As the seasons shift and the air turns crisp, it’s the perfect time to infuse your floral paintings with the rich, glowing colors of fall. Think of golden leaves, burnt orange pumpkins, deep crimson mums, and earthy green stems—all those warm tones that make autumn feel so cozy and vibrant. Working with fall colors can feel intimidating at first, but with just a few key pigments and simple mixing formulas, you can create an entire autumn palette that glows on your canvas.

My Go-To Fall Palette

You don’t need dozens of new paints—just build on your basics. Here are some starter pigments that work beautifully for fall tones:

Cadmium Yellow Medium or Indian Yellow – a warm base for golds and oranges

Cadmium Red Light or Pyrrole Red – rich, vibrant reds

Alizarin Crimson - for mixing darker greens and reds

Transparent Red Iron Oxide, or Burnt Sienna or Burnt Umber – earthy browns Ultramarine Blue** – perfect for deepening and neutralizing warm tones

Sap Green and Green Gold – for foliage and stems

Easy Color Mixing Recipes

Try these quick formulas to start building your fall palette:

Pumpkin Orange: Cadmium Yellow + a touch of Cadmium Red Light and Sap Green/Green

Gold Golden Yellow: Cadmium Yellow + Burnt Sienna or Transparent Red Iron Oxide (just a pinch)

Rusty Red: Cadmium Red Light or Pyrrole Red + Burnt Sienna Warm Olive Green: Sap Green or Green Gold(lighter version) + a bit of Red Iron Oxide

Deep Autumn Brown: Burnt Umber or Transparent Red Iron Oxide + a touch of Ultramarine Blue

TIP: Always mix a tiny amount of the complement (the opposite color on the color wheel) into your brights to tone them down for a more natural, autumn feel.

Bring the Season into Your Studio I encourage you to experiment and have fun mixing and playing with color formulas in your sketchbook.

Remember, color mixing is like cooking. Start with a recipe, then taste and adjust as you go!