The Only 3 Colors You Need to Start Painting

Getting started with watercolor can feel like stepping into an art store maze. With hundreds of colors, brushes, and supplies staring back at you, it’s easy to wonder: where do I even begin? For many beginners, this overwhelm leads to frustration—and sometimes giving up before the first brushstroke.

What if I told you all you need are three colors to start painting? That’s right, just three. By embracing simplicity, you’ll skip the confusion, learn the basics faster, and start creating with more confidence. Limiting your palette not only saves you money but also forces you to get creative with color mixing, a skill that will unlock endless possibilities.

So forget about expensive sets and complicated choices. With just three essential colors, a brush, and paper, you can dive in today and discover how freeing—and fun—it is to paint with less.

Why Fewer Colors Can Make You a Better Painter

It’s tempting to believe that the more colors you have, the better your paintings will be. But in reality, too many options can hold you back. Instead of focusing on painting, you might spend more time sorting through tubes of paint, overwhelmed by choices. Starting with a limited palette clears that mental clutter and helps you build essential skills from the ground up.

The Problem with Too Many Options

  • Analysis Paralysis: Having dozens of colors can feel paralyzing. Which red is best? Do you need three greens? These decisions waste time and energy.
  • Overcomplication: More colors mean more opportunities to overwork or muddle your paintings by combining incompatible hues.
  • Unnecessary Expense: Beginner sets with dozens of paints can be pricey, yet most of those colors will sit unused.

Why Mixing is a Game-Changer

  • Foundational Skill: Learning to mix colors from a limited palette teaches you how colors interact. This is essential knowledge for any artist.
  • Creative Freedom: With just three colors, you can mix endless variations, from vibrant greens to soft purples, tailored to your vision.
  • Consistency: Mixing your own colors ensures a more harmonious and cohesive look in your artwork.

The Pro Secret: Less is More

  • Many professional artists rely on a limited palette, even after years of experience.
  • A small selection of colors encourages intentional choices, making your work feel more unified and polished.
  • It’s a reminder that skill and understanding, not an overflowing toolbox, are what truly elevate your art.

Starting with fewer colors might feel counterintuitive, but it’s one of the smartest ways to accelerate your learning. You’ll gain confidence, control, and a deeper understanding of the medium—all while keeping things simple and stress-free.

The Magic Trio: The Only Colors You Need

When it comes to watercolors, you don’t need an entire rainbow to create stunning artwork. By starting with just three primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—you can mix virtually any hue imaginable. These colors form the foundation of your palette, giving you versatility without the overwhelm of too many choices.

The Three Essential Colors

  • Red: Choose a vibrant red, like Quinacridone Rose or Permanent Alizarin Crimson, which is transparent and versatile. These reds mix beautifully for everything from soft pinks to deep purples.
  • Yellow: A bright, clean yellow, like Hansa Yellow Light or Lemon Yellow, is ideal. It creates vibrant greens when mixed with blue and warm oranges when paired with red.
  • Blue: Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) or Ultramarine Blue are excellent choices. Phthalo Blue offers brightness and strength, while Ultramarine is perfect for creating natural, earthy tones.

Why These Shades Work Best

  • Transparency: These pigments are transparent, which is essential for layering in watercolor.
  • Mixing Flexibility: Warm and cool versions of each primary exist, but these choices balance vibrancy and versatility, allowing you to create a full range of colors without muddy results.
  • Simplicity: Using a clean, balanced trio ensures your mixes remain bright and cohesive, reducing frustration for beginners.

How These Colors Unlock a Rainbow of Possibilities

  • Combine red and yellow for a range of oranges, from fiery to muted.
  • Mix yellow and blue for greens, from spring-like to forest-deep.
  • Blend blue and red to explore purples, from vibrant violets to smoky shades.
  • Adjust the proportions or add water to create tints, shades, and gradients that suit your subject.

With these three pigments, you’ll not only cover all the basics but also develop an intimate understanding of color mixing—a skill that will elevate every painting you create. Starting with a simple palette sets you up for creative exploration without the confusion of too many options.

Unlocking the Rainbow: How to Mix Virtually Any Color

Mixing colors is where the magic of watercolor truly comes to life. With just three primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—you can create an endless spectrum of hues. Understanding a few basics of color theory and mastering the art of mixing will unlock your full creative potential.

