Brown is a mixed color resulting from the fusion of several (2 or more) saturated colors. It is not included in the color spectrum, as well as pink, white, gray and black. Due to the use of wood to create furniture, color has become one of the most popular in the interior. In many nations, it is considered a symbol of fertility. And a few tens of thousands of years ago, people used the brownish pigment umber to create cave paintings. In ancient times, sepia colors were made from cuttlefish ink. They were also used at a later time, the Renaissance, by artists such as Rafael and Leonardo da Vinci. Brown was widely used by painters of the XVII-XVIII centuries. In those days, they already knew how to make the perfect brown color. In the era of modernism, variegated and golden tones were supplanted precisely by its shades, which became an attribute of new trends in design and architecture.
In nature, brown is obtained as a result of solidification of yellow liquids. Because of this, it is sometimes called dark yellow. The similarity with mixed colors, for example, with bronze, chestnut and coffee, is due to the large number of different pigments in their composition. In fashion, brown has always been contrasted with bright saturated tones, and therefore has gained a reputation as an “adult and respectable”. This color scheme also includes many shades. They got their names due to the prevalence of brown in nature and everyday life. Among them are wheat, brown, rusty, copper, dark beige, hazel, chocolate, as well as khaki, sepia and the color of wilted leaves. Some tones have a peculiar ebb. Maroon is also considered a shade of brown, but this does not apply to the burgundy color in general, which, in principle, is not mixed, but is close directly to red.
Pros and cons of self-mixing
It is recommended to buy ready-made brown paint, if there is no confidence in the quality of self-mixing. When using, in particular, acrylic paints, there may be problems with applying to clothes or canvas - there they will look different. This is influenced by some components and features of raw materials from a particular manufacturer. If you need to paint a lot of walls, there are two options - buying finished paint or preparing it to order.It is not possible to make two mixtures of an absolutely identical shade on your own - you need special equipment. In a simpler situation, experimentation should not be avoided. You can realize your ideas about shades in full. There will be some negative points in this process. Since the entire volume of paint is calculated initially, “misses” are possible. In addition, tinting takes a lot of power. The synthesis of saturated tones will also become a problem. Well, the main disadvantage can be considered a high tendency to fading, characteristic of such solutions.
However, there are many advantages:
saving;
a wide selection of paints for cooking;
the creation of unique shades and their adjustment;
mixing near the place of work.
Tone Mixing Rules
There are several systems and models that determine the interaction and similarity of colors. The science of the different aspects of the compatibility of shades and their use in art is called color. One of its basics is the color wheel, including with intermediate colors. For the synthesis of different tones, 3 basic colors are used: red, yellow and blue. Achromatic - black and white also play a special role. Around these features are built mixing rules. You need to mix watercolor, acrylic, gouache, oil, water-based and construction paints on a white palette - the resulting shade is so clearly visible. Instead, you can also use a white faience plate, and sometimes even plastic dishes, white cardboard or thick paper. 4 basic rules for color mixing were derived:
There are achromatic tones (white, gray, black) and color (all the rest). In the second category, they differ in saturation, depth, brightness, lightness and color tone.
You can mix mechanically (mixing) and optically (applying strokes to each other).
When merging 2 of the basic tones, we get intermediate between them on the color wheel.
When mixing 2 opposite colors on a circle, an unlike composite will turn out.
Primary colors for brown
Brown is obtained by mixing several pigments. Experienced professionals can perfectly calculate the desired proportions of the three primary colors. However, in practice it is more convenient to mix in 2 colors, and gradually. Classic combinations for the synthesis of brown tones are combinations of red and green, orange and blue, as well as purple and yellow. In each case, one paint is used as a base, and the other gradually forms the desired classic shade of brown. So, in green you need to add red, in orange blue, and in purple yellow. The pigment added should usually be much less. Other fusion proportions will give different, different shades of brown and other composite colors. Brown can also be obtained by mixing in small quantities all the colors of the rainbow. Important! You can improve the color with the help of special dyes.
Green with red
This is one of the combinations for creating dirty tones. If there is no green at hand, then you have to use the three primary colors, mixing blue and yellow in the right tone. This combination, among other things, allows you to select various shades of green. This, in turn, will add options for the final result from mixing red with green. What to add to is decided individually. However, it will be more correct to fill the red paint in a container with green, exactly until the hue and brightness become as needed. No matter the proportion in the end, the resulting shades come out warm. It is worth experimenting with the ingredients: green to choose a dirty shade, for example, camouflage, or light, light green, and similarly in the case of red. Usually the darker the red and green colors, the better.
