• White—Titanium or Flake White
• Cool yellow—Lemon yellow or cadmium Yellow. light
• Warm yellow—Yellow ochre or Naples Yellow
• Cool red—Alizarin Crimson or Rose
• Warm red—Cadmium Red Light or Vermilion
• Cool blue—Cobalt Blue or Ultramarine Blue
• Warm Blue—Manganese Blue or Cerulean Clue
• A brown, like Burnt Sienna. (optional)
• A "dark" (substitute for black) like Paynes Grey or Indigo.

I also usually have a few tubes of "earth" tones, like Umbers or Siennas. If I am in the mood, I'll also have a few greens and purples, other "fun" colors. But the colors I've listed above are all that I really need to mix whatever colors I desire on my palette.

If you are wondering why I don't use black, I gotten in the habit of not using it. I never have missed using that black tube of paint. Besides, I have seen many examples of newbie artists abusing and overusing black paint. They think that all they have to do to get a shadow tone is to mix black with whatever color they are using. It doesn't work that way. It makes the shadow look flat and dead. If an artist blends black into enough of their colors, they'll end up with a dull, lifeless and muddy painting.

This doesn't mean that I think black should never be used. Just carefully, with knowledge and understanding of color mixing. Get Helen Van Wyk's book on color mixing to help you learn how to mix colors properly.

A few color formulas:

My "formula" for a typical peachy flesh tone might be: White, Yellow Ochre, and Cadmium Red Light. I would mix a lot of white, with a bit of Cad. Red Light, and a touch of Yellow Ochre.

A darker flesh tone might be Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre, White, and a bit of Rose.

You need to mix and experiment. And - when you lay down your palette, you should already have a color scheme in mind. (Once again, read my portrait painting tutorial if you don't know what I'm talking about).

And, keep your color scheme harmonious by mixing one color blend with others. For instance, if you have mixed a flesh tone you like, and now you want to add a shadow to a face, consider blending your mix of flesh tone into the shadow color you have chosen. (If you were to make a blue shadow, don't just put down some blue paint out of the tube onto the canvas. Add some of your flesh tone mix into the blue, then paint it on the canvas.)

If you want to learn more about color mixing and color palettes, look into these wonderful books by Helen Van Wyk. I've always admired her beautiful paintings,and her colors are fresh and alive. It's a real treat to look through her books, and the information she gives on paints and color is invaluable!

• Helen Van Wyk's favorite color recipes (Check out this book on Amazon.co.uk.)
• Color Mixing the Van Wyk Way - by Helen Van Wyk (Check out this book on Amazon.co.uk.)

Also, I discovered these very nice books by Faber Birren (and Itten) when I was in art school. (My color theory teacher recommended them to us.) It helped me understand why certain color schemes create certain "moods" or effects. They are good books on color.