This shade is not too bright, but popular. It is actively used to decorate the interior of a room, when painting furniture, makeup, while painting canvases, and also to change hair color. Based on this, the question is what needs to be mixed with what to get desired result, is very relevant.
What colors make brown?
Proper mixing is a whole science, but today the task is made easier by a ready-made color wheel, which can be seen on the Internet. It gives an understanding that the main colors are yellow, red and blue. The circle represents the result when each of these options is mixed with each other - secondary colors. If you combine them, you get tertiary ones. There are three main laws when mixing:
- Law No. 1. Each color of the circle is a symbiosis of those opposite to the center, which, when mixed, give an additional color, that is, achromatic. Complementaries are clearly defined, for example, red has green, and yellow has blue.
- Law No. 2. Used in practice, it indicates that when mixing paints that color wheel are close to each other, new colors of the main color scheme are formed - the one that is located between the mixed pigments. So, to get orange, you should combine red with yellow, and green - mix yellow with blue. By combining the three main components in the form of red, yellow and blue in ambiguous proportions, you can achieve any effect.
- Law No. 3. When mixing the same shades, similar mixtures are obtained. This result is achieved by combining colors that are identical in tone, but different in saturation. Another option: mix several colors through a symbiosis of chromatic and achromatic.
What colors should be mixed to get brown?
Artists who work with gouache know that when different paints are combined, new colors are born. Even a special synthesis table has been created that helps make the necessary shades. The most basic way to get brown is to add red to green. These tones are present in any hardware store or in the office department. However, you cannot mix dark red and dark green, because you will get a dirty shade that will vaguely resemble black.
Don't know how to get a brown color when mixing paints if there is no green in the palette? In this case, you can use three colors: red, blue, yellow. This is due to the fact that green is obtained through the synthesis of blue and yellow. Another mixing option will use gray paint plus orange, or purple and yellow. Thus, the missing pigments that make up basic formula, you can always find a replacement.
How to get dark brown color
It’s easy to get the desired result: add a little black pigment to red, orange or yellow. Brown can be easily made various shades: You need to take yellow, blue and red as a basis, and then add other colors. For example, red helps create a warm tone with a hint of rust, while blue helps ensure the final result has depth and punch. Saturation can be achieved by combining different proportions of yellow, blue and red according to the following scheme:
- Mustard can be obtained by combining red, yellow and black with a drop of green.
- Dark brown will be achieved by mixing red, yellow, white and black.
- Red-brown (known as marsala, similar to dark pink) should be obtained by mixing two shades: chocolate and red in large quantities.
In this article we will look at what you need to mix to get brown color in paints.
Such a noble and calm color as brown has always dominated the clothing of rich and noble representatives. By the way, its main characteristic is stability and stability. But often the palette does not have this color or its required shade. Yes, and young or even experienced artists must be able to select the right colors in order to independently create a color scheme of the brown spectrum. And our recommendations will help in this aspect.
How to get brown color when mixing: 3 ways
Before rushing to the color scheme and brushes, you need to remember what colors there are. They are divided into two groups – basic and additional. There are also two more subgroups - composite and complex. All of them make up the design of four groups of basic colors.
Remember - primary colors cannot be obtained by combining any palettes. By the way, they are the ones that become the basis for creating other colors. Moreover, having black and white on hand, you can extract absolutely any color.
IMPORTANT: Brown belongs to the group of complex flowers.
We offer three basic methods for obtaining brown color.
Green (blue+yellow) with red
- Even schoolchildren know that brown comes out when you mix two colors together - green and red. This is the case if we talk about the primary and composite colors.
- But the challenge is still to create a green tint. It couldn't be easier! Take two primary colors - yellow and blue.
- You need to take an equal number of different shades. But take into account your wishes.
- After receiving the secondary color, we begin making the tertiary color. To the green color you got, you need to add a little red tone.
- It is important to introduce red paint, and not vice versa! After all, it is the basic tone that regulates the degree of darkness and saturation of the brown shade. If you add too much red coloring, then you will get more of a brick tone.
- But also keep in mind that the red color makes brown so warm (in large quantities it can even create a rust effect), but green, on the contrary, will make it even a little grayish and cold.
Orange (yellow+red) with blue
- The first thing you need to do is take red. And add yellow to it. By the way, it needs to be introduced gradually and in small quantities.
