PaintwellPaint mixing, from the tubes you own

How to mix gold paint

The recipes below come from Paintwell's pigment model, worked out from the real tube paints named, in oil and in acrylic. Percentages are by volume of paint on the palette.

Gold
#c9a13b
Oil, any brand
  • 51%Yellow Ochre Deep Old Holland
  • 49%Cadmium Yellow Pale Winsor & Newton
Very close match
Winsor & Newton oil
  • 49%Raw Sienna
  • 41%Cadmium Yellow Pale
  • 10%Titanium White
Very close match
Gamblin oil
  • 43%Raw Sienna
  • 29%Cadmium Lemon
  • 28%Cadmium Yellow Light
Very close match
Acrylic, any brand
  • 87%Vivid Lime Green Liquitex
  • 13%Yellow Ochre Amsterdam
Very close match
Golden acrylic
  • 94%Hansa Yellow Light
  • 6%Raw Sienna
Very close match
Liquitex acrylic
  • 50%Raw Sienna
  • 34%Cadmium Yellow Light
  • 16%Titanium White
Very close match

How to get there

Put out the Yellow Ochre Deep first: it is 51% of the mix.

Add the Cadmium Yellow Pale a little at a time, mixing fully between additions. The smaller shares are usually the stronger paints, and it is far easier to add more than to take it back.

Because gold is a light color, work the darker paints into the lighter one, never the other way around, or you will end up mixing a pile far bigger than you need.

Every brand's version of a pigment is a little different, which is why the recipes change from brand to brand. If you own other tubes, Paintwell works the recipe out from those instead.

Match any color from your own photo

Take a photo of your reference, tap any color, and Paintwell gives you the recipe from the paints you actually own. Then point your camera at your mix and it tells you which way you're off.

Related colors

Mustard yellowCream