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Very often in conversations between teachers and students of applied art, people talk about a fascinating phenomenon in the world of color: sequences.
A question that almost always comes up is, “Can black be completely covered with yellow?” 或者 “Why don’t you always get the same result when mixing these colors?”
All these questions really have only one answer: SEQUENCES!
What Are Sequences?
A sequence in art simply means “before and after” — the order you follow to get a certain result. Often this is referred to as “layering」 或者 “glazing」
When you paint and want to mix colors, you have to understand this phenomenon to know exactly how much of each color to use to get the tonal value you want.
An Example: Yellow + Red
For example, if you mix yellow and red, you get orange — but what kind of orange?
- If you apply yellow first, then layer red on top, you’ll get an orange with a yellow dominance.
- The first color always dominates, even if the second color is more visible.
But if you reverse the order — red first, then yellow — is the orange the same?
No!
It will have a red predominance and look noticeably different.
In sequences, the colors are superimposed, not mixed before.
Even when you pre-mix colors before applying them, thinking about the sequence helps you see which color will dominate.
Practical Experiments
In my videos and photos, I show the various stages and practical examples to study sequences.
I used sheets of rigid plastic, cut to size, and coated them with a layer of 透明水彩底色, tinted just enough so I could experiment freely.

Cutting the Plastic

Rigid Plastic Sheets

透明水彩底色
When you tint the ground, the saturation and hue drop, so the color isn’t at its maximum mass tone — but it quickly shows you which color pops out.

Tinting the Ground with a Watercolor Stick

Applying the Tinted Watercolor Ground
Playing with Layers and Quantities
I diluted the ground as much as possible for smoothness. I also created a triad with Lamp Black (see photo) to have two mixed colors, plus a dark shade made from the two combined.


On other pieces of plastic, I layered the ground twice in some areas and once in others to create sequences of quantities — so I could test how more or less paint changes the effect.


I also made color charts with regular watercolor sequences, and one where I applied color first, then an undertone with Neutral Tint.


Why Neutral Tint Matters
Neutral Tint is very important for studying sequences and creating undertones.
- If you use it as a base first, you get a sort of monochromatic grisaille that makes the color appear much darker.


- If you use it as a glaze afterward, you get the classic “color fade.”


So in this case, sequences are fundamental!
Wet-on-Wet: A Special Case
When working wet-on-wet, the effect of sequences is even more striking because the colors mix more freely in their “wet explosion.”
For certain realistic effects — like rust — applying red earth tones first and green afterward gives you that classic rust look. But if you invert the sequence — green first, then the earth colors — you get a darker tone that looks like rust at an earlier stage.


Double Your Palette
Sequences don’t limit your palette — they actually double it, giving you countless colors and subtle effects you can create just by changing the order or quantity of your layers.
Try it! Study your sequences, and watch your colors transform.

喬瓦尼·巴爾扎拉尼 是一位義大利畫家,曾就讀於羅馬美術學院繪畫學院。他九歲時就發現了水彩世界,隨後在學習期間探索了其他繪畫技巧。他投身國際水彩畫界,並獲得香港國際水彩雙年展、布達佩斯國際水彩節、法布里亞諾水彩畫等多個獎項。他的作品主要集中於超現實主義風格的靜物,受到安迪·沃荷、拉爾夫·戈因斯和查克·克洛斯等普普藝術和照相寫實主義藝術家的影響。