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Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green: Or How To Mix The Color You Really Want - Every Time
Artists, designers, printers, and crafters alike would agree that the selection and use of color is of great importance to their work. And yet, a great deal of misunderstanding surrounds color mixing. Michael Wilcox offers a total reassessment for the principles underlying color and color usage. This revised edition of the original Blue & Yellow Don't Make Green--the first major breakaway from the traditional concepts of the three primary colors: red, blue and yellow--contains more than 80 pages of new information on the transparency and makeup of colors and includes many new color mixing swatches.
120 pages, Hardcover
First published February 20, 1989
26 people are currently reading
428 people want to read
About the author
Michael Wilcox
62 books14 followersMichael Wilcox has an extensive professional background as an author, professional artist, conservator of art works, lecturer, scientist and inventor.
During his research towards a Post Graduate Diploma in Art and Design at Curtin University Western Australia, he spent equal time within the art and science departments, studying light physics in relation to the needs of the artist and designer. This research led to his book Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green, first published in 1988. This work changed the way that countless artists, designers and craft workers now mix and use colour. It was the first break through in this area in over 200 years.
Continued research led to the publication of The Wilcox Guide to the Finest Watercolour Paints. This book led to many changes both in the art material industry and in the pigments used in artists’ paints. Other books followed including a series of ‘Colour Notes’, each designed to examine a particular aspect of colour mixing and use for a specific element. Two books and CDs explaining colour to children, What is Colour? and Colours Around Us have been well received by the education establishment. A book and CD guiding the home decorator adds to the list.
Another work, Colour Harmony and Contrast for the Artist analyzes the reaction to various colour combinations and offers a sound basis and further insight for the thinking artist. His latest book, Glazing with an Emphasis on the Craft of Painting, is the result of 10 years research into the glazing techniques of the Old Masters. The result of the study equips the artist of today with the techniques of glazing developed by the Masters. Lessons from the past are brought fully up to date.
His publications have been translated into many languages, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Dutch.
In addition to his research and writing, Mr. Wilcox has developed specialist mixing palettes, workbooks, CDs, DVDs, and home study courses.the_school_of_colour_palette
A range of artist’s paints of the finest quality have been developed and are available. Consisting of just 12 colours they give the maximum range available from a limited palette – not just in mixed hues but in transparencies and opacities.
The School of Colour operates on an international basis and will continue to develop based on the firm belief that art and science must once again come together. The first time that they assisted each other led to the Renaissance, the second to the Impressionists. What will the third merger bring to artists, designers, craft workers, decorators and all users of colour?
Mr. Wilcox has lectured world wide to artists in the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. Workshops have been taught to Art Conservators in NYC, and the University of London, and talks presented to the International Colour Society.
During his research towards a Post Graduate Diploma in Art and Design at Curtin University Western Australia, he spent equal time within the art and science departments, studying light physics in relation to the needs of the artist and designer. This research led to his book Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green, first published in 1988. This work changed the way that countless artists, designers and craft workers now mix and use colour. It was the first break through in this area in over 200 years.
Continued research led to the publication of The Wilcox Guide to the Finest Watercolour Paints. This book led to many changes both in the art material industry and in the pigments used in artists’ paints. Other books followed including a series of ‘Colour Notes’, each designed to examine a particular aspect of colour mixing and use for a specific element. Two books and CDs explaining colour to children, What is Colour? and Colours Around Us have been well received by the education establishment. A book and CD guiding the home decorator adds to the list.
Another work, Colour Harmony and Contrast for the Artist analyzes the reaction to various colour combinations and offers a sound basis and further insight for the thinking artist. His latest book, Glazing with an Emphasis on the Craft of Painting, is the result of 10 years research into the glazing techniques of the Old Masters. The result of the study equips the artist of today with the techniques of glazing developed by the Masters. Lessons from the past are brought fully up to date.
His publications have been translated into many languages, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Dutch.
In addition to his research and writing, Mr. Wilcox has developed specialist mixing palettes, workbooks, CDs, DVDs, and home study courses.the_school_of_colour_palette
A range of artist’s paints of the finest quality have been developed and are available. Consisting of just 12 colours they give the maximum range available from a limited palette – not just in mixed hues but in transparencies and opacities.
The School of Colour operates on an international basis and will continue to develop based on the firm belief that art and science must once again come together. The first time that they assisted each other led to the Renaissance, the second to the Impressionists. What will the third merger bring to artists, designers, craft workers, decorators and all users of colour?
Mr. Wilcox has lectured world wide to artists in the USA, Canada, the UK, Europe, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. Workshops have been taught to Art Conservators in NYC, and the University of London, and talks presented to the International Colour Society.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
August 23, 2009
The ideas in this book are probably not news to artists, but they were new to me, so it was instructive. But, even though it's a short book, he explains things to death. There was *lots* of repetition of the same basic idea.
