Exploring Gouache ~ How to Create a 12 Colour Wheel
When you want to explore gouache and don’t know where to start, creating a colour wheel can be a great first step. It’s a simple, step-by-step process that helps you get familiar with your paints while giving you the freedom to play around and see how your colours feel and react.
You can either draw the colour wheel yourself or use my downloadable template (see below) to make it easier. If you’d like to make it yourself, just grab a bowl or a plate, trace a circle with a pencil, and use a ruler to divide it into 12 sections. It’s a fun and practical way to start experimenting with colour mixing and building confidence in your gouache skills.
By the end of this, you’ll have your very own 12-colour wheel – a handy tool that will guide you in all your future painting projects.
Free Colour Wheel Template
Materials Needed
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- A set of primary gouache paints (red, yellow, blue): find it on Amazon UK or Amazon US
- A mixing palette (or use an old plate to mix your colours on): Amazon UK or Amazon US
- Brushes (small round or flat brushes for precision): Amazon UK or Amazon US
- Water, paper towel and a jar for cleaning brushes
- A piece of watercolour or mixed media paper (you can use regular paper too if you are just starting out)
- Optional: Downloadable blank colour wheel template.
Step 1: Paint the Primary Colours
Start your colour wheel by adding the three primary colours: red, yellow, and blue. These are the foundation of the colour wheel because they can’t be created by mixing other colours.
- Red: Choose a bright, pure red like Cadmium Red or a similar shade. Paint this in one of the sections, leaving equal space between it and where the yellow and blue will go.
- Yellow: Use a vibrant yellow like Lemon Yellow. Paint this in a section three spaces away from your red.
- Blue: Select a true blue, such as Ultramarine Blue. Paint this three spaces away from both the red and yellow.
Let each section dry before moving on to avoid accidental blending. These three colours will anchor your entire wheel.
Step 2: Mix and Paint the Secondary Colours
Next, we’ll create the secondary colours by mixing equal parts of two primary colours. These colours will go between their respective primary colours on the wheel.
- Orange: Mix red and yellow to create a vibrant orange. Paint this between your red and yellow sections.
- Green: Combine yellow and blue to make a fresh green. Paint this between the yellow and blue sections.
- Violet: Mix blue and red to form a rich violet. Paint this between the blue and red sections.
These secondary colours are the building blocks of more complex hues, so don’t be afraid to experiment with the ratios until you’re happy with the results.
Step 3: Mix and Paint the Tertiary Colours
Now it’s time to fill in the remaining sections with the tertiary colours. These are created by mixing a primary colour with its adjacent secondary colour.
- Red-Orange: Mix red with a bit of orange. Paint this between the red and orange sections.
- Yellow-Orange: Mix yellow with a touch of orange. Paint this between the yellow and orange sections.
- Yellow-Green: Combine yellow with green. Paint this between the yellow and green sections.
- Blue-Green: Mix blue with green. Paint this between the blue and green sections.
- Blue-Violet: Blend blue with violet. Paint this between the blue and violet sections.
- Red-Violet: Combine red with violet. Paint this between the red and violet sections.
Tertiary colours add richness and nuance to your wheel, so take your time and enjoy the process.
Label all the colours in your wheel if you want, but this step is optional.
Explore Tints, Shades and Colour Harmony
Once you’ve completed your 12-colour wheel, there’s so much more you can explore.
Creating Tints and Shades
- Tints: Try adding white to your colours to create lighter, pastel-like versions. Experiment with how the colours change and how they can be used for softer, more subtle effects.
- Shades: Mix in a touch of black to darken your colours, creating rich, moody tones. Be careful, a little black goes a long way.
Creating tints and shades is a great way to expand your understanding of colour and make your palette even more versatile.
Understanding Colour Harmony
Your colour wheel isn’t just a pretty tool, it’s also a guide to understanding colour harmony. Here are two simple ways to start using it:
- Complementary Colours: These are colours that sit opposite each other on the wheel, like blue and orange or red and green. Using complementary colours can create vibrant, eye-catching contrasts.
- Analogous Colours: These are colours that sit next to each other on the wheel, like yellow, yellow-orange and orange. They work beautifully together to create harmonious and calming effects.
By playing with tints, shades and harmonious colour combinations, you’ll not only improve your paintings but also deepen your appreciation for the magic of gouache.
Don’t forget to share your colour wheel with me, I’d love to see your creations!
And if you want to continue exploring colour, stay tuned for more tutorials where we’ll dive deeper into mixing, blending and using colour in creative ways.
If you want to challenge yourself to use Gouache for 7 days in a row you can get my free Art Challenge Bundle over here.
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