How to Mix Indigo Oil Paint
To mix indigo with oil paint, combine 4 parts French Ultramarine, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Ivory Black. Indigo is a deep blue with a violet lean. A strong blue with a little crimson does it; a touch of black deepens it without losing the color.
Opens the free browser simulator with these colors on the palette. Squeeze them out and blend with the palette knife.
Step by step
- Put down 4 parts of French Ultramarine. It is the largest amount, so it is your base.
- Add 1 part of Alizarin Crimson.
- Add 1 part of Ivory Black. It is a strong tinter, so add it a little at a time and check the color as you go.
- Blend with a palette knife, folding the paint over itself until no streaks of the separate colors remain.
- Pull a thin smear out to the side. Thin paint shows the true color better than a thick pile.
Lighter versions of indigo
The same recipe with more and more titanium white mixed in, by volume:
#2D2D67
#4E5391
#666DA6
#868FBB
#BAC2D6
Another way to mix indigo
With Winsor Blue and Alizarin Crimson: 2 parts Winsor Blue and 1 part Alizarin Crimson.
Tips for mixing blues
Blues are strong tinters. Add them to the lighter color in small amounts, because it is much easier to add more blue than to rescue a mix that has gone too dark.
Questions
What colors make indigo?
To mix indigo with oil paint, combine 4 parts French Ultramarine, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Ivory Black. You can also mix it from 2 parts Winsor Blue and 1 part Alizarin Crimson.
How do you make indigo lighter?
Add titanium white a little at a time. Adding the same amount of white as the whole mix gives about #868FBB. White also cools and softens a color, so you may need a touch more of the warm color in the recipe to keep the same character.
How do you make indigo darker?
Add a little more of the blue itself, or a speck of burnt umber. Umber is close to blue's complement, so it deepens the blue without turning it grey as fast as black does.