As most, if not all, of us have discovered at one time or another, mixing color to accurately reflect one's subject can be a challenge.
But learning about color goes hand in hand with learning how to paint.
That's why it is so critical to gain a thorough understanding of the three main characteristics of each color: value, chroma, and hue.
If you don't, getting an accurate mix of color will remain a challenge, if not an impossibility.
Value Value, or tone, is the lightness or darkness of a color, without regards to its hue.
Using a monochrome filter to look at your subject would reduce the colors you're seeing to tones of the filter's particular color, allowing you to compare the various tones.
Keep in mind, though, that a color's value or tone is affected by those around it.
A seemingly dark tone surrounded by lighter tones can appear light when surrounded by darker tones.
Chroma The chroma, or saturation, of a color can be thought of as "pure, bright color".
Put another way, chroma is a measure of how intense or pure a color is.
Adding a neutral gray with the same value will reduce the chroma of the color being changed.
Hue The term hue refers to an object or pigment's actual color.
However, when a paint color includes the word hue, it means the pigment is actually different from the one originally used for that particular color.
For example, cobalt blue hue is nearly identical to cobalt blue, but the pigment is different.
Final Thoughts Don't confuse value with chroma, or make the mistake of thinking they are the same thing.
When considering value, you're strictly concerned with how light or dark a color is, whereas with chroma you're interested in the color's purity or intensity.
For beginning painters, it's good to always consider chroma, hue, and value when starting a new painting, as well as throughout its execution.
Not only will it spare you the frustration of mixing the wrong colors, it will also help save you money on paint.
With experience, the color mixing process will become more intuitive and much less systematic, making painting a lot more enjoyable.