Limited Palette Painting: Create More with Less

A limited palette—using just 3-5 colours—might seem restrictive, but it's actually liberating. Fewer colours mean automatic colour harmony, faster decisions, and deeper understanding of colour mixing.

Benefits of Limited Palette

• Colour harmony: All colours share common pigments
• Faster mixing: Fewer choices, quicker decisions
• Deeper learning: Understand colour relationships
• Cost savings: Buy fewer paints
• Portable: Less to carry for plein air

Classic Limited Palettes

Zorn Palette

Named after Anders Zorn:

• Yellow Ochre
• Cadmium Red
• Ivory Black
• Titanium White

Creates warm, portrait-friendly colours. Black mixed with yellow makes green.

Primary Palette

• Cadmium Yellow
• Cadmium Red (or Alizarin Crimson)
• Ultramarine Blue
• Titanium White

Can mix virtually any colour.

Earth Palette

• Yellow Ochre
• Burnt Sienna
• Ultramarine Blue
• Titanium White

Natural, muted colours perfect for landscapes.

Mixing from Limited Palette

Greens

• Yellow + Blue = Green
• Adjust warmth with more yellow or blue
• Neutralise with red

Oranges

• Yellow + Red = Orange
• Vary proportions for different oranges

Purples

• Red + Blue = Purple
• Cool red + cool blue = brightest purple

Exercises

Colour Charts

1. Create mixing chart with your palette
2. Mix every combination
3. Note what each mix creates

Find quality paints in our oil paints and acrylic paints guides.