If you have a color printer, you can print this off and keep it handy!
The very basics of color theory are that opposite colors on the color wheel will neutralize each other toward grey or brown.
In painting dolls, this is crucial knowledge because it is very easy to get a bit too much color one way or the other. The most frequent is too much red, or over-blushing. We look at the color wheel for help. We see that the color opposite to red is green. Therefore, we can use a green color to neutralize the over-redness and correct the appearance of our painting.
What if we had too much blue in our flesh color, for example, (overdoing the blue undertone wash maybe?) We consult the color wheel again. We see that the opposite of blue is orange. We would then mix up our red (Lip and Blush color) and Creamy Yellow paints, and dilute properly, to create an orange or peachy wash to correct the too-blue appearance.
You hear a lot about "neutralizing" bare vinyls that may be too orange or too pink to begin with. This is where knowledge of color theory shines. Consult your color wheel to see that a peachy vinyl will benefit from a cool (blue or purple) transparent wash of color. A very pink vinyl will benefit from a transparent wash of mint green.
In painting dolls, especially reborn babies, we are talking PASTEL WASHES of color, never heavy, deep pigments. You can learn more by downloading my WaterBorne Instructions found on another page.
Hope this is helpful to you.
~Stephanie