How do I mix white paint in with a green that is too dark to end up with a lighter shade in the same green family?

The Benjamin Moore dealer matched a dark green C2 color we had used previously in our family room but said he could not make it lighter as we asked him to do for use in the adjoining kitchen. He said we could do it ourselves by just adding white paint.

We are novices and have never mixed any paint before. How do we go about this? Do we have to buy pails to mix this in? How do we measure out each? How much white do we add to lighten it up perhaps 3 tones on a scale of 10? Help!

Answer

You will have to experiment a little before getting the right color, but mixing paint is easy. You will need a few things before starting.

• White Paint – A quart is enough for 1-2 gallons. It depends on the color you are starting with. Purchase a basic white paint without additional tint in the same sheen as the original paint. You could use left over paint from another project as long as it is the same sheen.


• A Clean 5 Gallon Pail - A new plastic pail is needed if you will be mixing more than 1 gallon. If mixing a single gallon use a 2 gallon pail. These can be purchased at the paint store or home improvement center.


• Stir Sticks or Mixing Paddle – You need something to stir the paint with. Stir sticks are fine for 1-2 gallons but can be difficult to use on larger batches. A mixing paddle attachment for a drill is nice for larger batches. Try the stir sticks first since they are free from the paint store.


• Measuring Cup – A plastic disposable cup or measuring cup is needed for adding the white paint in small consistent amounts. Anything can be used as long as you don't mind it being full of paint.


• Disposable Foam Paint Applicators – These are cheep paint applicators that have a wood handle and foam tip. They vary in size but you will only need 1½ or 2 inch. Pick up 2-3 when you purchase the white paint.


• Hair Dryer and Cardboard – The cardboard is used to apply the samples to and the hair dryer is used to quickly dry the new samples. The samples are necessary for comparing different batches to the original paint color as well as each other.

The procedures for mixing paint are easy and straight forward. First, add the original paint to the clean pail. Scrape out the can with a stir stick to remove most of the remaining paint. Now mix up this paint with the stir stick and paint some onto the cardboard, a 12x12 area is large enough. Set the cardboard aside to dry or use the hair dryer, this is the initial color and all future colors will be compared to it.

Now you have to add the white to the dark green. Start with measured small amounts until your final color is reached. Each time you add the white mix the paint well and paint a small area, 2x2, next to or on top of the dark green. Use the hair dryer to dry the new color and compare it to the old until the desired affect has been reached.

Don't add to much white paint at one time. At first it will seam that the dark green isn't changing then all a sudden it will. It's also a good idea to mix enough paint for your current project with a little left over for touch-up. It will be impossible to have a perfect match later, write down the formula with the amount of white added. At least you could mix another batch if needed.