The Basics of Color Theory in Watercolor

  • Primary Colors: Red, yellow, and blue cannot be mixed from other colors; they are the building blocks of your palette.
  • Secondary Colors: Mix two primary colors to create secondary hues:
    • Red + Yellow = Orange
    • Yellow + Blue = Green
    • Blue + Red = Purple
  • Tertiary Colors: Combine a primary color with a neighboring secondary color to produce more complex hues, like yellow-green or blue-violets.
  • Complementary Colors: Those are duo of colors that sit opposite each other on the color wheel—for example, red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple. When mixed, these opposing colors neutralize each other, creating a variety of browns and grays.

Tips for Mixing Secondary and Tertiary Colors

  • Use a small amount of paint at first—watercolors are highly concentrated, and a little goes a long way.
  • Experiment with different ratios to achieve the exact tone you need (e.g., more yellow for a warmer green, more blue for a cooler green).
  • Always test your mixes on scrap paper before applying them to your painting.

Avoiding Common Mixing Challenges

  • Muddy Colors:
    • Muddy colors happen when you mix too many pigments or complementary colors (e.g., red and green).
    • Solution: Stick to two pigments per mix and use transparent colors for clean results.
  • Overly Dull Colors:
    • This can occur when you accidentally add too much of a neutralizing color.
    • Solution: Add more of the dominant primary color to restore vibrancy.
  • Unpredictable Results:
    • Inconsistent mixes can frustrate beginners.
    • Solution: Keep track of your color combinations, noting ratios and results for future reference.

Practical Exercises to Master Mixing

  • Color Swatch Grid: Create a grid with rows and columns of your three primary colors. Fill in the intersections with mixed colors to see your palette’s full range.
  • Gradient Washes: Practice blending two colors together in a gradient to understand how they transition.
  • Simple Subjects: Start with paintings that require a limited range of colors, like a sunset or fruit, to hone your mixing skills.

By focusing on thoughtful color mixing, you’ll discover the incredible flexibility of your three colors. It’s not just about replicating the rainbow—it’s about creating hues that are uniquely yours, full of depth and personality.

Practical Tips for Painting with a Limited Palette

Working with just three colors might feel restrictive at first, but it’s a powerful way to simplify your process and develop your skills. With a bit of planning and practice, you can create vibrant, balanced paintings that feel anything but limited.

Plan Your Palette Before You Begin

  • Study Your Subject: Identify the dominant colors you’ll need and think about how to mix them using your three primaries.
  • Make a Test Swatch: Before painting, mix the key colors you plan to use and create a swatch chart. This helps you visualize how they’ll look together and ensures you avoid unwanted surprises.
  • Stick to a Theme: Decide on a warm or cool tone for your overall piece, which will guide your mixing choices and create a cohesive look.

Create Dynamic Contrasts and Harmonious Tones

  • Use Value to Add Depth: Mix light and dark variations of your colors by adjusting the water-to-paint ratio. This creates contrast and dimension, even with a limited palette.
  • Leverage Color Temperature: Combine warm and cool tones to create balance. For example, a cool blue can balance the intensity of a warm red.
  • Layer Strategically: Build depth by layering washes, letting each layer dry before adding the next. This technique enhances the vibrancy and richness of your limited colors.

Practice with Simple Exercises

  • Gradient Washes: Practice blending from one color to another in a seamless gradient. This helps you understand transitions and control water flow.
  • Limited Palette Sketches: Paint small, quick compositions using just your three colors. Try a sunset, a still life, or an abstract design to explore the range of your palette.
  • Mixing Challenges: Set a goal to mix and paint a subject using only secondary or tertiary colors to improve your mixing confidence.

By focusing on these practical steps, you’ll learn how to make the most of your limited palette. The key is to embrace its simplicity, which allows you to spend less time deciding and more time painting. Over time, you’ll find that a few colors are all you need to bring your ideas to life.

The Minimalist Toolkit for Watercolor Beginners

When you’re just starting out, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the fancy tools on display. But you don’t need a fully stocked studio to create beautiful watercolors. With just a few well-chosen items, you can build a compact, cost-effective kit that’s perfect for beginners.

