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Color Mixing Drawing Exploration Color Mixing Exploration Drawing

In this lesson, we will explore what happens when we add white and black to our primary and mixed colors.

You will need: Crayons or colored pencils Primary colors: red, yellow, blue

black and white

Paper Any kind of light color paper, scrap paper, notebook paper, or an envelope ColorLight andMixing Shadow Exploration Drawing Drawing

We will start drawing with primary colors:

red, yellow and blue. ColorNo Shadows Mixing ExplorationWithout Light Drawing

Then we will mix two colors at a time to make orange, green and purple. ColorMonet Mixing Haystacks Exploration Drawing

Now we will add white to our colors and see how they change. What do you notice?

Yes! The white made the colors lighter.

We call these light colors pastels. ColorShadows Mixing Outside Exploration Your Window Drawing

Now let’s see what the black crayon can do.

Black is a strong, dark color. When white is added, it becomes gray. ColorShadows Mixing In Your Exploration Home Drawing

Continue to make shapes and lines with your colors. See how many different colors can you mix with your white, black, red, yellow and blue crayons!

Explore pressing hard and light with your crayons. Try to cover the page.

My drawing has circles, leaf shapes, straight lines, and curvy lines.

What kinds of lines and shapes will you make with your colors? ColorMake YourMixing Own Exploration Shadows Drawing

More things to try

After you experiment mixing color on white paper, you can try mixing colors on different color papers or backgrounds.

Do your colors look the same as when you mixed them on white stationary or notebook paper?

How are they different?

You can also experiment mixing other color crayons together that you have in your home. ColorWhat IsMixing A Silhouette? Exploration Drawing

You can make a list of the new colors you find.

You can write down ‘recipes’ or ‘formulas’ to remember how you mixed certain colors. In that way you can mix them again!

You can also try to mix colors that you find in your home – like the color of your t-shirt, your pants, or the colors of some of your favorite toys. ColorMake YourMixing Own Exploration Shadows Drawing

Reflection

What colors did you mix with your crayons?

How did you mix them?

How did you make them light or dark?

McArthur Binion, Four Movements of Sunlight: Three, 2014. Ink, laser print collage, oil paint stick and Staonal crayon on panel, 36” x 36.” Kavi Gupta Gallery. Color Mixing Exploration Drawing

Inspiration

McArthur Binion uses wax crayons to create abstract drawings.

Look closely at this drawing.

What colors do you see?

How do you think the artist mixed those colors?

If you like, you can use your crayons to mix the colors you see in this drawing.

McArthur Binion, Untitled, 1977. Colored crayon or For more examples of pencil and graphite pencil on off-white wove paper. Binion’s artwork, visit: Detroit Institute of Arts. McArthur Binion