How many different ink colors do you use?

[35mm]

I ask as I'm futzing around in watercolors and learning color theory while I gather more relief supplies and I'm becoming lost in the number of color mixes available to one. (My eyes are glazing over.) Right now my palette is 18 colors with no black and white. One 12 color small pan set and 6 more individual tube colors. Each hue choice has more then one in yellow, red, blue and green and gives X to the power mixing choices before you care to add specialist colors. So I'm wondering if you work with 3, 4, 5 or more primary colors? Do you do color charts? (they suck)
I'm probably going to buy the Caligo safe wash inks and they have 14 individual colors NOT adding the process colors. This is why I asked in another thread if anyone was just using process colors and I'm thinking it might be a limiting factor for the good; At least for the wallet. So what's your color palette? (I want to steal it)

[mstuarte]

I would start with a single color - or a single non-color - black.
Refine the cutting process before getting ahead of yourself with multiple colors plates.
I am not doing relief so much right now as gelatin plate printing, but I use just the basic Daniel Smith primary colors (deep red, pthalo blue, deep yellow) + yellow ochre, a green (for tinting) and a purple + black and white... lots of white. Then I mix secondary colors. Having too many can distract. Start simple.

[jion]

Hello,
I use just the basic Daniel colors (deep red, pthalo blue, deep yellow) + yellow ochre, a green (for tinting) and a purple + black and white... lots of white.

[Diane Cutter]

I'm sorry that I can't help much. My two favorite colors are black (Daniel Smith Traditional #79) and the sepia brown. Since my design elements most often work monochromatically that is my color arsenal... and white when I want variations of gray.

When I work with color I like the process colors because you can get so much from them by mixing.

Diane

[inugie]

I have great book by Michael Wilcox, 'Blue and Yellow Don't Make Green'. If you can get it, it gives some great advice on colour mixing.

In short, you need two of each of the primaries and black and white, or 8 in total. The two of each should be a red with yellow undertone (to mix oranges), red with blue undertone (to mix purples), blue with yellow ut (for greens) and blue with red ut (purples), yellow with blue ut (greens) and yellow with red ut (oranges).

The undertones are very subtle but when you mix colours they are crucial to get the right shade. In theory there are no pure primary colour inks and if you mix inks with the wrong undertones it gives greyish colours.

Personally I use black, white, yellow ochre (red undertone), prussian blue (green undertone), burnt sienna, and umber - but my palette is limited, and I have a few other inks I haven't even opened. Get the book, it explains it very clearly and you will never be stuck again choosing inks.

Annamie

[35mm]

handprint.com is a hell of a site to learn about color, such as a split primary palette that you mention. While basically watercolor related it still gives loads of information for a colorist.

P.S. I found that book at the library.

[bridog]

Inugies post is what I would pay attention to
great advice! colour mixing is an art unto itself

[35mm]

Just an update since I've read Wilcox's book on color. Quite enlightening! Now I can't stop considering the color of things I see while out and about. Are those green stop lights Viridian?