Essential Tools for Your Minimalist Setup

  • Brushes:
    • Start with two or three versatile brushes: a medium round brush (#6 or #8), a larger round or flat brush for washes (#10 or #12), and a small round brush (#2 or #4) for details.
    • Look for synthetic brushes that are affordable yet durable, such as Princeton Snap or Winsor & Newton Cotman.
  • Paper:
    • Use watercolor paper with at least 140 lb (300 gsm) weight to prevent buckling. Choose cold-pressed paper for a slightly textured surface that works well for beginners.
    • Affordable options include Canson XL or Strathmore Watercolor Paper pads.
  • Mixing Palette:
    • A simple plastic or ceramic palette with multiple wells will do the job. In a pinch, even a plate or reusable container lid can work.

Additional Handy Items

  • Water Containers: Two jars—one for rinsing your brush and one with clean water for painting.
  • Paper Towels or Cloths: For blotting excess water or fixing mistakes.
  • Pencil and Eraser: Use a light pencil for sketching outlines; a kneaded eraser is ideal for gentle corrections.

Affordable and Reliable Brand Recommendations

  • Paints: Consider student-grade options like Winsor & Newton Cotman or Van Gogh for a balance of quality and price.
  • Brushes: Look for brands like Da Vinci Nova or Royal & Langnickel Zen for durable synthetic brushes.
  • Paper: Canson XL and Fabriano Studio are excellent for beginners on a budget.

The Joy of a Minimalist Setup

  • Ease of Maintenance: Fewer tools mean less clutter and quicker cleanup, making your painting sessions more enjoyable.
  • Portability: A compact kit can easily travel with you, so you can paint wherever inspiration strikes.
  • Focus on Skill, Not Supplies: Limiting your tools encourages you to make the most of what you have, fostering creativity and growth.

With this minimalist toolkit, you’ll have everything you need to get started without the hassle of overcomplication. Remember, it’s not about the quantity of supplies—it’s about the quality of your time spent painting.

Your Next Steps: Turning Three Colors into Masterpieces

Now that you’ve got the tools and know-how, it’s time to start painting! Working with a limited palette might feel challenging at first, but it’s the best way to develop your skills and build confidence. The more you practice, the more you’ll discover the endless possibilities hidden within just three colors.

Experiment to Build Confidence

  • Play with mixing: Try creating as many different shades as possible by varying the ratios of your red, yellow, and blue.
  • Test layering: Paint a light wash, let it dry, and add layers on top to explore how transparent watercolors can create depth and texture.
  • Push boundaries: See what happens when you intentionally mix colors to their limits—sometimes “mistakes” lead to unexpected discoveries!

Simple Projects to Apply What You’ve Learned

  • Landscape: Paint a sunset sky with soft gradients of orange, purple, and blue. Add simple silhouettes, like trees or hills, for contrast.
  • Flower Study: Choose a flower, like a tulip or daisy, and mix soft pastel tones to recreate its beauty.
  • Abstract Patterns: Experiment with flowing shapes and color blends to focus purely on the joy of mixing and painting.
  • Monochromatic Challenge: Create an entire piece using different tints and shades of one mixed color to practice controlling value.

Building Toward the Future

  • As you grow more comfortable, you can begin adding new colors to your palette. Start with additional primary tones (like warm and cool variations) or specialty pigments, such as earth tones or bright greens.
  • Remember, the skills you develop with three colors—mixing, layering, and understanding value—will always be the foundation of your watercolor journey.

The beauty of starting with a limited palette is that it teaches you to think creatively and focus on the essentials. So grab your brush, embrace the simplicity, and let your creativity take flight. Your masterpiece is only a few brushstrokes away!

Mastering Watercolor, One Brushstroke at a Time

Starting with a limited palette isn’t just practical—it’s empowering. By focusing on just three colors, you simplify the learning process, sharpen your mixing skills, and open the door to endless creativity. It’s proof that less really is more, especially when it comes to building a strong foundation in watercolor painting.

Embrace the simplicity, and don’t rush the process. Watercolor is a medium that thrives on patience and experimentation. Every mix and brushstroke teaches you something new, helping you grow as an artist while enjoying the journey.

You don’t need a fancy kit or years of experience to create something beautiful. With three colors, a brush, and a bit of courage, you already have everything you need to get started. So why wait? Pick up your brush today and watch your creativity come to life!