Basic color media set for providing tonally matched palettes

A premixed basic color media set is disclosed, the basic set including coloring media varying through a spectral range of selected hues, which can be grouped to create palettes of tonally related source colors for use in rendering color compositions by artists. The palettes so created vary through a spectral range of tonal influences. The basic set of coloring media is based on the derivation of a limited number of colors, including a selected group of primary colors, here disclosed as the artist's red, yellow and blue, and those essentially different colors resulting from illumination or toning of these primary colors through a spectral color range of illumination. Physical arrangements of coloring materials and associated color charts are provided to facilitate use of the premixed coloring materials when grouped into tonal palettes. Also disclosed is the provision, both on the color charts and in the arrangements of coloring materials, of graduated values of each color of the basic set to substantially eliminate the need for lightening or darkening of the color materials, and to aid in effective mixing of the coloring materials of a selected palette in deriving other colors in rendering a painting or other work.