Teach children to mix their own hues with color wheel painting activities.
For budding painters looking to move beyond working with colors straight out of the tube, color mixing skills are essential. In order to learn properly mix various shades and tints to create new colors, students must first be taught to understand and use the color wheel. Incorporate lessons into art classes that teach children the how and why behind the placement of hues on the color wheel, as well as the appropriate terminology and mixing ratios.
Primary, Secondary, Tertiary
Begin color wheel lessons by teaching children about the three primary colors -- red yellow and blue -- from which all other hues are created. Explain that the three secondary colors -- orange, green and violet -- are created by mixing one part each of two primary colors. Show children samples of the six tertiary colors -- blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green and blue-green -- and explain that they are created by mixing two parts of one primary color with one part of a second primary color. Pass out paint-chip samples of all 12 colors and have the students label each hue with its color name and sort it into the appropriate category.
3, 6, 12
Break out the paints for children to practice their mixing techniques and their understanding of how hues fall on the color wheel. Pass out a three-slot color wheel and have the students fill each section with one of the three primary colors. Next, hand out a six-slot color wheel and have the students again paint in three slots with one of the three primary colors, making sure to leave a blank slot in between each primary color. The blank slots are then filled with secondary hues created by mixing one part each of the primary colors on either side of the slot to create a secondary hue. For example, the slot in between yellow and blue would be filled with a green shade created by mixing one part yellow and one part blue. Repeat the process until all slots are filled. Move onto the 12-slot color wheel by having the students fill the spots with the appropriate hues.
Mix, Match, Place
Teach children the concept of warm and cool colors, using a color wheel as a visual aid. Demonstrate how the warm colors -- reds, oranges and yellows -- are aggressive, whereas cool colors -- blues, greens and violets -- are receding colors. Explain that it may be necessary to use more than one part of the cool color when blending it with one part of a warm color in order to balance the aggressiveness of the warm hue. Pass out blank, 12-slot color wheel worksheets along with a full-color wheel to the students. Ask the students mix up samples of the secondary and tertiary colors, making sure to exactly match the sample hues on the full-color wheel by adjusting the part ratios wherever necessary. Once they have exactly matched each color correctly, have the students place the primary colors and their mixed colors in the appropriate slot on their color wheel worksheet.
Tint, Tone, Shade
Introduce children into the concept of adding neutral colors to the hues on the color wheel in order to create new hues. Explain that the base hue becomes a tint with the addition of white, add tone to the color with the addition of gray, and create a new shade with the addition of black. Pass out a 48-slot color wheel created by dividing the each of the wedges on the 12-slot color wheel into fourths. In the outer section of a wedge, paint the original hue as found on the basic, 12-slot color wheel, such as a straight blue, blue-green, or green. In the second section of the wedge, have the students add white to each of the original colors to create a ring of tints. In the third section of each wedge, add gray to the original hue to create a ring of tones. In the inner, fourth section of each wedge, add straight black to the original hue to create a ring of shades.
