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How to get brown color from paints. Brown Paint: DIY Techniques

"We touched on the basic principles of drawing - what you need to do to draw approximately what you want. And they did this using the example of pencil and paper. Why? Because it is easier than learning how to paint with paints, since in the case of using paints in addition to the problem " How should I draw this? the problem “” appears - so that what comes out is very similar to what was intended. And in this article we will try to give an accurate answer to this question.

How to get the right color? There are two ways. The first is traditional, using a well-known color wheel:

So, there are primary colors:

  • yellow
  • blue
  • red .

Which when mixed give

  • orange
  • green
  • violet
  • brown .

Moreover, the shades of mixed colors depend on the proportion of primary colors. And, using the color wheel, you can get the desired color like this:

  1. Take a certain amount of the main color (for example, blue )
  2. Add some second primary color (for example, yellow )
  3. Compare the result green with what you wanted to get
  4. Add one or another primary color to correct the shade.
  5. Or simply take the desired shade of green from a tube jar.

Why does the last point arise - take the desired shade from the jar? Because getting the desired color by mixing the main ones sometimes happens difficult.

In principle, for starters, you can get the desired color using such a color wheel. However, as skill increases, the need for more precise color selection increases. Indeed, with the help of the described principles, it often turns out dirt. For example, it is very difficult to get a good violet color by mixing red And blue. Or is it difficult to get necessary shades green , orange, brown flowers. That is, the principles do not take into account any factors that affect the result when mixing colors.

We are happy to tell you that these factors really exist, and, moreover, with their help you can cope with the problem of “dirt” and still learn how to get the right colors not by intuitive mixing, but with the help of ordinary simple sequence of actions. This sequence and the reasons for the “dirtyness” of the standard color wheel were discovered not by us, but by Michael Wilcox. Who wrote the book " . How to get the color you really need". By the way, you can download this book by Michael Wilcox from the link Blue and yellow do not make green.

Naturally, it will not be possible to present all the material in the book in one article, so we will limit ourselves to the main points, and we recommend getting the details from this very book by Michael Wilcox, “Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green.”

So, how can you reliably and accurately get the color you want?

To do this, it is necessary to take into account an important theoretical point. Why do we see color? Because different objects (including paint pigment) have different surface, which reflects light differently from the sun or other light source. That is, the surface of, for example, a bathtub, has such a structure that it reflects all colors and absorbs nothing. And all the colors of the rainbow, as we know, form white. Accordingly, the bathtub appears white. On the other hand, the surface of soot has such a structure that it absorbs all the light falling on it. And soot doesn't reflect anything. As a result, we see black soot.

What happens if you mix white and soot? It will turn out beautiful grey color. Why? Because light is reflected from pieces of white completely, as white. And then it is partially absorbed by soot particles. The more soot in the white, the darker the gray it turns out - due to the fact that more and more white light reflected by the white particles is absorbed by the soot particles.

The exact same principle works for color pigments. Thus, red paint is red because it primarily reflects red color. Blue color looks blue, since the pigment in its composition absorbs all colors except blue. It “works” exactly the same way yellow color - the pigment absorbs most colors except yellow.

Next, we move on to mixing colors. So, for example, you take blue paint and red paint. Mix them and get dirt. Why? Because the reflected color is red ABSORBED blue pigment in the same way as all the falling color. Accordingly, the red pigment absorbs all the radiation is blue - because the nature of its surface is designed so that predominantly red pigment is reflected.

But you may ask: “What nonsense, because mixing blue And yellow we still get green, and according to your theory, it should also turn out to be dirt?” Well, if truly pure colors existed in nature, then we would see the formation of dirt. But there is one thing But, which makes it possible not only to mix colors, but also to carefully and reliably select the truly desired shade of color.

So, the pigment reflects more than just light. Light of the same wavelength is reflected in greater least. Thus, the red pigment mainly reflects red color. But nevertheless, all other colors are also reflected (for example, violet or orange). Exactly the same can be said about yellow color - the pigment predominantly reflects yellow, but nevertheless in a sufficiently large quantities may be reflected orange or green. WITH blue same thing - it can carry additional “harmonics” green or purple .