Orange with blue
In this case, when needed, the whole three basic tones are also used: if orange needs to be done independently, then red and yellow are mixed. The first should then be 9/10, and the second, respectively, 1/10. This ratio can be varied, but a dark shade is needed. The color of the solution can be made "intermediate" between orange and red. Blue is added to this mixture or to the finished orange paint. The required volume is selected individually, but in the range from 5 to 10 units. for 90-95 units. component of orange color, depending on the desired indicator of lightness and the initial appearance of both ingredients. If the blue composition is used in the recommended amount, it will remain possible to adjust the brightness of the mixture or add cyanosis. Look at the final color only after drying the film. One way or another, it will come out lighter than the original version. It does not hurt to do preliminary tests on some surface.
Purple with yellow
Another way to get brown is to mix yellow with purple. In the absence of the second, a mixture of blue and red is made. Purple tends to be more blue, therefore, to create a "true" color you need more blue paint. Violet and red on the spectral circle are adjacent, but are at opposite ends of the visible spectrum. With equal proportions or an advantage in the direction of red, it will turn purple. It is also suitable for subsequent mixing with yellow. The latter, one way or another, is used to add to a darker pigment. Yellowness must be added gradually so as not to make the mixture too light. The composition will need to be constantly mixed, otherwise you can miss the moment when yellow is no longer needed. Next, you need to do a shade test on a hard surface. Decisions are then made based on the color of the surface layer.
The resulting paint is suitable for use on both mineral and metal surfaces.
Methods for obtaining shades of brown
To get warm tones, yellow or red should be added to brown paint. Do not immediately pour large portions; gradual stirring is necessary. Light and warm shades of brown allow you to draw elements such as reflected light, earth, brick and wooden surfaces. If the tone turned out to be too warm, then the balance can be restored with blue paint. Only blue should be added initially to create a dark and calm hue. Color can be varied with white and colored paints. To obtain dark brown shades you will need black pigment. Add no more than a few percent of the total mixture. An excess of black is very difficult to compensate for, unless by increasing the mass of brown several times, and this is not always acceptable. Adding plenty of white or water to eliminate blackness will only make the mixture worse.
The following is recommended:
Compare the results from different proportions of the primary and secondary colors.
Experiment with shades and record the ratio of colors in those mixtures that you liked most.
You can also create several shades of brown different in brightness for subsequent mixing - often soft, pleasant colors are obtained.
Getting a reddish brown hue
This color is also called terracotta. Get it by mixing red and yellow colors with a slight dominance of the first. For the final result, you need to add a small amount of blue tone and 0.1% white. Thus, you need 3 primary colors and white. There are general guidelines for the proportion of tones. Red and yellow are taken approximately equally, and blue is 4 times less. However, in practice, the percentage of the latter can be reduced.Instead of yellow with red, it is theoretically possible to take orange, but it should be borne in mind that when mixing the first two, as a rule, it turns out not pure orange with a pinkish tint, but pumpkin. The desired color can be achieved by mixing many saturated tones with a predominance of light shades, and among the whole palette the emphasis should be shifted to the red region of the spectral circle.
How to make a dark brown color
One of the most popular shades, dark brown, is obtained in several ways. The first involves mixing 3 primary colors, red, blue and yellow, in equal proportions. Paints should not be too dark. Then add black to the desired saturation. The second method involves adding a small amount of black or blue paint to the resulting shade of brown, again until a certain darkness. The color will become deep. The third method is based on the application of the 3 main colors of the visible spectrum: red, green and blue. To do this, take 2 different dark shades of green and blue colors and mix in equal proportions (i.e. 1: 1: 1: 1). To the resulting mixture add red and black, also in equal proportions. We do this until we reach the right tone.
Some nuances of mixing:
if red, blue and yellow paints are used, then the latter should be added to the mixture of the first two;
excessive shading can be removed with yellow;
for dark brown paint a slight red or green tint is acceptable.