- On average, yellow should be only 10% of the volume of red. It's important to get a dark orange. But keep in mind that too much red coloring will create a reddish brown color.
- Blue paint will need even less - 5-7% of the total volume. You also need to add gradually, in small portions and stirring the ingredients well.
- Of course, adjust the tone and saturation of the brown color using the blue tint.
Violet (red+blue) with yellow
- Red and blue colors should be taken in equal quantities. Then you can get a noble, and even royal shade of purple, which will have the desired saturation and warmth.
- Then, you need to introduce yellow color little by little. It will lighten the resulting purple, so keep an eye on the amount. If the color is predominantly yellow, then the brown color will be lighter and warmer. The violet tone does the opposite.
IMPORTANT: Too much yellow paint will create an ocher shade.
How to make a light brown color from paints, gouache when mixed?
To get a light brown color, you need to give the yellow color a predominance. But! Let's repeat that it's too much large number will make the color look like ocher. And, of course, it all depends on the desired lordship.
- To whiten brown color, you need add white. Yes, it's that simple. The more you add, the lighter the final color will be.
- But don’t overdo it, brown is a warm color and white will neutralize this characteristic. Therefore, introduce very carefully, gradually and in small portions (literally, 1% of the total mass of paints).
- Although adding the previous color will help correct the situation.
How to get a dark brown color when mixing paints and gouache?
If we talk about previous mixing options, more blue or green will make a darker brown. But they will also add their own nuance. There is another, simpler and quick way obtaining a dark brown color.
- Just add black paint. But you need to work with it extremely carefully, since a small dose of excess paint will simply turn it into a black range.
- Therefore, add paint in tiny portions and take note of one rule - conduct experiments with a small amount of paint.
- By the way, in order not to make a mistake with the desired color, mix a little black with white. But leave the dominance of the first shade. Just make it a little softer as it can quickly eat up the brown color.
How to get chocolate when mixing paints or gouache?
To create a chocolate color, you need to tinker a little. The most unencumbered scheme is to choose the right tones of orange and blue. But there is another possible option.
- Combine yellow and blue paint to get a dark green color. In another bowl, combine red and a drop of yellow to create orange.
- Now combine the two resulting colors. And in the end you get the color of green grass or grass green.
- Now you need to create a bloody red color. To do this, combine the same orange and red palette.
- In conclusion, it remains to combine the two complex colors obtained.
- And as a result we get the color of real chocolate.
- If you want milk chocolate then add a drop of white paint
- A mixture of white and yellow will give an additional golden tint to the color
- Dark chocolate is again obtained by adding black paint.
- But yellow with chocolate will help you get a beautiful and even brown color
How to get coffee color when mixing paints or gouache?
- Coffee color can be obtained by adding the same black gouache. Also, you need to mix according to technology - orange paint plus blue. In this case, you can achieve the desired tone.
Getting coffee color - Alternatively, you can achieve the desired color using a composition of purple and orange paint. If necessary, you need to add a drop of black tint.
Color mixing: table
For clarity, we would like to provide you with a table that will show all possible versions of the development of brown color and its range. To get a brown color, you need to mix the component colors, adding the main shade to them. True, there are other options where the composition includes not just secondary colors, but even complex palettes.
In this article we will tell you what colors to mix to get brown. This information will be of interest primarily to novice artists, because painting professionals are well aware of all the secrets of paints. Great, if you now have gouache, watercolor or tempera on hand, you can immediately start following the recommendations from our article. Experience how easy it is to achieve different shades of brown.
The easiest way
Warm brown is a mixture of black and red. You can make it by simply mixing cinnabar and black paint. Only the proportions of these two ingredients should not be equal: red should predominate somewhat in such a mixture. Ideal option: first squeeze cinnabar or red cadmium onto the palette from a tube and then begin to slowly mix
If you prefer to paint with watercolors, then you can use another interesting technique for obtaining the necessary colors and shades. First, the red is applied in light strokes to the paper, and after it dries, transparent and watery black is applied on top. The effect is as if two transparent pieces of glass were superimposed on each other.
What happens if you mix blue and orange?
How do you think? Yes, yes, we will get exactly the color we need, i.e. brown! We hope you won’t have any difficulties getting it. Just in case, let’s say that you can get it by mixing red (there should be more of this color) and yellow paints. Did it work? Great! Now add a little blue and stir, then add a little more blue. The result should be a beautiful chocolate brown paint.