So there is Not three primary colors. Eat six primary colors:

  1. Mainly reflective paint red and to a lesser but significant extent orange .
  2. Paint that mainly reflects red and to a lesser (but significant) extent violet .
  3. A pigment that primarily reflects yellow and in addition green .
  4. A pigment that primarily reflects yellow and plus an additive orange .
  5. Mainly reflective material blue and partially violet .
  6. Material that reflects predominantly blue and partially green .

Well, have you already understood the principle of color formation?

It's very simple: you take yellow from point 3 and blue from point 6, mix these colors. Blue pigment neutralizes yellow, yellow pigment absorbs blue. What color remains? Right, green! And not just green, but beautiful, bright and juicy green.

In the same way: by mixing blue from point 5 and red from point 2, you neutralize the blue and red colors, and a rich and rich color appears violet color.

And finally: by mixing yellow 4 and red 1, you get orange due to the fact that the red pigment will absorb radiation from the yellow pigment, and yellow will absorb the reflected radiation from the red pigment.

The result was NEW color wheel of six primary colors:

The colors have arrows that indicate the path for optimal manifestation of the “mixed” color. Respectively, variety of shades is born as a result of one or another combination of these SIX primary colors. “Wrong” combinations (for example, blue 6 and red 1) produce dull shades of colors (for example, dirty purple). The combination of one “correct” color and one “wrong” color (for example, blue 6 and red 2) produces more pronounced shades (for example, a brighter purple). And finally, the combination of the “right” dyes (for example, blue 5 and red 2) produces a pure and bright color (bright and beautiful purple).

Naturally, reading the article is not enough to master getting the desired color. It is best to read the book " Blue and yellow do not give green» by Michael Wilcox plus do the practical color matching exercises described in the book. But nevertheless, the answer to our question has been received.

There can be many reasons for looking for the color green. For example, you want to paint the kitchen, draw a landscape, or make leaves for a plant out of plasticine, and buy required material no possibility. Then you have to look for the answer to the question of how to get

Color Basics

The science called coloristics studies colors, their features and combinations. Any artist, even a beginner, has an idea of ​​how to get a particular shade by mixing paints, and, naturally, knows how to get green.

You may not believe it, but all the objects around you are painted in only 3 colors. They are called basic. These are red, yellow and blue. By mixing these colors and using black and white, thousands of shades can be created: brown, purple, pink, orange and many more. By learning these basics, future artists will also learn how to produce the color green.

The color ring is used to visually study color. It is convenient to use it to determine which color needs to be mixed with which in order to obtain more complex shades. Moreover, changing the proportions of the initial colors also changes the final one. Paints from different companies may differ slightly in color - this also needs to be taken into account when mixing.

What needs to be mixed?

We figured out that any color can be obtained by mixing red, blue and yellow. All that remains is to figure out what colors to mix to get green. For the answer, let's turn to the color ring. It clearly shows that the color we need is between yellow and blue. This means that they need to be mixed to get green. If you take paints in equal proportions, you will get a regular color, the kind you can find in a jar labeled “green.” But what happens if you change the amount of one of the colors?

Many shades

We have already talked about shades above, it remains to figure out what they are. This is what artists call colors that are very similar to the main one, but modified by adding other colors. Let's see what this looks like in practice.

We have already figured out how to get green by mixing blue and yellow in equal proportions. If the proportions change, the color will change. For example, adding blue to green will make the second “cooler”. This is the name of the shades that can be found on Adding yellow makes the color “warm”, for example light green. And if you add a lot of yellow paint, you get lemon.

How to change color correctly?

Artists are often faced with more difficult task- how to get a green color that is much more interesting than the standard one. To do this, you can experiment. For example, adding black - it will make the green darker, like a swamp or coniferous, but in some cases this is necessary. You need to work with black very carefully. Even the smallest drop can make the color look muddy, so add it a little at a time. And white will make the shade lighter. At the same time, the brightness will decrease - the green will appear as if in a fog. The same recommendations apply to other colors.

In pursuit of interesting shades, some begin to add all the colors in a row to green. This is not worth doing. Colors located on the other side can easily ruin everything. That is, if you mix yellow and blue, try not to add red and its shades. Only those who have sufficient painting skills can do this correctly.

Psychology of green

Knowing how to get green can be useful in many areas of life. But before actively using it in the interior, decide whether it suits you from a psychological point of view.