Mix paint for a taupe
In this situation, there are many options. One of them involves the manipulation of standard brown. In this case, you will need to additionally use white and black tones. First we take the white paint and brighten the brown solution. Next, add a little black, mix the mixture thoroughly and look what happened.The taupe must be sufficiently light so that it can be mistaken for gray from a distance. We add much more white paint than black. Another method for synthesizing taupe involves adding a gray component to an orange solution. Lightness is regulated by black and white colors. One alternative use of the orange base is to mix the blue and black components. A distinct grayish tint can be obtained by mixing orange on one side, and purple or purple and a small amount of black on the other.
What colors to mix for a light brown color
To prepare the foundation, any of the above combinations will do. For example, you can take the classic combination of red, yellow and blue colors. In this case, more yellow pigment is used, and the rest are selected in bright colors. The resulting solution is clarified with white paint. To what extent to change the initial shade is a matter of personal preference. If necessary, it can be reddish, give blue or purple, or be the color of cocoa. A mixture rarely turns out lighter than necessary, but if this happens, adding black paint will easily fix the situation. In any case, mix the ingredients gradually and in small quantities. If the paint is intended for painting, then when mixing it is better to use not a brush, but a special tool with a palette knife - then it will be possible to avoid stains.
Mixing table of colors and their proportions to obtain a brown color
The most popular shades (presented by one common option for each):
Hue
Mix colors
Proportions
Light brown
Green
Red
White
100:5:5, 100:10:5
Brown
Blue
Red
Yellow
100:100:10
Dark brown
Purple
Yellow
The black
90:10:5
Coffee color
Orange
Blue
The black
100:50:10
Chocolate
Dark green (herbal)
Orange
Red
100:50:40
Thanks to this table, you can accurately calculate the ratio without risk of making a mistake. Usually 3 primary colors are enough to make a mixture of the desired hue only from them or to synthesize orange / violet / green for their subsequent mixing with red, blue or yellow. In some cases, black or white paints are indispensable. Of great importance is the brightness of the original tones. If the ingredients are unsuccessful, it will not always be possible to correct the color. Black must be added in minimal portions, because it is the hardest to “interrupt” this color. With the proper skill, you can independently choose the components and get the same classic or special rare shades. The brown base for subsequent adjustment is synthesized even from a combination of yellow, turquoise and pink / purple colors, which are secondary or nonexistent in the spectrum.
Conclusion
Brown color is one of those that you can display yourself. The synthesis of its shades allows for different color combinations and proportions. The hue range includes dozens of original options. When one of them is selected for tinting, you need to decide on the composite ingredients. For some color combinations, the exact proportions are calculated, which greatly simplifies the work. However, small errors in the tinting process will not affect the final result. Brown can be created by merging orange and blue, red and green, purple and yellow, and in many other ways using 2, 3, 4 or more colors. Lightness is regulated by black and white. Self-mixing is very convenient for painting and other works in a small area. In other cases, it is better to acquire a finished color.
Brown is a mixed color resulting from the fusion of several (2 or more) saturated colors. It is not included in the color spectrum, as well as pink, white, gray and black. Due to the use of wood to create furniture, color has become one of the most popular in the interior. In many nations, it is considered a symbol of fertility. And a few tens of thousands of years ago, people used the brownish pigment umber to create cave paintings. In ancient times, sepia colors were made from cuttlefish ink. They were also used at a later time, the Renaissance, by artists such as Rafael and Leonardo da Vinci. Brown was widely used by painters of the XVII-XVIII centuries. In those days, they already knew how to make the perfect brown color. In the era of modernism, variegated and golden tones were supplanted precisely by its shades, which became an attribute of new trends in design and architecture.
Content
Features of color and its shades
In nature, brown is obtained as a result of solidification of yellow liquids. Because of this, it is sometimes called dark yellow. The similarity with mixed colors, for example, with bronze, chestnut and coffee, is due to the large number of different pigments in their composition. In fashion, brown has always been contrasted with bright saturated tones, and therefore has gained a reputation as an “adult and respectable”. This color scheme also includes many shades. They got their names due to the prevalence of brown in nature and everyday life. Among them are wheat, brown, rusty, copper, dark beige, hazel, chocolate, as well as khaki, sepia and the color of wilted leaves. Some tones have a peculiar ebb. Maroon is also considered a shade of brown, but this does not apply to the burgundy color in general, which, in principle, is not mixed, but is close directly to red.