If the shade doesn’t suit you and you want something brighter, then mix in more orange to get a light brown color. Blue can be in the form of ultramarine or cobalt.
Experimenting with green and red
First we get green by mixing blue and yellow. Remember: if there is too much of the latter, then the greens will turn out to be too bright, and if you overdo it with blue, then, on the contrary, it will be too dark. It is best to achieve a golden mean. You need to mix red with the resulting green. You already know that shades of brown can be very diverse, and this depends on which particular paint predominates in the composite color.
If, as a result of the manipulations performed on the palette, the result is a warm red-brown, and this absolutely suits you, then the experiment can be considered complete. But if you want something different, try adding more green (chrome or emerald green). Perhaps you will be able to invent a recipe for your signature brown paint.
Purple and yellow
Let's continue to look for the answer to the question of what colors to mix to get brown. In our searches and experiments, we move on to mixing yellow and purple. First, let's get a dark royal violet and combine blue and red in equal proportions. Isn't it true? purple very handsome? And now all that’s left is to mix yellow paint into this beauty.
If there is a lot of it, it will turn out, but if there is more purple, then the end result will be darker and deeper. Much depends on what kind of yellow paint you use: a bright cadmium or perhaps a subdued yellow light ocher.
Mix all the primary colors
Haven't found the right shade yet? Then we continue our creative research. We take 4 black, and, of course, red. The process of creating brown begins by combining equal amounts of green and blue. Next, add black to them, then red and at the very end yellow (the more of it, the lighter brown the color you get).
Learning to use ocher
Once upon a time, artists made their own paints and used only natural pigments. The most accessible and widespread paint was ocher (golden, yellow, red), which was extracted from ordinary clay. Look at ancient Russian icons - they are dominated by a restrained color - brown-golden. You, too, can learn to get these shades of brown if you use ocher instead of yellow paint when mixing.
The main thing is proportions
Take a ready-made set of watercolors and gouache, you will definitely find brown paint in it, sometimes even more than one. Why do artists prefer to mix different colors, and not use ready-made ones? The answer is very simple: nature rarely uses pure colors; it paints in thousands, millions of shades. Well, artists can only follow her example and, before starting to create, find out what colors to mix to get brown, gray, purple, etc.
By changing the proportions of mixed colors, you can achieve amazing results. Try it! Sometimes it is enough to change the shade of paint by adding just one extra drop of something on the palette - this is a very interesting creative process.
Avoid dirty shades
Beginning artists often sin in that, in pursuit of originality, when obtaining one shade or another, they begin to combine too many colors with each other at the same time and, instead of creating a beautiful color, they spread ordinary dirt on the palette, which in no way can decorate the picture. Try to avoid muddy shades, follow the tips in this article, they clearly indicate which colors to mix to get brown.
In conclusion
In the end, I would like to wish all aspiring painters not only creative success, but also courage in comprehending new things. Create, try, dare, mix different colors, look for your unique color combinations! This is exactly what all great artists did. They were not afraid of anything and always went their own way, not paying attention to criticism. Who knows, maybe success and deafening glory await you ahead!
Instructions on what colors to mix to get brown are usually distributed among artists who lack a basic palette to create a masterpiece.
However, a similar scheme can also be used in construction or other fields.
Brown of the primary colors
The standard earth or tobacco color is present even in a small palette with watercolor or gouache. Before you make it yourself, it’s worth asking yourself: is brown a mixture of what colors? The answer suggests using three main shades:
- red;
- blue;
- yellow.
These dyes have acquired the title of “basic”, since they are the base ones used to create any other shades. Brown is only a derivative. Therefore, the instructions on how to get a brown color are very simple - you just need to combine all the paints listed above in equal proportions.
However, instead of basic paints, if they are not at hand, you can use “intermediate” ones:
- orange;
- green;
- purple or violet.
Since you can get a brown color by mixing the main colors, and the intermediate ones are already the sum of two of them, all that remains is to add the missing tone. During the procedure, you can influence the final shade by increasing the proportion of one or another color. To get the perfect result, you need to choose a suitable base color and combine it with a clean base color.
Mixture of orange and blue colors
Orange is a mixture of red and yellow, so to get brown you just need to add blue. However, this color can have many variations from soft peach to dirty rust. The ideal shade should be quite dark - garnet or cinnabar. When combining yellow and red independently, a proportion of 1:10 is taken, with the latter predominant.
