Color Mixing | Lascaux Sirius Acrylic Paint

3- scale primary colors represented in pigments as quinacridone, arylide and phthalocyanine

#000000 033 M Magenta
PR122
Quinacridone

#000000 049 Y Yellow
PY3
Arylide

#000000 017 C Cyan
PB15
Phthalocyanine

5-scale primary mixing colors CMY pigments, as above, plus add primaries from the RGB model: naphthol and lapis lazuli.

#000000 033 M Magenta
PR122
Quinacridone

#000000 001 R Red
PR112
Naphthol

#000000 049 Y Yellow
PY3
Arylide

#000000 017 C Cyan
PB15
Phthalocyanine

#000000 065 U Ultramarine Blue
PB29
Lapis Lazuli

mixing a 12-color color wheel [ ➔ ] the ratios of pigments needed to approximate the 1:1 proportions of transmissive light — notice the uneven ratios of pigments to create an even color scale

#000000 033 M

#000000 244 M5 : R2

#000000 001 R

#000000 243 Y5 : R1

#000000 049 Y

#000000 242 Y5 : C1

#000000 241 C5 : Y2

#000000 017 C

#000000 073 U1 : C1

#000000 065 U

#000000 246 U5 : M4

#000000 245 M5 : U1

10-color mixing scale attempting an even ratio of pigment mixing yields a different color scale

#000000 041 M1 : U1

#000000 033 M

#000000 009 R1 : M1

#000000 001 R

#000000 057 Y1 : R1

#000000 049 Y

#000000 025 C1 : Y1

#000000 017 C

#000000 073 U1 : C1

#000000 065 U

all together now ( gradience ) on a screen big enough, this should be a grid radiating out from yellow at center

#000000 001 R

#000000 002 R3 : C1

#000000 003 R1 : C1

#000000 004 R1 : C3

#000000 017 C

#000000 018 C3 : M1

#000000 019 C1 : M1

#000000 020 C1 : M3

#000000 033 M

#000000 005 R3 : M1

#000000 006 R3 : M1 : C1

#000000 007 R2 : M1 : Y1 : C2

#000000 008 R1 : Y1 : C3

#000000 021 C3 : Y1

#000000 022 C3 : Y1 : M1

#000000 023 C2 : Y1 : U1 : M2

#000000 024 C1 : U1 : M3

#000000 037 M3 : U1

#000000 009 R1 : M1

#000000 010 R2 : M2 : Y1 : C1

#000000 011 R1 : M1 : Y1 : C1

#000000 012 R1 : M1 : Y2 : C2

#000000 025 C1 : Y1

#000000 026 C2 : Y2 : U1 : M1

#000000 027 C1 : Y1 : U1 : M1

#000000 028 C1 : Y1 : U2 : M2

#000000 041 M1 : U1

#000000 013 M3 : R1

#000000 014 M3 : R1 : Y1

#000000 015 M2 : R1 : Y2 : C1

#000000 016 M1 : Y3 : C1

#000000 029 Y3 : C1

#000000 030 C1 : Y3 : U1

#000000 031 C1 : Y2 : U2 : M1

#000000 032 Y1 : M1 : U3

#000000 045 U3 : M1

#000000 247 M1 : C1 : Y15

#000000 248 Y15 : C1

#000000 249 Y15 : C1 : U1

#000000 033 M

#000000 034 M3 : Y1

#000000 035 M1 : Y1

#000000 036 M1 : Y3

#000000 250 M1 : Y15

#000000 049 Y

#000000 251 Y15 : U1

#000000 050 Y3 : U1

#000000 051 Y1 : U1

#000000 052 Y1 : U3

#000000 065 U

#000000 252 M1 : R1 : Y15

#000000 253 Y15 : R1

#000000 254 Y15 : R1 : U1

#000000 037 M3 : U1

#000000 038 M3 : U1 : Y1

#000000 039 M2 : U1 : R1 : Y2

#000000 040 M1 : R1 : Y3

#000000 053 Y3 : R1

#000000 054 Y3 : R1 : U1

#000000 055 Y2 : R1 : C1 : U2

#000000 056 Y1 : C1 : U3

#000000 069 U3 : C1

#000000 041 M1 : U1

#000000 042 M2 : U2 : R1 : Y1

#000000 043 M1 : U1 : R1 : Y1

#000000 044 M1 : U1 : R2 : Y2

#000000 057 Y1 : R1

#000000 058 Y2 : R2 : C1 : U1

#000000 059 Y1 : R1 : C1 : U1

#000000 060 Y1 : R1 : C1 : U2

#000000 073 U1 : C1

#000000 045 U3 : M1

#000000 046 U2 : M1 : R1

#000000 047 U2 : M1 : Y1 : R2

#000000 048 U1 : Y1 : R3

#000000 061 R3 : Y1

#000000 062 R3 : Y1 : C1

#000000 063 R2 : Y1 : U1 : C2

#000000 064 R1 : U1 : C3

#000000 077 C3 : U1

#000000 065 U

#000000 066 U3 : R1

#000000 067 U1 : R1

#000000 068 U1 : R3

#000000 001 R

#000000 002 R3 : C1

#000000 003 R1 : C1

#000000 004 R1 : C3

#000000 017 C

#000000 069 U3 : C1

#000000 070 U3 : C1 : R1

#000000 071 U2 : C1 : M1 : R2

#000000 072 U1 : M1 : R3

#000000 005 R3 : M1

#000000 073 U1 : C1

#000000 074 U2 : C2 : M1 : R1

#000000 075 U1 : C1 : M1 : R1

#000000 076 U1 : C1 : M2 : R2

#000000 009 R1 : M1

#000000 077 C3 : U1

#000000 078 C3 : U1 : M1

#000000 079 C2 : U1 : R1 : M2

#000000 080 C1 : R1 : M3

#000000 013 M3 : R1

#000000 017 C

#000000 018 C3 : M1

#000000 019 C1 : M1

#000000 020 C1 : M3

#000000 033 M

notes

This acrylic paint color mixing chart is based on the Lascaux Sirius drop system, using Lascaux Sirius Acryl acrylic paint applied to a white Acrylite extruded acrylic glass sheet surface. The color swatches are then are digitally photographed in 5000K daylight (Pantone D50), processed in sRGB colorspace, and white-balance color-corrected using a 50% Grey Card on a standard sRGB color gamut monitor.

thanks

Special thanks to artist Rob Duarte for use of the superhuge laser cutter, the machine with which we created the 1-inch square acrylic swatch bases.

postscript

This exercise was intended to help me learn how to make colors from single pigment paints using the smallest color palette possible. I likened it to “doing my scales” — a reference to piano lessons. Creating color swatches has turned out to be visually what musical scales are to the ear.

I’ve posted my results here for the benefit of the internet community because I haven’t been able to find a complete Lascaux Sirius drop system chart out there. (There are abridged pdfs from the manufacturer, but not a complete spectrum). Even if I now find one, this experience has been beneficial nonetheless — I guess they call it artistic practice for a reason.

last modified December 20, 2017