Analog Mix manual
Analog Mix is a physics-based paint mixing calculator. Unlike other color apps that use light-based RGB math, Analog Mix uses RYB (Red-Yellow-Blue) subtractive color theory – the same color science that governs real pigment on a palette.
Table of Contents
- Why RYB, Not RGB?
- Setting Up Your Palette
- Picking a Target Color
- Reading Your Recipe
- The Dirty Brush Warning
- The Tolerance Slider
- Tips and Known Limitations
1. Why RYB, Not RGB?
Most color pickers and apps work with RGB (Red, Green, Blue) – the color model used by screens and light. However, physical paints behave completely differently.
| Model | Type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | Additive (light) | Red + Green = Yellow (light) |
| RYB | Subtractive (pigment) | Red + Yellow = Orange (pigment) |
Analog Mix converts your target color from RGB (as seen on your screen) into RYB space, then calculates the correct pigment ratios. This is why the recipes feel natural to any painter.
The conversion uses the Gossett and Chen cubic interpolation model, a peer-reviewed mathematical approach to RYB-RGB transformation.
SCREENSHOT: Show: Side-by-side comparison of RGB mixing result vs. RYB mixing result for the same target color (e.g., orange), demonstrating how RGB gives the wrong answer.
2. Setting Up Your Palette
Before Analog Mix can suggest a recipe, it needs to know which physical paints you actually own. The algorithm only works with paints you have – it will never suggest a paint you don’t own.
Steps:
- Open the app and go to the Palette tab.
- Tap the checkbox next to each paint you own.
- Alternatively, tap “Primaries Only” to instantly select: Red, Yellow, Blue, White, and Black – the minimum set for mixing almost any color.
- Your selection is saved automatically.
Available Paints in the Base Palette:
- Red: Cadmium Red
- Yellow: Cadmium Yellow
- Blue: Ultramarine Blue
- Black: Ivory Black
- White: Titanium White
- Orange: Burnt Sienna
- Brown: Raw Umber
- Green: Viridian Green
SCREENSHOT: Show: The Palette selection screen with several paints checked, the “Primaries Only” button visible.
Tip: The more paints you select, the more precise the recipe can be. However, 3-5 paints is often enough to hit most colors.
3. Picking a Target Color
Analog Mix lets you pick any color from the real world, not just from a color wheel.
Method 1: Take a Photo
- Go to the Color Picker tab.
- Tap the camera icon.
- Take a photo of the object, surface, or reference image you want to match.
- The photo appears in the viewer. Tap anywhere on it to sample that exact pixel’s color.
Method 2: Choose from Gallery
- Tap the gallery icon.
- Select any image from your device.
- Tap to pick the color.
SCREENSHOT: Show: A photo of a brown tree bark loaded in the viewer, with a crosshair/tap indicator where the user sampled the color. The sampled color swatch is shown in the bottom bar.
What You See After Picking:
- A color swatch showing your selected target color
- The RGB values of the selected pixel
- The converted RYB values (internal)
4. Reading Your Recipe
After tapping “Generate Mixing Recipe”, the Mixer screen displays your personalized paint mixing instructions.
Recipe Components:
- Parts per paint – e.g., “2 parts Cadmium Red + 1 part Ultramarine Blue”
- Color comparison – side-by-side: your target color vs. the mixed result
- Match quality – percentage score (70-100%)
- Mixing instructions – step-by-step guidance
SCREENSHOT: Show: The recipe screen displaying “3 parts Cadmium Yellow + 1 part Viridian Green” with color comparison swatches and an 87% match quality badge.
Understanding “Parts”:
Parts are relative ratios, not absolute measurements. “2 parts Red : 1 part Blue” means use twice as much Red as Blue. You can scale this to any unit – drops, milliliters, teaspoons.
Important: The free tier generates recipes with up to 3 paints. More complex mixes (4+ colors) are available as a future premium feature.
5. The Dirty Brush Warning
In paint mixing, combining complementary colors creates muddy, grey-brown results – this is one of the most common beginner mistakes.
Complementary Pairs (that create mud):
| Color 1 | Color 2 | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Green | Grey-brown mud |
| Yellow | Purple | Dull brownish mix |
| Blue | Orange | Muddy grey |
When Analog Mix detects that your recipe combines complementary colors, it displays a WARNING: Dirty Brush Warning. This doesn’t mean the recipe is wrong – sometimes mud is intentional (for earth tones, skin shadows, etc.) – but you should be aware.
SCREENSHOT: Show: The warning banner “WARNING: Dirty Brush Warning: Your mix contains complementary colors. This may produce a muted or muddy result.” displayed below the recipe.
6. The Tolerance Slider
The Tolerance Slider controls how strict the algorithm is when matching your target color.
- Exact (low tolerance) – Only paints that very closely match. The recipe may require more paints, or may not find a match at all.
- Close Enough (high tolerance) – Broader matching. More recipes will be found, but they may be slightly off from the target.
SCREENSHOT: Show: The tolerance slider at both extremes, with “Exact” on the left and “Close Enough” on the right, showing how the match quality percentage changes.
Recommendation:
Start at the middle setting. If you get “No match found,” move the slider toward “Close Enough.” If your recipe doesn’t look right, try moving toward “Exact.”
7. Tips and Known Limitations
TIP: Best Practices
- Take photos in good lighting. Dark or heavily shadowed photos produce inaccurate color samples.
- Use a color checker card if you need professional accuracy.
- Always test on a palette first before committing to canvas or a large surface.
- Include White and Black in your palette – they’re used for lightening and darkening almost every mix.
WARNING: Known Limitations
- Accuracy is 70-85% depending on paint brand, pigment quality, and medium (oil, acrylic, watercolor).
- No brand-specific calibration – the app uses generic paint behavior, not Citadel, Vallejo, or Winsor and Newton specific data.
- Maximum 3 paints in the free version.
- Predefined palette only – you cannot add custom paint colors yet.
- Screen color content is different from real color. Your monitor may display colors differently than they appear in real life. Sample from a printed reference for best results.
- Supported Paint Types: The algorithm is optimized for acrylics. Results for oil paints and watercolors are directionally correct but may have lower accuracy due to different pigment behavior and medium transparency.