Palette MasterHow to mix acrylic paint colors
Acrylic is the most common starting point for painters. It dries fast, cleans up with water and mixes predictably once you know how it behaves.
Why acrylic mixes differently
Acrylic is pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer emulsion. While wet, the binder is milky, so wet paint looks lighter than it will once dry. When the water evaporates the binder turns clear and the color darkens slightly. This is the main reason a mix that looked right on the palette can look too dark on the canvas.
Because acrylic dries quickly, mix enough paint for the whole area in one go. Remixing a color halfway through is harder than with oil.
Ratios that work
Start with the lightest or largest part of the recipe and add stronger colors to it in small amounts. Blues, blacks and phthalo colors are strong, so half a part can shift a whole mix. Fold each addition in fully before judging the color.
Mist your palette with water or use a stay-wet palette to keep the mix workable while you finish the steps.
How Palette Master handles acrylic
Pick acrylic as your medium and every recipe is tuned for it, with the dry time shown at the top of the Mix screen. Tips on each step warn you about strong pigments and color shift. When you check your result with a photo, the app reminds you to let acrylic dry before you judge, because it darkens slightly.