Golden Hansa Yellow Opaque: 8 Colour-Mixing Experiments
Updated: Aug 28
What happens when you mix Golden Hansa Yellow Opaque with eight of the colours on my palette? I decided to find out.
One of my favourite things about painting with acrylics is discovering what happens when two colours meet.
You can look at a colour chart and have a pretty good idea of what a paint should do, but there is something completely different about putting the colours on your own palette and actually mixing them.
So I decided to put one of my favourite Golden colours to the test: Hansa Yellow Opaque.
I wanted to see what would happen when I gradually introduced eight other colours from my palette.
The results were sometimes predictable, sometimes surprising—and a few of them made me want to immediately try the mixture in a painting.
Why I chose Hansa Yellow Opaque
Hansa Yellow Opaque is one of the yellows I reach for often.
What I particularly like about it is that it is bright and opaque without feeling chalky. It covers well, blends beautifully and keeps its colour intensity when mixed.
I also find it incredibly useful for adjusting other colours. It can brighten greens and oranges without immediately making them look dull or chalky.
But what I really wanted to know was:
What happens when I start adding my other colours to it?
How I did the experiment
I used Hansa Yellow Opaque as my base colour for every mixture.
For the regular-strength colours, I started with approximately:
Mix 1: 85% Hansa Yellow / 15% second colour
Mix 2: 75% Hansa Yellow / 25% second colour
Mix 3: 65% Hansa Yellow / 35% second colour
These aren't laboratory measurements. They're practical artist's approximations. I started with the yellow and gradually added more of the second colour until I reached three visibly different stages.
There was one big exception: Phthalo Blue and Phthalo Green.
Those colours are powerful.
For those, I used approximately:
Mix 1: 98% Hansa Yellow / 2% Phthalo
Mix 2: 95% Hansa Yellow / 5% Phthalo
Mix 3: 93% Hansa Yellow / 7% Phthalo
And even those tiny amounts made a dramatic difference.
1. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Payne's Gray
This was one of my favourite discoveries.
The first mixture produced a natural-looking yellow-green, and as I added more Payne's Gray, the colour became increasingly muted and eventually moved into a deep blue-green.
What surprised me most was the darkest mixture.
Rather than simply looking like a dirty or blackened green, it became an interesting shadow colour.
That's something I can see myself using in a landscape or painting with foliage where I want a dark area that still has colour in it.
My takeaway
Payne's Gray can create beautiful natural greens and interesting coloured shadows when mixed with Hansa Yellow.
I would definitely reach for this combination when I want to darken a green without using black.
You can find Payne's Gray on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/4gm1jpj
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/4gpIQYM
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/4gmfXwv
16 ounce / 473mL https://amzn.to/4gMkAAz
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2. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Quinacridone Magenta
This was a fun one.
Starting with mostly Hansa Yellow produced a pretty, warm orange, and gradually adding Quinacridone Magenta moved the mixture toward a stronger coral and red.
I particularly liked how the Hansa Yellow warmed up the magenta.
It's a great reminder that you don't necessarily need a separate orange paint when you have a strong yellow and magenta available.
My takeaway
Hansa Yellow and Quinacridone Magenta create a beautiful progression from golden orange through coral to a rich warm red.
This combination would be especially useful for flowers, sunsets, fruit and warm highlights.
You can find Quinacridone Magenta on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/3SGZc7D
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/4xj4hCk
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/4iqxpma
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
3. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Phthalo Blue (Green Shade)
Now we get to the colour that really demonstrated just how powerful Phthalo pigments can be.
I used only tiny amounts of Phthalo Blue:
approximately 2%, 5% and 7%.
And wow.
Even the smallest amount dramatically changed the Hansa Yellow, moving it into a vivid green.
As I added more Phthalo Blue, the mixtures became progressively deeper and greener.
This experiment confirmed something I already knew from painting:
A little Phthalo goes a very, very long way.
You don't need to start with a 50/50 mixture. In fact, if you did, you'd lose the yellow almost immediately.
My takeaway
Start tiny.
If you're mixing Hansa Yellow with Phthalo Blue, I'd recommend starting with a tiny touch of blue and gradually increasing it.
The resulting greens are vibrant and energetic, and they're very different from the more muted greens created with Payne's Gray.
You can find Phthalo Blue (Green Shade) on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/4wLGOZf
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/4gGFfqC
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/46clIs1
16 ounce / 473mL https://amzn.to/4hFUFMR
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
4. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Phthalo Green (Blue Shade)
The Phthalo Green experiment gave me another lesson in just how strong these colours are.
Again, I used only tiny amounts.
Even a small addition of Phthalo Green changed the yellow dramatically, moving it into increasingly vibrant greens.
At the stronger concentration, the mixture became a brilliant, intense green.
And then something particularly interesting happened:
It created chartreuse.
That bright yellow-green is a colour I can imagine using for foliage, bright leaves, reflected light and other places where I want a green with plenty of energy.
My takeaway
Don't be afraid of Phthalo Green—but don't underestimate it either.
Start with a tiny amount and add more gradually.
You can find Phthalo Green (Blue Shade) on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/4wFfA6y
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/4wANbhT
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/4hLrcBe
16 ounce / 473mL https://amzn.to/4gmfM4j
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
5. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Titanium White
This was probably the most subtle experiment of the eight.
