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What if I mix EK paints to make my own color?

11 years ago

I know some of you will probably be horrified by this and I apologize, but we are on a very tight budget and I just cannot afford Ellen's $200 price tag to have her mix a custom color. None of her colors are quite right, although a few are close but need to be several shades lighter.

What if I mixed in some of her Opal White (or similar) to create my own 'custom' shade? If I use her full-spectrum whites to lighten her full-spectrum stock colors, the final color should retain all full-spectrum, qualities, correct?

I am curious as to whether anyone has tried it and if they were happy with the results. Thanks!!

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Comments (7)

PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
11 years ago
I've mixed several colors that way. Used the sample pots, kept track of the math and then mixed "up" to quantity needed.

The colors aren't balanced like and original FS color but it works because you're using two dimensions of FS to make a new color. Hue dimension is obvious, two hue parents make a color kind of color theory. And also the dimension of tone. The FS colors are toned using complements, not black.

The dimension of tone, knocked back hue, is present in individual FS colors and you're just expanding on that dimension of tone when you mix FS colors.

I host a Twitter chat every Wednesday and Ellen was the guest co-host this week talking about the provenance of FS. If interested, can read the transcript. See link.

Here is a link that might be useful: #colorchat Transcript
Jumpilotmdm
11 years ago
You sound like the adventurous type so I say go for it. Find an old set of measuring spoons and mix a small sample in the same ratio as you would a room-painting qty., as in an 1/8" of a teaspoon to a teaspoon is the same as 1/2 quart to a gallon. You might need a surprising amount of white to lighten your original choice but the same ration should work, and you can try it all with just 2 quarts.
Make sure you record what you do AND take a dry sample in to any paint store and they should be able to reproduce that for future use, without your messy mixing.
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AngelCowgirl
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you both so very much!
debbiedoes
11 years ago
She doesn't charge anything to do a percentage of the color. We had her lighten several colors (50% H2 Ahh!, 75% Ashen Green, for instance). You could experiment by adding percentages (I believe she does 25%, 50% & 75% if I recall) and then once you decide, just order whatever percentage of the formula you come up with. We finished our house a few years ago but after seeing her blog post today, I'm feeling a change coming on!

Here is a link that might be useful: Ellen's Blog post on Chartreuse
AngelCowgirl
Original Author
11 years ago
Debbiedoes, thank you for the tip!!! I will contact Ellen and look into lightening some colors.
PRO
Lori A. Sawaya
11 years ago
True, no charge for adjusting, tinkering with existing full spectrum formulas. You just don't get to see a sample first.

There is a $200 charge to convert colors or create full spectrum colors. $200 barely covers costs. If it's a tricky color and you don't get it on the first shot, it can actually cost more.
AngelCowgirl
Original Author
11 years ago
I have no doubt that $200 barely covers her costs, but I just don't have the funds for it. I am grateful that she is so understanding and easy to work with!

I talked with her about it and she is sending me two different 8x11 samples of the adjusted colors. It was $3 per sample plus the shipping cost to have them mailed to me -- well worth it to get the right color and much easier on my budget than a custom mix, and less messy (and risky) than me mucking around on my own, lol.

Thank you everyone for the comments!!

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