Hey everyone! In today’s Quick Tip Tuesday, I’m sharing a reel where white quietly did a lot of heavy lifting.
This print started with a really dark background—a blend of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. On top of that, I collaged a piece of deli paper that was printed with mostly white.
When it came time for the final layer, I knew that using either ultramarine or burnt sienna straight out of the tube wouldn’t work. Those colors would have gotten lost in the darker areas where the background was still showing through the collage paper.
So instead, I added white to the ultramarine to make a lighter blue. That one decision made all the difference.
Adding white to the ultramarine made it visible against both the dark background and the white collage paper. Instead of getting lost—or taking over—it landed exactly where it needed to.
This is one of those moments where white isn’t just about lightening a color. It’s about helping a color do its job.
If you’ve ever had a final layer that should have worked—but didn’t show up the way you expected—this is a good thing to experiment with.
Give it a try and see what happens. I’d love to hear how adding white changes things for you.
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