Desaturated/Muted Colours

[Coyotebreaks]

So I am very much inspired by minis that have have painted with dull muted and deasturated colours and want to take my painting a little more in that direction.

However most paints I have at the minute are on the more saturated end of the scale.

So I'm wondering what the best way to get a desaturated pallet, is it a matter of buying ready mixed desaturated colours or is there a way to do it your self.

I did read a little on how to do it but the main way was to mix in the compliment colour, but I thought that was more to darken a colour then desaturate it (?)

so yes if its matter of mixing is there a good way to do it? or which ranges of paints should I look at?

cheers for any input.

 

[MAXXxxx]

3 'methods' I know of to get the colors desaturated:
- using a complement color. if it's light enough it won't darken the main one (example: red could be desaturated with a very light green, the result won't be a too dark reddish brown)
- using greys in the mixes. Thomas David did this on a lot of helldorado minis. (example: the saracen's light clothes are a mix of bleached bone+codex grey+snakebite leather)
- using white/black. The result will be a pastel/'dirty' version of the color

mix vs buy: if you are lazy like me, then buy if you don't want to spend extra cash on paint, then mix

paint ranges that are good for this:
- VMC
- VAC
- VPA? (vallejo ?panzer aces?, the military line)
- tamiya
- Rackham (oop sadly)

 

[Zab]

complimentary color mixing if you don't want to got buy more/new paints

 

[Coyotebreaks]

3 'methods' I know of to get the colors desaturated:
- using a complement color. if it's light enough it won't darken the main one (example: red could be desaturated with a very light green, the result won't be a too dark reddish brown)
- using greys in the mixes. Thomas David did this on a lot of helldorado minis. (example: the saracen's light clothes are a mix of bleached bone+codex grey+snakebite leather)
- using white/black. The result will be a pastel/'dirty' version of the color

mix vs buy: if you are lazy like me, then buy if you don't want to spend extra cash on paint, then mix

paint ranges that are good for this:
- VMC
- VAC
- VPA? (vallejo ?panzer aces?, the military line)
- tamiya
- Rackham (oop sadly)

thanks for the reply, makes more sense now, I didnt even think about mixing a light compliment. lol

 

[Coyotebreaks]

complimentary color mixing if you don't want to got buy more/new paints

thanks, don't want to buy new paints if I can avoid it. I don't mind using paints but I would like to be able to better control the ones I have already