Mix 100 Colors: A Frame-Worthy Color Mixing Art Activity

Kids in grades 2 and up will enjoy using liquid tempera paint to mix 100 different colors from just the 3 primary colors plus black and white. This is a perfect activity for the 100th Day of School, or any day!

The color mixing skills learned in this lesson will put an end to boring, predictable colors in your students’ paintings! Students will be inspired and motivated by the variety of unique, interesting colors they can make using a limited palette.

I’ve taught this lesson to grades 2 and up, but even adults could have fun with this and come away with a new technique to use in their paintings. Your students will gain valuable color mixing experience while creating a piece of art that’s worthy of framing.

Students will learn a new approach to color mixing and painting and gain a greater understanding of how colors work together. They will learn how to mix a wide variety of colors from a limited palette, to achieve more harmony and excitement in their paintings . Plus, you’ll save time and money when you only need to stock 5 different colors of paint in your supply cabinet, making storage and reordering of paint so much easier for you.

The concept in this lesson is simple enough for kids to grasp quickly. Don’t be surprised if you find your students in a state of “flow” (increased focus and concentration to the point of tuning out everything else) as they work to complete their "Mix 100 Colors” challenge! 

This 14-page resource includes: 

• the basics of color theory & important color vocabulary
• how to test a new tempera paint before buying enough for your class
• how to prepare and distribute students’ palettes
• right and left-handed painting set-up
• how to mix colors without wasting paint
• how to use the 3 primary colors to mix secondary, intermediate, and tertiary colors
• how to create tints and shades of a color
• how to tone down colors that are too bright
• step by step directions
• a sample script to follow for presenting instructions
• suggestions for hanging finished work
• a quick, 1-page summary of steps
• a template to print on cardstock for students to paint on, so colors will look neat and organized
• lots of tips to help this project become a class favorite and ensure success for every student!
  

>> To get the most value from this lesson and give your students a more complete understanding of color, please consider first doing my "Create Your Own Color Wheel” activity.

All you’ll need for this project is:

• tempera paint (red, yellow, blue, black, and white)
• paper plates (one per student, for a palette)
• paintbrush
• scrap paper or newspaper
• template (included) printed on card stock

Once your students learn this method of mixing colors with a limited palette, they can apply this new technique to all their future painting projects!

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Cheryl Trowbridge is the founder of Teach Kids Art, a website for anyone who wants to share the JOY of ART with the kids in their life! Visit www.TeachKidsArt.net for more K-8 Art lesson plans, tips, and inspiration. And while you’re there, sign up for my email list to receive my “Tip of the Month” plus my FREE download: “5 Fun Art Activities Kids Can do with a Pencil & Paper”.