Very little rich blue is added to the dark orange. It is better to take the initial ratio 1:20. If, when experimenting with how to get brown paint, the achieved shade does not seem deep enough, it is recommended to mix in a little more indigo. You need to mix the latter in small portions so that you can see the difference and stop in time.
Red and green
Green is another secondary color, a product of the union of blue and yellow shades, so it’s easy to calculate what will happen if you mix green and red. Just as in the case of orange, for mixing it is better to choose soft dark tones, for example, moss. The ideal color can be extracted from the sum of dandelion and indigo in equal quantities.
Red is added to green in the same way as stirringblue and orange. First, a small amount of scarlet is taken, but as you mix, you can increase its share, changing the tonality of brown.
Yellow and purple
Purple color is quite difficult to mix with other shades, so this experiment is not used often. The initial shade should be grape or even eggplant; many people choose purple instead of pure purple. When mixing blue and red yourself, the primary colors are taken in equal quantities.
Dark purple and yellow need to be mixed in very small quantities. In fact, you need to lighten the resulting paint and slightly change the shade. Pure yellow is taken in small quantities - 1/10 of the amount of purple. If you use too much yellow, the final tone will be lighter than standard brown.
Other ways to get brown
Brown can be made from a mixture of almost all the tones in the palette, provided that most of them are dark in shade. It is necessary to sum up equal parts:
- green;
- blue;
- black;
- red;
- yellow.
All colors are poured in one by one so that the result is even and uniform. The final result will be quite dark. If you need to lighten the brown, add a little more yellow. This method is ideal when asking how to get brown color from gouache.
Useful advice! Another way to get brown involves mixing different shades of the same color. This option is suitable for selecting interesting color solutions for drawing on canvas, but is not used in construction because the result is too unexpected.
How to get certain shades of brown
There are more than 10 shades of brown. The most common ones are:
- bistre;
- sepia;
- brick or umber;
- terracotta;
- brown;
- chocolate;
- ocher;
- cinnamon;
- cognac
Can be used in different areas different names the same shade. Obtaining any of the indicated shades is achieved from medium brown by adding one of the primary colors. For example, using yellow you can achieve lightening, red is suitable for umber or brighter tones, and dark sky, on the contrary, will slightly deepen the existing color.
However the best way How to get a dark brown color is by adding not blue, but black. He intervenes in small portions. This shade can minimize the tonality of classic brown. White paint can be used in the same way for lightening, although yellow can be used to achieve more varied shades.
Mixing paints yourself to get brown, even if the proportions are observed, is a very unpredictable experiment. This is especially true for construction, since construction paint has different type in liquid and dried form. It is best to initially buy exactly the color that is required rather than mixing different shades.
In the case when the instructions on how to make a brown color have become a necessary measure during repairs, you need to test the paint on a small section of the wall. In about a day you will be able to see what the final result will be.
Mixing paints directly onto the canvas by artists is a fairly popular and approved technique. In this case, you can change the tone at your discretion on a painting that has not yet dried. However, the instructions on how to get brown from acrylic paints recommend initially mixing the colors with an angled brush on a scrap smooth surface.
Reference! Do not mix hair dye unless specified in the manufacturer's instructions. The result of painting often depends on the initial base, and therefore is even less predictable than when mixing building paints.
Helpful video: getting brown
Mixing colors to create brown is not an easy process and requires creativity. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better to find a ready-made shade in the store.
Mixing colors is one of the most difficult procedures that a person who decides to make repairs on their own may face the need to perform. The point is that it is very important to know what colors to mix to create certain tone. It should be immediately noted that it is better to purchase white paint and tint it in the store using a special machine, so the tone will be uniform. If you decide to do everything yourself, then you can read more about how to mix colors correctly.
These materials are universal, they are used for many purposes: with their help you can simply paint walls, paint stained glass windows, apply designs on the wall and ceiling. In general, the scope of their use is limited by imagination. The compositions are easy to use and adhere well to the surface. But if you decide to paint a multi-component image on the wall, then buying paint in all the necessary colors will be too expensive, and after completion of the work there will be a large amount of unnecessary material left. In this case, it is better to buy a basic series, and to create certain shades, mix acrylic paints.
