Real Milk Paint Color Mixing combinations
The Real Milk Paint Co. carries a variety of Real Milk Paint colors to suit numerous do-it-yourself projects. Fortunately, when you require custom shades, these Real Milk Paint colors mix easily together to help you get a look that perfectly suits your particular needs. Whether you want complementary colors, neutral shades or high-contrast hues, we have you covered with Real Milk Paint powder that runs the gamut from basics to brights.
Color Mixing Milk Paint Basics
When mixing milk paint colors, keep in mind that the principal color you use should be greater mass than the add-in shades. For instance, if you’re color mixing milk paints such as Barn Red and white to create a slight shade variation, you need the Barn Red color to be greater amount than the white. If, however, you want to mix a much lighter shade, you want the white to be the greater amount than the Barn Red. Also, color mixing charts usually have the principal hue listed first and other shades listed after by their order of volume .. As Real Milk Paint is a forgiving medium that works well for custom blends, there’s no wrong way to go when mixing milk paint colors. To achieve the results you want, mix a little bit up in the recommended proportions, then experiment by adding a little more black or white, depending on your needs.
Creating Complementary Milk Paint Colors
Mixing complementary colors with Real Milk Paint is simple when you have white to lighten hues and black to darken shades. For example, mixing four parts color with one part white typically creates a slightly lighter tone, while mixing four parts color with one part black creates a slightly darker hue. This technique for color mixing milk paint works well for when you need variations of the same shade to highlight drawer fronts or to craft a subtle two-tone effect that ties together other design elements in your space.
Color Mixing Milk Paint for a Neutral Look
When you want a much paler shade of Real Milk Paint to bring neutrality to furnishings with bright detailing, mix one part of your desired color with nine parts white. This mixture creates an almost-white base with just a hint of tint, adding a clean yet warm feel to your room. You can use these neutral shades on their own or pair them with brighter or darker mixes of the base color to create bold contrast on everything from cabinets and armoires to side tables and vanities. Additionally, these lighter shades make a great choice for covering floors and walls with a durable yet washable finish that looks great over time.
Mixing Milk Paint Colors for a Custom Look
In addition to lightening and darkening Real Milk Paint, you can also create custom colors by mixing primary and secondary hues. For example, since red and blue mixtures create purple shades, try mixing Barn Red with Blue Lagoon to get a warm yet vibrant purple hue, then lighten or darken it as needed with white or black to get the right look. Likewise, mixing yellow and blue hues leads to various shades of green, while red and yellow mixtures create shades of orange. If you want to mix classic 1870s color combinations ideal for farmhouse projects, consider formulations in the guide below. Reproduced from the out-of-print Dick’s Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes by William B. Dick, this chart offers useful formulations for color mixing milk paint.
How to use the Gradient Guide
Turn 56 colors into hundreds! With this handy milk paint mixing guide, you can create your own custom colors using Real Milk Paint. Learn more about our Real Milk Paints or view our pre-mixed paint colors here.
NOTE: The color mixing guides below are for reference only. Please test colors before applying them to your final project.
The best way to create your own custom milk paint color is to mixed the milk paint powders together before adding water. By doing this, you can easily measure and record the amounts used for future reference. The guide uses “parts” so that any amount of powder can be used for mixing. For example, if the guide says 3:7 it is communicating that the ratio is 3 parts of one color and 7 parts of another. A “part” could be any measurement amount. It could be 3 tbsp: 7 tbsp or 3 cups: 7 cups.
In the guide below, the second number refers to our Soft White color and the first number refers to the color shown. For example, 9:1 in the first row would be 9 parts of Pearl and 1 part of Soft White.
How to use the Color Mixing Guide
This guide’s intention is to show what Real Milk Paint colors would look like if mixed at a 1 part to 1 part ratio. For example: Mixing 1 part of Fresh Lemon with 1 part Blue Lagoon produces a vibrant green. This milk paint mixing guide should serve as a starting point for your own custom color creations! Click on the image to open a larger image in a new window for easier navigation.
Calculating Milk Paint Needed
If you have a large project and you need to figure out the recipe for 3 parts to 7 parts, this is the math we use:
Let’s say your project area is 100 square feet and you need two coats, so it would be 200 square feet that needs to be covered with paint. (100 x 2 = 200) For a 3 parts to 7 parts ratio, the total amount of parts is 10. So there are 10 parts in the mix, 3 of one color and 7 of another. Our project required 200 square feet which can be divided by the total amount of parts, 10. (200/10 = 20) Now, we multiply the parts by 20.
20 x 3 = 60 sq. ft.
20 x 7 = 140 sq. ft.
Each Pint of milk paint covers 35 sq. feet, a quart covers 70 sq. feet and a gallon covers 280 sq. feet.
So, you need 3 parts of one color to cover 60 sq. feet. A quart of that color would be sufficient.
You need 7 parts of the other color to cover 140 sq. Two quarts of that color would do the trick. Resulting in a total of 10 parts of milk paint, 3 in one color, and 7 in the other.
Mix Classic 1870’s Color Combinations
This guide below is reproduced from Dicks Encyclopedia of Practical Receipts and Processes by William B. Dick and is out of print.
We have found this chart useful as a guide in color mixing. Hopefully you will too.
Find out more about painting techniques with our painting resources section.
Color Mixing
In mixing different colored paints to produce a more desired tint, it is best to have the principal ingredient thick, and then add to it the other paints thinner.
The following table shows the combination of colors required to produce the listed tints. The first named color is the principal ingredient. The additional colors follow in order of their importance. Thus, in mixing a limestone tint; white is the principal ingredient and red is the color of which least is needed.
The exact proportions of each depend on the shade of color desired. Have fun experimenting and creating different shades of nontoxic baby safe wood paint, Real Milk Paint.
DESIRED TINT
Color Combination
BUFF
White, Yellow Ochre, Red
CHESTNUT
Red, Black, Yellow
CHOCOLATE
Raw Umber, Red, Black
CLARET
Red, Umber, Black
COPPER
Red, Yellow, and Black
DOVE
White, Vermilion, Blue, Yellow
DRAB
White, Yellow Ochre, Red, Black
FAWN
White, Yellow, Red
FLESH
White, Yellow Ochre, Vermilion*
FREESTONE
Red, Black, Yellow Ochre, White
FRENCH GRAY
White, Blue, Lake**
GRAY
White Lead, Black
GOLD
White, Stone Ochre, Red
GREEN BRONZE
Chrome Green, Black, Yellow
DO PEA
White, Chrome Green
LEMON
White, Chrome Yellow
LIMESTONE
White, Yellow Ochre, Black, Red
OLIVE
Yellow, Blue, Black, White
ORANGE
Yellow, Red
PEACH
White, Vermilion*
PEARL
White, Black, Blue
PINK
White, Vermilion*, Lake
PURPLE
Violet, with more Red and White
ROSE
White, Madder Lake***
SANDSTONE
White, Yellow Ochre, Black, Red
SNUFF
Yellow, Van Dyke Brown
VIOLET
* Use Bright Red
** Hard to say what this was as lake refers to natural dyestuff – probably a red color
*** Also known as Alizarin – source of the dye color Turkey Red