What is the difference?
I have recently been asked about mixing white. The difference between mixing white and titanium white is that mixing white is more translucent.
Which white is right?
It depends what you are painting. Most people use titanium white as their 'go to' white but what are the advantages of using it and why would you use mixing white? Titanium white is opaque, meaning you can't see through it. If you want to cover up a painted area you can paint on top with white and get great coverage. When colour mixing both whites will lighten the tonal value but titanium white will have a more pastel, opaque effect.
Retaining translucency and painting an eye
Retaining translucency of a transparent colour is not going to happen if you add titanium and this is where mixing white is so great - a wonder when highlighting the eye. Mixing white lightens without creating the pastel tinge as it is translucent, compared to titanium white’s opaque covering abilities. The video below shows someone painting an eye using mixing white, you need to try it for yourself, we tried it in class and it really works.
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