The basic idea is that when you mix blue and yellow, they don't always make a nice, clear green as you might expect based on what you were taught in school. You might end up with a muddy brownish olive instead.
The reason that might happen is because no paint color is true blue, yellow, or red. All yellows are either greenish or reddish; all reds will be either bluish or yellowish; and all blues will have either a yellowish or reddish cast to them. If you mix blue with a reddish yellow, it's almost the same as if you mixed in a little red along with the blue and yellow, so you come out with a muddy greenish color. To get a nice, clear green you have to mix the blue with a bluish yellow. And the same for the other colors. A yellowish red mixed with a reddish yellow will give a clear orange; if you use a bluish red or a bluish yellow, or both, the color will be more subdued and brownish. According to the author, you mostly only need six colors -- two versions of each primary color -- to mix just about any color you want to use, so you can save a lot of money by not buying colors you don't need. Once you read this basic idea it seems obvious, like something you probably should have been able to figure out.
That's not the only idea in the book; the author does tell a little bit about what color names or ingredients tip you off as to whether you've got a bluish or a yellowish red, for example, in case you're not good at figuring it out. And he talks about which pigments tend to be higher quality, which tend to be more opaque and which transparent, and which colors other than the primaries might be useful and why. Still, some of the Amazon reviews I've read cite books on the same topic that are supposed to be better, those might be worth checking out. I might take a look at "Color Choices" by Stephen Quiller and "Color Right from the Start" by Hilary Page.
The basic idea is that when you mix blue and yellow, they don't always make a nice, clear green as you might expect based on what you were taught in school. You might end up with a muddy brownish olive instead.
The reason that might happen is because no paint color is true blue, yellow, or red. All yellows are either greenish or reddish; all reds will be either bluish or yellowish; and all blues will have either a yellowish or reddish cast to them. If you mix blue with a reddish yellow, it's almost the same as if you mixed in a little red along with the blue and yellow, so you come out with a muddy greenish color. To get a nice, clear green you have to mix the blue with a bluish yellow. And the same for the other colors. A yellowish red mixed with a reddish yellow will give a clear orange; if you use a bluish red or a bluish yellow, or both, the color will be more subdued and brownish. According to the author, you mostly only need six colors -- two versions of each primary color -- to mix just about any color you want to use, so you can save a lot of money by not buying colors you don't need. Once you read this basic idea it seems obvious, like something you probably should have been able to figure out.
That's not the only idea in the book; the author does tell a little bit about what color names or ingredients tip you off as to whether you've got a bluish or a yellowish red, for example, in case you're not good at figuring it out. And he talks about which pigments tend to be higher quality, which tend to be more opaque and which transparent, and which colors other than the primaries might be useful and why. Still, some of the Amazon reviews I've read cite books on the same topic that are supposed to be better, those might be worth checking out. I might take a look at "Color Choices" by Stephen Quiller and "Color Right from the Start" by Hilary Page.
September 2, 2011
This book debunks the myth of the traditional three primary colors being able to mix all the secondaries. Wilcox introduces a color wheel with two of each of the primaries (yellow-green, yellow-orange, red-orange, red-violet, blue-violet and blue-green) and talks in depth about why we see colors the way we do and what is actually happening when we mix colors. He makes an interesting argument for limiting our palette to twelve basic colors from which we can mix all the colors we will ever need. It certainly would be cheaper than buying all those many expensive tubes of paint with their mysterious names. One quibble I have is that he sticks to the traditional complementary colors, which tend to mix into browns intstead of greys. For a discussion about the "new" color wheel see www.reralcolorwheel.com or read Color and Light by James Gurney.
July 23, 2025
adored this. such gorgeous examples and a really fun niche book!
August 28, 2010
Good common sense color theory. I originally gave it three stars because it was kinda repetitive, but upped it to four because it's great information and really straight forward.
There's an exercise (I'm 90% sure was from this book,) where you mix every possible color combination on your palette. Now that I think about it, I'm only 50% sure it was from this book. But it's more fun and interesting than it sounds. It was a great way to learn about the strengths of colors you choose and make comparisons.
There's an exercise (I'm 90% sure was from this book,) where you mix every possible color combination on your palette. Now that I think about it, I'm only 50% sure it was from this book. But it's more fun and interesting than it sounds. It was a great way to learn about the strengths of colors you choose and make comparisons.
November 16, 2021
The one color book that all designers and artists should read. Anyone who is mixing pigments will benefit by this knowledge.
Digital artists should already know of the difference of the color wheel of light (used by computers and our eyes), and the color wheels for mixing pigments (many contradictory ones). The pigment-mixing system in this book resolves the contradictions and shows a clear method for mixing many shades of a color , for instance greens.