Experts have long noticed that furniture can greatly influence a person’s mood. For example, red evokes passion or aggression, soft pink is suitable for frivolous pastime, and orange adds energy and positivity.

As for green, a lot depends on its brightness and saturation. Lighter colors allow you to relax and have a pleasant rest after a hard day. working day, and juicy emerald shades or light green will add vigor. At the same time, dark colors make the interior more serious. But all psychologists are inclined to the same opinion - green is the most relaxing and calm color of all. If this is exactly what you need, actively use green in the interior.

How to get other colors?

Whatever your goals, it's unlikely that you can get by with just one color. Green can be successfully combined with many other shades, because in nature, leaves of this color serve as the background for irises, dandelions, forget-me-nots and poppies. Moreover, it all looks very harmonious. This means that green, if desired, can be successfully combined with any shades. But how to get them?

Red, yellow and blue are the main ones, as we found out above. They are complemented by black and white. A simple table will tell you what colors you can get by mixing.

The article gives a complete and detailed answer to the question of how to get green by mixing paints. This means that now you can easily cope with this task and create many amazing shades that are not in your paint palette.

Beginning artists may have a question about how to get brown color, because it is not always found in a gouache set. This tone is not included in the group of basic ones and can be obtained from a mixture of the latter. But the wrong approach to combining paints often results in a gray mass or the wrong shade that was originally required. To create paint that is no different from store-bought paint, you need to know the tricks of coloring.

Rules for mixing tones

All information about the compatibility of shades and the features of combining paints is united by the science of color. It is based on a color wheel with various tones and their subtypes. There are three basic colors - red, yellow and blue. White and black stand apart, although they are not considered basic. All other tones can be obtained at , which is why they are called secondary (green, purple, orange, blue, etc.).

There are basic laws for mixing dyes:

  • all shades are divided into chromatic (color) and achromatic (white, black, gray), the former differ in color tone, lightness, saturation;
  • when mixing two colors located along the chord of the color wheel, an intermediate tone will be obtained;
  • when two opposite colors are combined from a circle, a different achromatic shade is obtained;
  • You can mix paints mechanically (mix colors from two tubes) and optically (put strokes on top of each other).

You can combine gouache, acrylic, watercolor, water-based emulsion, oil, and construction paints on a white palette - this is how the finished shade can be seen in detail. If there is no palette, use a white earthenware plate, or, as a last resort, white disposable (plastic) dishes or paper.

What colors make brown?

You can even make brown from plasticine or felt-tip pen ink, but the best result will be achieved when using gouache. To create brown paint, you need to prepare yellow, blue, red, green, black and white - their various combinations will participate in obtaining a new tone.

There are several methods that allow you to make the desired color from other paints. It is necessary to take classic, pure tones without impurities. There are several options - basic, three-color and intermediate, and artists also know about a number of additional techniques for creating brown.

Using primary colors

This method is the simplest; it only requires accuracy and high-quality colors.

Green with red

Even schoolchildren know from art lessons that you can get brown if you add red to green. When green is not available, you can mix yellow and blue. The latter are taken in equal proportions to create a “classic” green tone, although individual desires can be taken into account. To get a more transparent brown, you can use a little more yellow.

It is important to introduce red into green, but not vice versa. Add it drop by drop so as not to spoil the new tone, turning it into taupe, rusty or brick. Green will serve as the main color here, but red makes the brown tone warmer.

Orange with blue

First you need to make it bright orange(if it is not ready-made). To do this, take red and add yellow to it little by little. The amount of yellow should not be large; 10-15% of the total mass of the final color is enough. The final shade should be dark orange; a light tone is not suitable for making brown.

Purple with yellow

An intermediate method of obtaining brown involves creating purple and connecting it with yellow. First, take equal parts red and blue colors. As a result of mixing them, a noble violet is obtained. Next, they begin to gradually add yellow color, which will lighten the purple. Brown in in this case It won’t be dark, but it will have a warm, pleasant glow. Adding new portions of purple acts in the opposite way - it “cools” the shade. Using this technique, adding a large volume of yellow paint produces an ocher color.

