The present invention is directed to a coating powder base composition having a viscosity of between about 2 to about 85 Pa·s and including a particulate organic pigment tinting agent. Such base composition can be produced in large batches and then smaller portions of such batches can be mixed with a tinting agent comprising solid organic pigment particles characterized by a maximum surface index of about 50 to obtain a desired color for the final coating powder. The invention also includes methods for making such coating powders as well as for coating substrates using such coating powders.