Pros and cons of self-mixing
It is recommended to buy ready-made brown paint, if there is no confidence in the quality of self-mixing. When using, in particular, acrylic paints, there may be problems with applying to clothes or canvas - there they will look different. This is influenced by some components and features of raw materials from a particular manufacturer. If you need to paint a lot of walls, there are two options - buying finished paint or preparing it to order.It is not possible to make two mixtures of an absolutely identical shade on your own - you need special equipment. In a simpler situation, experimentation should not be avoided. You can realize your ideas about shades in full. There will be some negative points in this process. Since the entire volume of paint is calculated initially, “misses” are possible. In addition, tinting takes a lot of power. The synthesis of saturated tones will also become a problem. Well, the main disadvantage can be considered a high tendency to fading, characteristic of such solutions.
However, there are many advantages:
Tone Mixing Rules
There are several systems and models that determine the interaction and similarity of colors. The science of the different aspects of the compatibility of shades and their use in art is called color. One of its basics is the color wheel, including with intermediate colors. For the synthesis of different tones, 3 basic colors are used: red, yellow and blue. Achromatic - black and white also play a special role. Around these features are built mixing rules. You need to mix watercolor, acrylic, gouache, oil, water-based and construction paints on a white palette - the resulting shade is so clearly visible. Instead, you can also use a white faience plate, and sometimes even plastic dishes, white cardboard or thick paper. 4 basic rules for color mixing were derived:
Primary colors for brown
Brown is obtained by mixing several pigments. Experienced professionals can perfectly calculate the desired proportions of the three primary colors. However, in practice it is more convenient to mix in 2 colors, and gradually. Classic combinations for the synthesis of brown tones are combinations of red and green, orange and blue, as well as purple and yellow. In each case, one paint is used as a base, and the other gradually forms the desired classic shade of brown. So, in green you need to add red, in orange blue, and in purple yellow. The pigment added should usually be much less. Other fusion proportions will give different, different shades of brown and other composite colors. Brown can also be obtained by mixing in small quantities all the colors of the rainbow.
Important! You can improve the color with the help of special dyes.
Green with red
This is one of the combinations for creating dirty tones. If there is no green at hand, then you have to use the three primary colors, mixing blue and yellow in the right tone. This combination, among other things, allows you to select various shades of green. This, in turn, will add options for the final result from mixing red with green. What to add to is decided individually. However, it will be more correct to fill the red paint in a container with green, exactly until the hue and brightness become as needed. No matter the proportion in the end, the resulting shades come out warm. It is worth experimenting with the ingredients: green to choose a dirty shade, for example, camouflage, or light, light green, and similarly in the case of red. Usually the darker the red and green colors, the better.
Orange with blue
In this case, when needed, the whole three basic tones are also used: if orange needs to be done independently, then red and yellow are mixed. The first should then be 9/10, and the second, respectively, 1/10. This ratio can be varied, but a dark shade is needed. The color of the solution can be made "intermediate" between orange and red. Blue is added to this mixture or to the finished orange paint. The required volume is selected individually, but in the range from 5 to 10 units. for 90-95 units. component of orange color, depending on the desired indicator of lightness and the initial appearance of both ingredients. If the blue composition is used in the recommended amount, it will remain possible to adjust the brightness of the mixture or add cyanosis. Look at the final color only after drying the film. One way or another, it will come out lighter than the original version. It does not hurt to do preliminary tests on some surface.
Purple with yellow
Another way to get brown is to mix yellow with purple. In the absence of the second, a mixture of blue and red is made. Purple tends to be more blue, therefore, to create a "true" color you need more blue paint. Violet and red on the spectral circle are adjacent, but are at opposite ends of the visible spectrum. With equal proportions or an advantage in the direction of red, it will turn purple. It is also suitable for subsequent mixing with yellow. The latter, one way or another, is used to add to a darker pigment. Yellowness must be added gradually so as not to make the mixture too light. The composition will need to be constantly mixed, otherwise you can miss the moment when yellow is no longer needed. Next, you need to do a shade test on a hard surface. Decisions are then made based on the color of the surface layer.