Additional Methods

Combining dark gray with orange also produces a brown color, although it will remain cold even with the introduction of an increased amount of orange. Brown is also obtained by mixing green, purple and orange, however, such a multi-step technique is complex.

In any of the above options, introducing additional portions of dark color helps to achieve a dark brown tone. We are talking about blue, green and purple colors. However, the shades of brown will be different, because each component plays its role in creating them.

There is another simple way to get dark brown from acrylic, oil or any other paints. A little black paint is dripped into the finished brown. But you need to work with it with extreme caution, otherwise the color will turn dirty black. Professionals even first mix black with a small amount of white, after which they prepare brown on its basis. This will make the black softer and give a more pleasant dark brown tone.

Dark chocolate color can be obtained like this:

  • combine yellow and blue to get dark green;
  • separately mix red and a little yellow to make orange;
  • mix dark green and a drop of orange until you get the color of grass;
  • mix the prepared herbal color with red to create a chocolate color;
  • To make dark chocolate, add a drop of black paint.

For a milky chocolate color add white, for a golden chocolate color add yellow.

Light brown color

A light brown tone can be easily created by diluting regular brown with white paint. The more intense the bleaching, the lighter the color. It is important not to overdo it here, because brown is a warm shade, and white “cools” it. Usually 1-5% white of the total paint mass is enough to achieve a sufficient degree of lightening. You can also get light brown if you initially add more yellow, although it is quite difficult to calculate the proportions so accurately.

Medium brown color

To obtain a brown of medium intensity, mix yellow and blue in equal parts, then add 20% of red by weight of the mixture. Next, adjust the depth of the shade by adding black or white, depending on the need.

Red-brown shade

The secret to creating brown with a hint of red is adding more red to it. When you add it to green, you first get regular brown, then bring it to the desired shade. The intensity will depend on the volume of the color. In addition, the desired color is created by mixing red, blue and yellow. The most simple method“tinting” brown is adding a drop of red to the finished brown color.

Taupe color

This shade is made by combining orange and blue and then adding black paint. Also, a grayish or coffee color is obtained by mixing violet (purple) and orange with the introduction of black.

Shades of brown - table

Below is information on the colors that need to be mixed together to get brown, as well as their approximate proportions:

Artists advise buying ready-made brown if you have doubts about the quality of mixing paints with your own hands. For example, when working with acrylic, problems may arise when applied to canvas or clothing - the color on the canvas will look different depending on the manufacturer and the specific components in the composition.

It is also better to carry out tinting in a store if you have to paint a large volume of walls in the house - it is almost impossible to get a second portion of exactly the same paint without special equipment. In other situations, don’t be afraid to experiment and create new colors yourself - this will allow you to express your imagination to the fullest!

Brown color is not bright and catchy, but it is quite popular. Applies when creating artistic paintings gouache and watercolor, when painting interior items, when dyeing hair. The question of how to get a brown color when mixing paints is asked by people from different spheres of life. The answer is relatively simple.

The brownish color has a significant variety of shades. To create a suitable color, the following tones are used: yellow, red, white, blue, black. One of them can be easily converted into another by mixing coloring components.

You can create the desired color in four ways. 3 of them use the theory of complementary pairs. The idea is to combine several color schemes and form a gray base.

This method is suitable if the carrier is a light wave. You can find the answer to the question of what colors to mix to get brown after a person decides what material he is dealing with. The required colors are created from various coloring substances:

  • gouaches;
  • acrylic;
  • food;
  • oil

Gouache

The standard set of gouache for drawing has a meager number of tones. However, a professional artist writing a picturesque picture, an incredible variety of color solutions are needed. Among the small number of colors there is no brownish one.

A natural tone is obtained by mixing several dyes:

  1. Green and reddish. If the first component is missing, it can be made from blue and yellow. Depending on the ratio of the taken elements to be painted, a certain color is obtained. More intense and deeper colors are obtained by adding a large amount of blue to the coloring structure.
  2. Orange and blue. You can prepare the first element by combining red and yellow.
  3. Yellowish and purple. Composite color is obtained by mixing red and blue colors.
  4. Reddish, yellow and grey. The second is obtained by combining white with black.
  5. Purple, orange, yellowish. The first two elements are composite.

Brownish tone has mass various types, the creation of which depends on the number of connected components.