Mixing base paint colors makes it possible to get many different shades, while you can save a lot on your purchase Main color range
Everyone knows from school: when you combine yellow and red, you get orange, but if you add blue to the same yellow, you get green. It is on this principle that the table for mixing acrylic paints is built. According to it, it is enough to purchase only the primary colors:
- white;
- black;
- red;
- brown;
- blue;
- yellow;
- pink.
You can just mix acrylic paints these tones to obtain the majority of existing shades.
Basics of mixing according to the table
To properly mix materials, you cannot do without a table. At first glance, it is easy to work with: to get the desired result, you just need to find the color and see what components are required. But the color mixing table does not indicate the proportions, so it is necessary to gradually add tinting material to the base paint and apply the mixture to some unnecessary product: a sheet of plywood, drywall, and so on. Then you need to wait until the material dries. If the color matches what is required, you can begin work on the main surface.
Coloring technique
Now about how to get colors. By mixing acrylic materials, you can achieve the formation of two main tones: light and dark. Basic tones: earthy, green, orange, purple. To create color, it is recommended to follow certain rules:
- Light. In this case, the main material is titanium white, to which one or two tinting compounds are added. The less additional paintwork materials are used, the lighter the tone will be. This is how you can make most shades of a light palette.
- Dark. To create shades of this type, do the opposite. Before mixing colors, you need to prepare the base tone; black dye is gradually introduced into the base. When working with black paint, you need to be careful because it can make the color look muddy rather than dark.
- Green. This shade is not in the main palette, so you will need to mix yellow and blue. The exact ratio can only be determined experimentally.
- Violet. This is a cool color that is obtained by mixing blue with pink or red. In some cases, you will also need to add black to darken the material.
- Orange. To create this color you need to mix red and yellow. For a richer orange, it is recommended to add more red and vice versa. If you want to create a soft color, for example, coral, then you need to lighten the material with white. Can I add dark dyes? Yes, you can, but mixing colors may result in a muddy tone.
- Earthy. Here the main color is brown. By adding various shades to it, they get a color from beige to dark wood.
Rules for working with the palette
To get started you will need basic set paints, brushes, a container of water and a palette (you can take any surface, including school items for drawing).
It is recommended to place white in the center, since it is used in creating most shades. Dyes of the main color range are placed in the recesses around (if any). You need to mix carefully, gradually adding tinting material and constantly checking the result. After mixing the colors, the brush should be rinsed in a container of water.
Note! Working with materials based on acrylic resins using a table and palette is quite simple. The main thing is to practice more, the result will get better each time.
Oil paints
If we compare this material with watercolor or acrylic, then oil is more fluid. Because of this, you need to mix compositions of different colors very carefully. On the one hand, this is a drawback, but on the other hand, this feature allows you to obtain the following effects:
- Providing thorough mixing, a uniform tone will be obtained. This material is perfect for both complete painting of surfaces and partial decoration.
- If you mix partially, then different colored veins will appear on the coating.
Mixing
Now about how to mix oil paints. For mixing paint colors on oil based a table is also used. It indicates the colors obtained by combining various tinting components. In addition, here you can find such an indicator as a combination of shine. If you add a little gloss to a matte base, there will be practically no result, but if you do the opposite, the shine will be slightly muted.
Mixing methods:
- Mechanical. In this case, we are talking about mixing two or more materials of different colors in one container. Color saturation is controlled by the number of compositions of bright shades. Desired color is created even before the wall or ceiling is processed.
- Color overlay. Gradual application of several strokes on top of each other.
- Optic. This is the most complex method, which is available only to specialists. It involves mixing glossy and matte bases while applying paint to the surface. You can mix paint colors only on the surface being treated, otherwise you will get a more even tone.
Peculiarities
The first method fully corresponds to the data in the table. When it comes to color application, the result is unpredictable. One of the most simple options optical illusions is glazing: a dark tone is applied to the surface, after it dries, paint is applied a little lighter, and then completely light. As a result, each color will be visible through the top layers.
So there is no specific pattern. To find out which colors need to be mixed, it is not enough just to take and look at the table; it is important to constantly practice and not be afraid of experiments. This is how you can create new effect which will make the interior unique. It is also important to remember that a mixed shade is very difficult to replicate, so you should remember the proportions.
Now the question of how to mix paints correctly does not seem so difficult.