Prima Materia Art Institute

Acrylic Paints - Expanded Palette

Overview

An expanded palette is where an artist has more than just the primary colors. The artist allows themselves to add as many colors as they want, giving themselves permission to use color straight out of the tube rather than mixing secondary or tertiary colors such as oranges, greens, and browns. There are many reasons why artists will use paint straight out of the tube rather than mixing, such as a shortcut when painting or needing transparent pigments.

If you're developing your expanded palette, you do not need to buy all pigments at once. You can accumulate a variety of pigments over time, purchasing the colors when you need them. Acrylic in tubes will last years, even decades, if properly closed.

The colors listed on this page are a great starting point because it includes warm and cool versions of almost every color and commonly used pigments, but this is by no means an exhaustive list. Through experience, you'll figure out what colors you like, which ones you prefer to mix, and which ones you won't need to purchase again.

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Acrylic Paints - Expanded Palette | Prima Materia