If you’re looking to mix your own paint colors using Boysen colorants for latex paint (a.k.a. Boysen Latex Colors), you’ll be happy to know we’ve got something that can help make things a lot easier! Take out your phone because Mix Your Colors is a new feature on the Boysen app. We’ll walk you through how to utilize it in this blog post.
The Basics
Called Mix Your Colors, the newest feature of the Boysen app lessens trial and error when using Boysen colorants for water-based acrylic paints in two ways. First, it lets you digitally mix different colorants together so you know what you’re getting even before you test them out for real. Second, it gives you a library of different paint colors you can achieve through Boysen colorants and the “recipe” on how you can get the same results.
We’ll get into both in more detail later on. For now, here are some reminders about using Boysen colorants in case you need a refresher:
- The maximum ratio of Boysen paint to Boysen colorant is 1:16. This means you should mix no more than 1/4 liter or 250 mL of colorant into a 1-gallon (approx. 4.5 liters) container of paint. Otherwise, you risk having uneven color or shine in your final product.
- Boysen colorants are best used to achieve pastel and medium-toned colors. Because there’s only so much colorant you can put into a bucket of paint (a 1:16 ratio as mentioned above), you will not be able to mix dark or bold colors.
For more info on Boysen colorants, head to this blog post: Tips on Using Boysen Colorants.
Alright, now let’s learn about the Mix Your Colors features: Mixing and Library.
Mixing
Here you can experiment with different combinations of colors. You start off with a base of white paint, specifically 1 gallon of Boysen Permacoat Latex. Then you pick which color of Boysen Latex Colors you want to add in. You can choose up to three colorants. The app will also automatically adjust the amount of colorant for you depending on how many colorants you mix in.
For example, choosing just Thalo Green, specifically a 250 mL pot of it, will give you an aquamarine shade. Adding in Lampblack to the mix will get you a muted teal. At this point, the app will show that it used 1/2 of a 250 mL colorant pot for both. Choosing Raw Sienna as a third colorant will result in a pretty sage green hue of which just 1/3 of a 250 mL pot of each colorant is used.
Library
Library is a collection of pre-mixed paint colors using Boysen colorants. Pick one that suits you and it will show you which and how much of each colorant to mix so you can replicate the shade. It’s sort of like a recipe book but for colors! Just like in Mixing, the amount of colorant will be in full 250 mL, 1/2 of 250 mL, or 1/3 of 250 mL to make things easier for you.
Even More Colors
The paint colors found in the Boysen App’s Mix Your Colors feature give you just a taste of what you can do with Boysen colorants. In fact, you can have a whole color wheel of possibilities even with just three pots as shown in the video below.
Just remember to take note of how much colorant you’ve already added to your base so you don’t go over the 16:1 ratio limit. Tip: using a syringe makes keeping track a lot easier. Have fun!
Don’t have the Boysen app yet? It’s free to download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Aside from Mix Your Paint, it’s got a ton of great features too! See what else you can do on the Boysen app here: Use the Boysen App the Right Way.
And, if you have questions or inquiries about Boysen products, our technical team will be happy to assist you. Send an email to ask@myboysen.com or call (02) 8363-9738 local 413 to 418 during office hours for a one-on-one consultation.
