MIXORA CONCEPT
Undertone
The color character a paint reveals when spread thinly, diluted or mixed with a light color.
A concentrated paint can hide a very different mixing direction. Scraping it thinly over white reveals which wavelengths dominate at lower film thickness and helps predict mixtures.
What “Strong evidence” means
The core definition or effect is well established across authoritative standards, foundational research or a broad research literature. The label does not make every practical prediction certain.
VISUAL EXPLANATION · MARKER BOARDTwo dark blues can look similar from the tube while one spreads greenish and the other violet.
Undertone is observed in a thinner or lighter presentation; it is not a mystical hidden color independent of the paint film.
What direction appears when this paint is scraped thinly over white?
The appearance of a paint in a relatively thick, concentrated or opaque application.
→colorPigmentA material that changes reflected or transmitted light through selective absorption and scattering.
→colorTint strengthHow strongly a color influences a mixture, often judged by how much it changes white or another standard paint.
→colorGlazingApplying a transparent or translucent colored layer so light interacts with both the layer and what lies beneath.
→SOURCES & TRUST
References
Last reviewed
- 01Modern Color Mixing GuideGeneral reference
GOLDEN Artist Colors · GOLDEN Artist Colors
Practical artist-paint reference showing mass tone, undertone and mixing behavior.
What the source labels mean
- Primary source
- Original work, experiment, standard or historical text.
- Academic source
- Scholarly research or review published for an academic audience.
- Reference source
- An expert standard, encyclopedia or institutional explanation that summarizes a field.
- General reference
- A practical specialist resource useful for application, but not treated as decisive research by itself.