Taking on Richard Schmid's challenge...Making my own Color Charts

I've had a copy of  Richard Schmid's book Alla Prima for 20 years.  It is the greatest book on oil painting that I know of.  I've been in and out of my pastels for 10 years but I've read it a few times...in hopes of one day learning oils.  Recently, in frustration,  I pulled out my old copy, (He has since revised it), and have decided to take his earnest plea and make my own color charts.  With pastels, you just choose the color you want from hundreds of pastels....but there is always a moment when you can't find that perfect color and it is one you can't layer to mix....like a crazy pink for a flower.  As I've begun my quest to work in oil, I've been frustrated not knowing what I will get if I mix this color with that..."how do I get that combination of skin tones that I want?"  "What will make that grass color?"  So this week I ordered pre-made blank color charts and today I began.

  This is the first of 12 charts I will make.  I've followed it just as described in the book...taking my palette and getting five values of each color only by adding white.  As I make the other charts, I will begin mixing colors with a dominant color.  They will be more difficult!

I ordered the color charts from
Artist's blank color chart panel recommended by Richard Schmid

They are wonderful!!! A huge time saver.  They had free shipping and were here by priority mail in 2 days.

I used only a small palette knife as it is easier to keep clean.... a must with the charts to avoid contamination of colors.  Below is just a bunch of pictures showing how it went.  It was the most fun I've had in a long time with art and I was amazed at what I have learned about my palette with just this one chart.
It was great practice with my smallest palette knife too:)

Beginnings :)
The top colors are right out of the tube....The lower colors are supposed to be an off white of the corresponding color.  

Then you start finding the middle values.

This part was so much fun!  

Nothing better to do when there is "snow day #8" going on outside!

I'll post the others as I go along!  I imagine it will take weeks!