How to Mix Turquoise Oil Paint
To mix turquoise with oil paint, combine 4 parts French Ultramarine, 4 parts Viridian and 3 parts Titanium White. Turquoise is a bright blue-green lightened with white. Cerulean or a green-leaning blue with viridian keeps it clean; ultramarine on its own leans too violet.
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 4 parts of Viridian.
- Add 3 parts of Titanium White. White lightens the mix but also cools and softens it, so add it gradually.
- 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 turquoise
The same recipe with more and more titanium white mixed in, by volume:
#44ACAA
#65BCBC
#7CC6C7
#99D1D2
#C7E2E1
Another way to mix turquoise
With Cerulean Blue, Viridian and Titanium White: 10 parts Cerulean Blue, 3 parts Viridian and 2 parts Titanium White.
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 turquoise?
To mix turquoise with oil paint, combine 4 parts French Ultramarine, 4 parts Viridian and 3 parts Titanium White. You can also mix it from 10 parts Cerulean Blue, 3 parts Viridian and 2 parts Titanium White.
How do you make turquoise lighter?
Add titanium white a little at a time. Adding the same amount of white as the whole mix gives about #99D1D2. 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 turquoise 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.