Mixing recipe
How to mix mustard yellow
Target
#D4A82A
Recipe mixes to #D3A721
Mustard is a yellow with brown in it, and the two tubes that make it are both yellows: Cadmium Yellow for the chroma and Yellow Ochre for the brown. Three to one gets within a ΔE. It is one of the simplest mixes in the set.
The recipe
Step by step
Build the pile from the biggest, lightest component and work toward the strongest tinter. Check the pile against each swatch before moving on.
- Start with 3 parts Cadmium Yellowpile #FFD500
- Work in 1 part Yellow Ochrepile #D3A721
Another route
A part of white lightens the mix and lands a little further off. Use it for mustard in strong light or on a pale fabric. The two-paint mix is the better match for the condiment itself.
What goes wrong
Both pigments are opaque and gentle, so the mix is forgiving; the risk is in the proportions rather than the strength. Too much ochre and it becomes a dull tan rather than mustard. If it needs to be darker, add more ochre rather than a brown or black, which turns mustard to olive.
Related colors
Results vary with brand, lighting and medium. Acrylic dries a touch darker than it looks wet. Treat this as a mixing aid, not a lab instrument: it tells you which tubes to reach for and roughly in what proportion. Fine-tune the last stretch by eye.