The Artist's Colour Mixing Card Deck - Watercolour

Julie Collins’ provides what we might call the base set, giving us a pack of cards arranged by the main colour and then a series of tints and hues based on what proportions you put in. It’s worth saying here that she uses Winsor and Newton so, if your own preferences lie elsewhere, you’ll have to do a bit of translation. The principle, as far as I can see, is that you hold up a card and find the one that matches what you’re looking at, dip your brush into the palette and you’re away. Yes, you could use the pocket guide, but this is handier – just be careful if there’s a strong breeze.

A small booklet explaining how to use the cards is included in the pack and it is pleasantly clear, so there’s no need to worry about not getting the idea. Does it work? The idea is so neat that I want it to and the presentation makes such an attractive purchase that I think I’d try it.

Julie Collins studied Fine Art at the University of Reading and has been an artist, writer and teacher since then. She has written a number of colour mixing guides and artists’ problem-solving books and also writes for The Artist magazine. She works from her studio in Hampshire, UK, where she explores her passion for painting, drawing and crafts.

Julie has received numerous prestigious awards for her painting, including from the Royal Watercolour Society, the Royal West of England Academy and ING Discerning Eye. Julie was elected a Member of the Society of Women Artists and on to the SWA Council in 2022.

Julie has written a number of best-selling books about colour mixing, and to date has sold over 80k copies worldwide.