I have been taking the free drawing lessons on this site for a couple months and when I saw the new painting lessons, I immediately started on them. I am currently on Part 3 (Y07) of Painting With Acrylics and wanted to discuss it with someone regarding the color scheme. The link shown below.

drawspace.com/lessons/lesson.php?id=y07

In the background, darker values of violet (or purple) at the top blend or fade down to lighter values of blue. It looks to me like 4 or 5 colors are being used. Possibly a couple analogous colors, since they seem to have harmony. It also looks like these colors are not very intense or bright. If so, is lack of intensity or brightness what helps these very dark values blend or fade into very light values, making it so discreet?

Also, to help me understand the color scheme, in a close up of that same area I can also see a couple dull colors. I am wondering if a blue or violet has been mixed with complimentary colors to make these dull colors. These dull colors also lack intensity, making them fit in with the analogous colors.

This is my first topic. I have never painted anything in my life so I could be all wrong. That is just what it looks like to me and I just wanna know what someone else sees when they look at the painting, regarding the color scheme or anything else.

I don't paint with a traditional paint brush and I have a hard time mixing colors to get what I want. I can tell you that with a single base color, white , black and complimentary color you can make millions of variations. There is no magic formula, you have to play with it and learn what happens when you add and subtract one color from another. I believe with this type of painting you mix your colors on a pallet and then mix them some more as you paint. Don't over think this, it is just paint, get some and have fun and learn as you go. You can not learn to paint by reading a book you have to do it.
It's just paint, have fun and don't spill any on the rug or someone will be mad at you!