Adding Titanium White to Hansa Yellow doesn't radically change its hue. Instead, it lightens the yellow and makes it even more opaque.
The differences between the three mixes are much less dramatic than some of the other combinations.
And that's useful information too.
Sometimes you aren't trying to change a colour completely. You simply want to make it lighter, softer or more opaque while keeping its underlying colour.
My takeaway
Titanium White is a great partner for Hansa Yellow when I want lighter yellows without losing that beautiful yellow character.
You can find Titanium White on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/4c3ju1E
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/4wCqR7q
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/4zyQ8m0
32 ounce / 946mL https://amzn.to/45GfGjd
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
6. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Naphthol Red Light
This combination produced some beautiful warm oranges.
With mostly Hansa Yellow, the mixture moved toward a pretty orange, and increasing the Naphthol Red Light made the mixture progressively warmer and redder.
What I noticed was how different this looked from the Quinacridone Magenta mixtures.
Both colours can push Hansa Yellow toward orange and red, but they don't produce exactly the same results.
That's one of the things I love about colour mixing:
Two different reds can give you completely different oranges.
My takeaway
Hansa Yellow + Naphthol Red Light is a wonderful combination for bright, warm oranges.
You can find Naphthol Red Light on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/4xSGpoO
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/4ikAu7h
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/3Sln7Ju
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
7. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Alizarin Crimson Hue
This was another interesting comparison with the other red mixtures.
The mixture became increasingly rich and earthy as I added more Alizarin Crimson Hue.
I also noticed the more transparent quality of the Alizarin Crimson Hue coming through.
The resulting colours are quite different from the bright oranges created with Naphthol Red Light.
My takeaway
If I want a warmer, deeper and more complex colour rather than a bright orange, Alizarin Crimson Hue gives me a very different direction.
This is a great example of why it's worth having more than one red on your palette.
You can find Alizarin Crimson on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/3Up7RMi
4 ounce / 118mL https://amzn.to/4wENg4p
16 ounce / 473mL https://amzn.to/4czosDo
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
8. Hansa Yellow Opaque + Burnt Umber Light
This one produced some of my favourite earthy colours in the experiment.
The lighter mixture became a beautiful honey-like colour, and increasing the Burnt Umber Light moved it toward a warm ochre and eventually a rich brown.
These are the kinds of colours I can immediately imagine using.
Think:
golden grasses
autumn landscapes
warm wood
earth
dried leaves
old buildings
warm shadows
still-life objects
My takeaway
Hansa Yellow and Burnt Umber Light make a fantastic pair for warm, earthy colours.
This combination alone gives me a whole range of useful neutrals without reaching for black.
You can find Burnt Umber Light on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/3SJ0kaQ
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/3SGYzeh
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/4xWiFAg
16 ounce / 473mL https://amzn.to/4xRiDth
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What I learned from the experiment
The biggest lesson wasn't actually about Hansa Yellow.
It was about how differently each colour behaves when introduced to the same base colour.
Look at what happened:
Payne's Gray gave me natural greens and deep coloured shadows.
Quinacridone Magenta pushed the yellow toward coral and red.
Phthalo Blue created extremely vibrant greens with only tiny amounts.
Phthalo Green created intense greens and chartreuse.
Titanium White lightened and increased opacity.
Naphthol Red Light created warm oranges.
Alizarin Crimson Hue created deeper, more complex red mixtures.
Burnt Umber Light created beautiful golden ochres and browns.
And that's exactly why I love mixing my own colours.
Instead of having a tube of every possible colour, I can create an enormous range from a relatively small palette.
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My biggest surprise: the Phthalos
If I had to choose one lesson from this experiment, it would be this:
Treat Phthalo colours with respect!
😂
I already knew they were strong, but seeing the difference between a tiny amount of Phthalo and Hansa Yellow on the same sheet really drove it home.
For these experiments, I used approximately 2%, 5% and 7% Phthalo, rather than the larger proportions I used with the other colours.
And even at those levels, the colour transformation was dramatic.
If you're new to Phthalo colours, my advice would be:
Start with much less than you think you need.
You can always add more.
Taking it away is another story.
My Hansa Yellow Colour-Mixing Chart
I've kept my original painted chart because I want this series to be based on actual paint experiments, not simply colour theory.
I'll be doing the same thing with the other colours on my palette and documenting what happens when each one becomes the dominant/base colour.
Eventually, I'll have a complete library of my favourite Golden colours and the mixtures I can create from them.
And I'm pretty excited to see what happens next.
Want to try Hansa Yellow Opaque yourself?
Golden Hansa Yellow Opaque is one of the colours I keep in my acrylic palette.
You can find it on Amazon here:
1 ounce / 30mL https://amzn.to/3TOd4gI
4 ounce / 119mL https://amzn.to/4wpdtUr
8 ounce / 237mL https://amzn.to/4qegVzM
16 ounce / 473mL https://amzn.to/3RIQ4z3
As an Amazon Associate, Art on Mill Street earns from qualifying purchases.
Final thought
One of the best things about painting is that you can never completely predict what will happen when two colours meet.
Sometimes you get exactly what you expected.
Sometimes you get something better.
And sometimes a tiny drop of Phthalo Blue completely takes over your palette. 😉
That's part of the fun.
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