm beside a cooler hue (like blue, green or violet...really anything with blue in it!) Beside warmer hues (like red or orange), yellow might look cool. Color temperature is relative, so even minor changes in the colors you are using alongside yellow can make a big difference.

***Supplies**** (I receive a small commission when you order using the links below. This helps pay for these free lessons, thank you!)

This shopping page includes all my favorite supplies: Supply recommendations for loose watercolor painting:

Brush:
My favorite Escoda Versatil #10 rigger

Cheap Joe’s Scroggy’s Loose Goose Dagger Striper

Paint:
Daniel Smith, Aureolin, Aussie Red Gold, Nickel Azo Yellow, Mars Yellow, Carbazole Violet

QoR Benzimidazolone Yellow

Sennelier Cinereous Blue, Bright Yellow Green

Arches watercolour paper:

Robax 64 well, 18 inch palette:

Jane Blundell's site on choosing colors:

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