Methods for obtaining shades of brown
To get warm tones, yellow or red should be added to brown paint. Do not immediately pour large portions; gradual stirring is necessary. Light and warm shades of brown allow you to draw elements such as reflected light, earth, brick and wooden surfaces. If the tone turned out to be too warm, then the balance can be restored with blue paint. Only blue should be added initially to create a dark and calm hue. Color can be varied with white and colored paints. To obtain dark brown shades you will need black pigment. Add no more than a few percent of the total mixture. An excess of black is very difficult to compensate for, unless by increasing the mass of brown several times, and this is not always acceptable. Adding plenty of white or water to eliminate blackness will only make the mixture worse.
The following is recommended:
Getting a reddish brown hue
This color is also called terracotta. Get it by mixing red and yellow colors with a slight dominance of the first. For the final result, you need to add a small amount of blue tone and 0.1% white. Thus, you need 3 primary colors and white. There are general guidelines for the proportion of tones. Red and yellow are taken approximately equally, and blue is 4 times less. However, in practice, the percentage of the latter can be reduced.Instead of yellow with red, it is theoretically possible to take orange, but it should be borne in mind that when mixing the first two, as a rule, it turns out not pure orange with a pinkish tint, but pumpkin. The desired color can be achieved by mixing many saturated tones with a predominance of light shades, and among the whole palette the emphasis should be shifted to the red region of the spectral circle.
How to make a dark brown color
One of the most popular shades, dark brown, is obtained in several ways. The first involves mixing 3 primary colors, red, blue and yellow, in equal proportions. Paints should not be too dark. Then add black to the desired saturation. The second method involves adding a small amount of black or blue paint to the resulting shade of brown, again until a certain darkness. The color will become deep. The third method is based on the application of the 3 main colors of the visible spectrum: red, green and blue. To do this, take 2 different dark shades of green and blue colors and mix in equal proportions (i.e. 1: 1: 1: 1). To the resulting mixture add red and black, also in equal proportions. We do this until we reach the right tone.
Some nuances of mixing:
Mix paint for a taupe
In this situation, there are many options. One of them involves the manipulation of standard brown. In this case, you will need to additionally use white and black tones. First we take the white paint and brighten the brown solution. Next, add a little black, mix the mixture thoroughly and look what happened.The taupe must be sufficiently light so that it can be mistaken for gray from a distance. We add much more white paint than black. Another method for synthesizing taupe involves adding a gray component to an orange solution. Lightness is regulated by black and white colors. One alternative use of the orange base is to mix the blue and black components. A distinct grayish tint can be obtained by mixing orange on one side, and purple or purple and a small amount of black on the other.
What colors to mix for a light brown color
To prepare the foundation, any of the above combinations will do. For example, you can take the classic combination of red, yellow and blue colors. In this case, more yellow pigment is used, and the rest are selected in bright colors. The resulting solution is clarified with white paint. To what extent to change the initial shade is a matter of personal preference. If necessary, it can be reddish, give blue or purple, or be the color of cocoa. A mixture rarely turns out lighter than necessary, but if this happens, adding black paint will easily fix the situation. In any case, mix the ingredients gradually and in small quantities. If the paint is intended for painting, then when mixing it is better to use not a brush, but a special tool with a palette knife - then it will be possible to avoid stains.
Mixing table of colors and their proportions to obtain a brown color
The most popular shades (presented by one common option for each):
Thanks to this table, you can accurately calculate the ratio without risk of making a mistake. Usually 3 primary colors are enough to make a mixture of the desired hue only from them or to synthesize orange / violet / green for their subsequent mixing with red, blue or yellow. In some cases, black or white paints are indispensable. Of great importance is the brightness of the original tones. If the ingredients are unsuccessful, it will not always be possible to correct the color. Black must be added in minimal portions, because it is the hardest to “interrupt” this color. With the proper skill, you can independently choose the components and get the same classic or special rare shades. The brown base for subsequent adjustment is synthesized even from a combination of yellow, turquoise and pink / purple colors, which are secondary or nonexistent in the spectrum.
Conclusion
Brown color is one of those that you can display yourself. The synthesis of its shades allows for different color combinations and proportions. The hue range includes dozens of original options. When one of them is selected for tinting, you need to decide on the composite ingredients. For some color combinations, the exact proportions are calculated, which greatly simplifies the work. However, small errors in the tinting process will not affect the final result. Brown can be created by merging orange and blue, red and green, purple and yellow, and in many other ways using 2, 3, 4 or more colors. Lightness is regulated by black and white. Self-mixing is very convenient for painting and other works in a small area. In other cases, it is better to acquire a finished color.