Why Yellow Is the Most Important Colour on Your Palette

Yellow is often one of the most overlooked colours on the palette — but it has a far bigger impact on your painting than most artists realise. In this video, I break down why yellow is so important in oil painting, how different yellows behave in colour mixing, and how your choice of yellow affects everything from luminous lights to rich, colourful greys and natural-looking neutrals. I’ll show you the key differences between the yellows I use on my palette — including cadmium yellow light, yellow ochre light, and transparent yellow oxide — and explain when and why I choose each one. We’ll also look at how yellow influences temperature, transparency, and intensity, and how it completely changes the way your mixes behave. If you’ve ever struggled with chalky lights, dull greys, or colours that just don’t feel right, understanding yellow could make a huge difference in your painting. In this demonstration, I also take you through how I use yellow in practice within a full palette setup, including mixing colourful greys, adjusting temperature, and building richer darks without relying on black. If you enjoy this video, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and check out my upcoming oil painting workshop on 3rd July — details are in the description below. Workshop: https://sarahhallidayart.com/products... Website: https://sarahhallidayart.com