How to choose the best 3 primary colours for your watercolour palette | Creating a limited palette

Have you been wanting to learn how to mix colours from just the primaries, headed to the art store to grab your yellow, red and blue, and then been TOTALLY overwhelmed when you realised there's like 10+ versions of each colour in every brand?

Or maybe you've been struggling to learn watercolour and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of supplies? A limited palette can be a good way to reduce that overwhelm! Either way, I'm here to help! In this vid I'm sharing my best tips to help you choose the best 3 primary colours for YOUR limited palette... and it's a very personal choice!

Reducing the number of my supplies, in particular my colour palette to just the primaries made a MASSIVE difference to my learning journey with watercolour. I was able to get a handle on my supplies sooner and focus on techniques, so if you've been struggling to get the hang of watercolour - give it a go!

0:15 Intro / What we'll cover in this video
1:21 Why use a limited palette?
2:44 Considerations: personal preference
3:25 Considerations: subject matter
4:19 Considerations: individual colour characteristics
7:57 Exploring different colour combinations
14:27 Outro

WINSOR & NEWTON COLOURS IN THIS VIDEO
Winsor Lemon (Lemon Yellow Hue in Cotman range) (PY175)
Winsor Yellow (PY154)
Yellow Ochre (PY43)
Naples Yellow (PBr24, PW6)
New Gamboge (PR209, PY150)

Permanent Rose (PV19)
Scarlet Lake (PR188)
Quinacridone Magenta (PR122)
Opera Rose (PR122)
Burnt Sienna (PR101)

Winsor Blue (red shade/green shade) (PB15)
French Ultramarine (Ultramarine in Cotman range) (PB29)
Phthalo Turquoise (PB16)
Prussian Blue (PB27)

PAINT WILD COLOURS IN THIS VIDEO
Primary Yellow (PY74)
Primary ‘Red’ (PR122)
Primary Blue (PB15:3)

FREE supplies guide: https://www.paintwild.com/supplies
FREE colour theory course: https://www.paintwild.com/wildcolours
Shop my handmade paints and brushes: https://www.paintwildshop.com
Learn to paint watercolour wildlife: https://www.paintwild.com/join

LINKS TO WATERCOLOUR SUPPLIES I USE AND RECOMMEND (note: these are Amazon affiliate links and if you purchase something I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you):

PAPER:
- Arches coldpress watercolour paper 90lb/185gsm: https://amzn.to/3S1AVVg
- Arches coldpress watercolour paper 140lb/300gsm: https://amzn.to/48PKihM
- Saunders Waterford coldpress watercolour paper 140lb/300gsm: https://amzn.to/3ShR1f3
- Fabriano Artistico coldpress watercolour paper 140lb/300gsm: https://amzn.to/48oHRD3

PAINTS:
- Paint Wild handmade watercolours (Primary Palette): https://www.paintwildshop.com
- Winsor & Newton professional series watercolours (Winsor Lemon, Permanent Rose, Winsor Blue (Red Shade)): https://amzn.to/49bDATF

BRUSHES:
- Paint Wild watercolour brushes (size 0/3, 6 and 8): https://www.paintwildshop.com
- Princeton Heritage watercolour brushes (size 0/3, 6 and 8): https://amzn.to/3vHpLNX

OTHER SUPPLIES:
- Winsor & Newton Designer's Gouache in Permanent White: https://amzn.to/4aYWgra
- Handmade paw palette: https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/elliesar...
- Plastic folding travel palette: https://amzn.to/3U5vkjL
- Staedtler Mars Technico mechanical pencil: https://amzn.to/3TYYvow
- Staedtler Mars mechanical eraser: https://amzn.to/4b7aFSq
- Faber Castell kneaded eraser: https://amzn.to/48DXFSI
- 3M Scotch blue painter's tape: https://amzn.to/4aWOs9j
- Heat tool: https://amzn.to/47uJJcc

Instagram:   / paintwildacademy