Digital artists should already know of the difference of the color wheel of light (used by computers and our eyes), and the color wheels for mixing pigments (many contradictory ones). The pigment-mixing system in this book resolves the contradictions and shows a clear method for mixing many shades of a color , for instance greens.
May 3, 2014
This is an awesome book for art nerds; it explains how the pigments in your paint work and gives you a great technique to make mixing your colors faster, easier, and more accurate. It gets a bit redundant at times, and I deducted a star for that, but it explains so much about color and answers a lot of questions I've always had about how mixing colors works. Awesome read!
January 7, 2015
Clears up the mystery about color mixing... points you in the direction to quickly get the colors you want with the minimum of hassle.
The book is written with a style that gets a bit redundant, but I believe that is to drive the point across, as it is fighting a long-entrenched theory that has warped artist's thinking toward color theory.
I am already starting to see positive results!
The book is written with a style that gets a bit redundant, but I believe that is to drive the point across, as it is fighting a long-entrenched theory that has warped artist's thinking toward color theory.
I am already starting to see positive results!
February 23, 2024
This is a great reference book if you are interested in color theory. I rarely buy art books but I bought this one. I use oils, watercolor, markers, and color pencils and the theory in this book applies to all art mediums.
September 7, 2010
I've learned to properly mix colors with this book. Easy to follow and extremely helpful. Saved a bunch of money learning to mix with a few essential colors.
March 27, 2011
An important look at the practical rather than the theoretical side of mixing colors. An excellent reference book.
April 16, 2013
Such a great reference book for color mixing. I will have to buy this one for reference! Nice discussion and examples for watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting. Pastels discussed as well.
August 10, 2018
I lied. I have not finished this book. There is too much excellent information to just read through, and I can't keep it any longer from the library. I'm going to have to buy this book!
December 11, 2023
If you’re an artist who’s had problems mixing just the right shade of purple or green or anything else, this book can help by explaining why. The first 35 pages is where you’ll find the theory, while the rest of the book is a series of mixing exercises so you can learn through practice how to get your desired colors. Admittedly, it may take a couple reads of the theory for it to really sink in.
At its core, Wilcox explains how the three-primaries color method misleads learning artists because it works on the premise of “pure” pigments, but pure reds, yellows, and blues don’t exist. Instead it’s better to use his bias color wheel uses pairs of red, yellow, and blue made of a combination of pairs that lean in opposite directions on the color wheel. You may find this information shared online in the form split-primary color wheels, which is the same idea as Wilcox’s but explained as warm and cool pairings.
You might find similar information on color theory and mixing a bit more easily online and in video tutorials, but if you like reading your information and want guided exercises to help you dig into making the colors, Wilcox’s book is for you. He gives around 50 color-mixing exercises in his book for you to follow along with.
At its core, Wilcox explains how the three-primaries color method misleads learning artists because it works on the premise of “pure” pigments, but pure reds, yellows, and blues don’t exist. Instead it’s better to use his bias color wheel uses pairs of red, yellow, and blue made of a combination of pairs that lean in opposite directions on the color wheel. You may find this information shared online in the form split-primary color wheels, which is the same idea as Wilcox’s but explained as warm and cool pairings.
You might find similar information on color theory and mixing a bit more easily online and in video tutorials, but if you like reading your information and want guided exercises to help you dig into making the colors, Wilcox’s book is for you. He gives around 50 color-mixing exercises in his book for you to follow along with.
January 24, 2026
The author has made this book incredibly clear and easy to understand. It definitely qualifies as one of the books for the For Dummies series. Oftentimes, it repeats the core concept over and over again to make sure readers absolutely get it.
The book has provided abundant exercises. Apart from color mixing itself, these exercises are also good for learning:
- How much pigment of a particular color will tint its opposite color, i.e., how to control color mixing
- How to control washing down a color using water
- The relationship among colors, especially between opposite primary colors - e.g., what the middle colors are, what their warm and cool biases are
- The values of colors, through washing down colors
- The individual characteristics of your paints and paper
The book has provided abundant exercises. Apart from color mixing itself, these exercises are also good for learning:
- How much pigment of a particular color will tint its opposite color, i.e., how to control color mixing
- How to control washing down a color using water
- The relationship among colors, especially between opposite primary colors - e.g., what the middle colors are, what their warm and cool biases are
- The values of colors, through washing down colors
- The individual characteristics of your paints and paper
April 6, 2019
When I was at high school many years ago, art was one of my good subjects and physics was one of the not-so-good ones. This book brings the two together. Wilcox draws on physics to help me understand how to mix my colours and become a better artist.
