Do you use student grade art supplies?
If we want kids to feel successful and confident when exploring color, their experiences with mixing and using color must be consistent with the theory we teach them.
To develop a 21st Century color curriculum
we need to expand the set of student grade materials available for mixing.
EXPLORE COLOR!!
Set of 12 Colors for the Color Explorer Classroom
Expanding ROYGBV with Cyan and Magenta
Adding Cyan and Magenta paints expands the range of colors that students can use.
There is no single pigment Yellow Green but it is easy to mix a bottle by adding a small amount of PG7 to PY3.
Once these colors are widely available, students can learn color mixing using both tradition RYB and modern CMY primaries.
Teaching Color Mixing in the Color Explorer Classroom
Primary Cyan and Primary Magenta are available in a variety of student grade art materials.
CMY primaries are often labeled Primary Blue, Primary Magenta and Primary Yellow..
Pigment Specifications for Exploring 21st Century Color Mixing
Updated 2/12/16
| Label | Pigment Name | Pigment # | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Magenta | Quinacridone Magenta | PR 122 | L 35 |
| Red | Pyrrole Red | PR 254 | L 40 |
| Orange | Perinone Orange | PO 43 | L 65 |
| Primary Yellow | Hansa Yellow Light | PY 3 | L 90 |
| Yellow Green | Convenience Mix 9:1 | PY 3 + PG 7 | L 65 |
| Blue Green | Phthalocyanine Green | PG 7 | L 40 |
| Primary Cyan | Phthalocyanine Blue | PB 15:3 | L 35 |
| Blue | Ultramarine Blue | PB 29 | L 25 |
| Violet | Dioxazine Purple | PV 23 | L 25 |
| White | Titanium White | PW 6 | - |
| Brown | Burnt Umber | PBr 7 | - |
| Black | Mars Black | PBk 11 | - |
CMY Color Mixing Triangle
Updated 2/12/16
Frequently Asked Questions
What can manufacturers do to help? We need Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow primaries to be produced and standardized in all media so that students' experiences with mixing color are consistent with the concepts they are taught. We cannot successfully teach the concept of primary colors without primaries that mix to make clear secondary colors.
What is the difference between artist grade and student grade? Artist grade materials are not appropriate for young students because they are too dark, too expensive, and need to be available in classroom-size containers. Artist grade colors need to be slightly thinned in order to work, in particular, artist grade Cyan (Phthalo Blue) and Magenta (Quin Magenta) are too dark out of the tube.
Why differentiate between CMY and CMYK? The CMY paint primaries are the same hues but not the same values as the CMYK print primaries. The CMYK system for printing uses transparent ink primaries, which means that the same color in paint needs to be thinned or tinted to match the printed version. This results in manufactured paint colors that are often too weak or have too much white in them to be used as mixing primaries. It is better to buy single pigment paints at full strength and thin or tint them for use in the classroom.
Can you give me more information? Yes! Please send us a message.