Mixing Paint

Anyone that has ever done a home painting job can tell you that the most expensive part of any painting project is the paint itself. This is particularly true when trying to find a custom paint color. While there are several different methods that you can use to try and lower this price, the most effective method is by mixing paint yourself. In order to begin mixing paint properly, you need to understand a few basic guidelines. With these guidelines in hand, you will be able to branch out, experiment, and achieve the colors that you really want, or only a fraction of the original price.

• Decide on a color. Before you can begin mixing your paint, you need to know what color you will be using. This means that you need to actually decide on the color that you want. You can get this color from anything, or even anyone. Wherever you get it, make sure that it will work with the overall design scheme of your home.
• Take a look at the color wheel. Now that you know what color you want, you need to figure out how to make it. To do this you need to pull out your color wheel, and take a look at it. This will tell you what colors you will need to mix in order to get your desired results.
• Know your paints. Decide on what type of paint you want to use. The brand doesn't really matter in this particular case, since brands can be mixed with no problem. Rather, what you need to look at is if you will be using oil or water based paints. These two types of paints cannot be mixed.
• Start collecting. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors to see if they have any left over paint that they don't need. If not, talk to your local paint store to see if they have any that they don't need anymore, or buy the smallest amounts possible to get the results that you want. One color that you should always have on hand is white, since that will be the one that you start with as your base.
• Start small and mix thoroughly. Begin mixing your paints together, but do it in small increments. For example, start off with a small amount of white paint in a rolling tray or old clean bucket. To this add a small amount of your next color (such as red to achieve a pink color), and if you are adding more than one, alternate between each application of color. Between each application be sure that you mix the paint completely and thoroughly. While you can always use a paint stirring stick to mix everything together, a faster way would be to use an old mixing set from your kitchen.
• Test your work. Once you believe that you have achieved the color that you want, test out your work. Simply dab a small amount of paint onto a piece of paper or wood, and then allow it to dry. You will want to see the color dried out so that you can get a realistic idea of what you will have after you have painted your room. While you are waiting for it to dry, cover the paint that you have mixed so that it doesn't dry out.