A lighter element of the palette is obtained by adding a little white to the coloring liquid.

Acrylic

Acrylic paints are an affordable material and easy to use. Their only drawback is the narrow range of available color options.

Suitable color scheme must be created manually by combining several base and derivative tones:

  1. Red, bluish and yellow. By combining three basic colors in equal proportions, you can create a standard brown.
  2. Orange, purple and green. It is recommended to combine dyes in equal proportions, however, you can increase the amount of one or another component to obtain certain tone.
  3. Orange and bluish. The perfect color can be achieved thanks to the correct proportion of 1:20.
  4. Yellowish and purple. This combination is rarely used, since the second element is difficult to mix with other options. It is necessary to strictly maintain the ratio of 1:10.

From acrylic paint it is possible to create a suitable version of the coloring matter only after preliminary experiments on a smooth surface. You can then transfer the resulting composition to the desired location.

Food

Often, food coloring is used to decorate an attractive and tasty culinary delight. It is not always possible to find the presented shade among the palette, although it is quite often used in the design of flour products.

You can get the desired option by mixing the other two:

  1. Reddish and green. They are used most often to obtain the required substance. They are mixed in equal quantities.
  2. Bluish and orange. The second component in dyes is also difficult to find. For this reason, it can also be prepared by combining red and yellowish.
  3. Black and orange. You should mix them carefully to determine the amount of ingredients to put. Excessive use of black can make the color deep and intense.
  4. Bluish, crimson, yellowish. It is recommended to mix all ingredients in equal proportions.
  5. Yellowish and purple. For every drop of the second ingredient there are two drops of the first.

Oily

Brownish coloring is often used by painters when painting. However, it is not included in the modest set of oil dyes. Experienced Artists know that to obtain a deeper and richer color they need to be mixed. Only not all colors are allowed to be combined.

To obtain this tonality, several different combinations are used:

  1. Yellow, reddish, blue, white and black. Combining these five products will result in a medium brownish color.
  2. Yellowish, reddish, blue, white. Mixing them will result in a golden brown hue. In the presented case, it is recommended to take to a greater extent yellow.
  3. Black, white, red. The combination of three elements forms a brownish color.

Maintain proportions when creating brown shades, otherwise it will be impossible to choose a similar color afterwards.

Conclusion

Faced with the problem of not having the right shade, people wonder what colors should be mixed to get brown?

There are many options for creating a specific tone. The principle of making new paint of various types is the same. The structure of the material does not play a role in creating the required shade.

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Red, blue and yellow are the primary colors of the spectrum. By mixing them together, you can achieve various shades green, purple, brown, orange and all other colors.

There are several ways to achieve brown by mixing base colors. The proportions will be very approximate, since the colors of the base may also differ in shades. Therefore, you first need to achieve the desired mixture of two colors, and then adjust the shade using a third.

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Purple and yellow

To get brown from purple and yellow, you should:

  • Mix red and blue. These paints in equal proportions will give a dark, rich shade of purple;
  • Gradually add yellow. The more yellow, the lighter the brownish-purple hue;

If the shade is too light, it can be darkened with purple or blue.

Green and red

Brown with a hint of red can be obtained by mixing green with red. To do this you need:

  • Mix blue and yellow in equal proportions to get green;
  • Add red. The more red, the darker the brown.

Orange and blue

Chocolate color is obtained by mixing blue and orange. To do this you need:

  • Mix yellow and red to get orange;
  • By adding blue to orange, you can get brown with a dark or light chocolate tint.

Black and white

To darken or lighten shades of brown, you can use artificial paint colors - black and white:

  • To achieve a chestnut color, add red to the resulting dark brown, or initially mix red and black;
  • Red-brown comes from mixing orange and blue. To make the tone lighter, but not increase the brightness, you can dilute it with white;
  • To get a golden hue, red-brown should be diluted more with white and the amount of yellow should be increased;
  • A medium shade of brown can be darkened and lightened with black and white flowers. You should not use auxiliary colors in large quantities (it is better to correct the shade with the main colors of the spectrum), as the result may be gray;
  • Dark brown can be made from orange darkened with black instead of blue;
  • For a light brown color, you need to dilute the yellow color with white, and then darken it with dark brown or black.