Using compatible color triads

The other day I said that I don't use earth colors on my palette, except for burnt sienna. But I didn't say I never use them in painting. I love to work with compatible triads, three pigments that have similar characteristics. Here are six three-pigment combinations, loosely based on the traditional red-yellow-blue primary triad.

High-intensity colors are on the left, low-intensity on the right. Usually I limit my palette to just these three colors or their equivalents, but once in awhile I'll include viridian with the delicate colors or perhaps substitute quinacridone gold for raw sienna. You can make your own combinations, based on similarities in transparency, intensity and tinting strength of the pigments.

Compatible triads are discussed more fully on my web site and in my book, Exploring Color.