So far, I've read it from cover to cover once. Now it is my intention to work my way through it and practise mixing colours following the guidance from the book. I've done just one page of that so far and already learned quite a bit about the (too) many colours in my collection. By time I finish the whole book again, I'm sure I will have learned so much more.
So far, I've read it from cover to cover once. Now it is my intention to work my way through it and practise mixing colours following the guidance from the book. I've done just one page of that so far and already learned quite a bit about the (too) many colours in my collection. By time I finish the whole book again, I'm sure I will have learned so much more.
June 13, 2024
I like how this book explained the secondary-leaning variations of primary colours and how, when mixed, you can get a more vibrant or subdued colour depending on which primary variation is selected. Also with mixing browns it explains what other contrasting colour is needed to make it darker. Fortunately I learned a lot of this book from experience so this would be great for people who want to take their colour mixing to the next level without having to learn by experimenting themselves. Great book.
3/5 stars ⭐️
3/5 stars ⭐️
September 25, 2019
Great book that helped me grasp color faster than any other I've read, but horribly written with tons of typo's, and it's a bit difficult to read if you're not fully invested into the subject. It also concentrates watercolors, and it should include many other pigments and possible mixes. The pigments listed in the book are really great, and an artist can get away with only using those colors in a painting.
March 10, 2025
Extremely helpful, the theory makes a lot of sense and the artist gave many demos in watercolor which is my medium. I was struggling to get a good sky blue and I only had ultramarine. So I got myself some cerulean and it's working much better. I enjoyed the color mixing exercises to see what all you could get; I also liked the tip about how the sky sometimes fades to white in between colors. It's true and I'd started using it without recognizing it.
March 7, 2025
Great informative book. Well worth taking the time to learn about color!
As an artist who has no formal schooling I found this book to be a treasure box. It is full of lessons I needed to know to grow as an artist. Thank you for writing this book!
As an artist who has no formal schooling I found this book to be a treasure box. It is full of lessons I needed to know to grow as an artist. Thank you for writing this book!
August 17, 2017
The color theory is outdated, but the practical examples are still useful. (They use pigments that are still being produced.)
not-going-to-finish
January 19, 2019Reference book. Interesting color theory for mixing colors
April 8, 2019
There's a reason this book is a classic. Good refresher for any medium.
September 26, 2019
“You now have the information to gain total control over your palette. Your work can only improve.”
November 7, 2019
Surreal that the real mind blowing stuff is in the last ten pages, presented almost as an afterthought.
December 27, 2023
Recommended by an art teacher. I found it mildly interesting but mostly arcane. Maybe I'll appreciate it more when (if) I become a more advanced artist?
May 7, 2024
This book completely changed how I thought about color and mixing color. Very informative and helpful.
August 21, 2025
Trying to learn about color, especially as related to ink. This book is more geared towards paints but still an interesting read. I think it will help me understand how to achieve the color I want in ink with much less trial and error.
April 9, 2018
Argues the core theme lucidly enough: that color mixing in painting is not additive but subtractive. To make a violet wash, you don't mix red and blue paint. You blend a violety red with a violety blue - the red and blue each absorb the other's light - and all that's left is violet.
The pace and repetition probably would have gone better if I had worked the exercises.
I enjoyed browsing his field guide to paint colors:
"A bright, transparent violet blue with good tinting strength and absolutely lightfast. ...
"Genuine Cadmium Yellow Light (when well produced)...
"The ideal all round violet-red, to my mind, is either Quinacridone Violet or Quinacridone Red... In every respect they out class Alizarin Crimson."
The pace and repetition probably would have gone better if I had worked the exercises.
I enjoyed browsing his field guide to paint colors:
"A bright, transparent violet blue with good tinting strength and absolutely lightfast. ...
"Genuine Cadmium Yellow Light (when well produced)...
"The ideal all round violet-red, to my mind, is either Quinacridone Violet or Quinacridone Red... In every respect they out class Alizarin Crimson."
September 11, 2010
Not a good book for reading, but it shows millions of examples of color mixing in acrylic paints. Geared to paints, the ideas apply to dyes as well. The premise is that there are no pure blue yellow or red to yield clear greens, violets, or oranges. Every primary color leans one way or another. For example if you take a red with a lot of yellow in it and a blue with a lot of green you are bound to get a subdued purple as the red and green (direct compliments) brown each other out. I know this is true because it has happened to me. Wilcox explains how scientifically. Thus you need more than one of each primary to mix colors well.
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December 27, 2007I did not like the way this book was written. It seemed more of an advertisement for this guys watercolor products and I know that has put other artists off about this book. The good part is that for some reason it sticks with me that this was one of the first books on color that I remember dealing more with the qualities of colored paint over colored light. As a painter this book gave me a push in the right direction. It's written for watercolorists but the info is good for all color media.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews