Have you decided to take up painting or are you painting furniture? But you don't know how to get different shades? Paint mixing charts and tips will help you do this.
Basic Concepts
Before you start studying paint mixing tables, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with some definitions that will make it easy to understand a new material. The words used in the theory and practice of mixing shades are explained below. These are not scientific encyclopedic definitions, but transcripts in a language understandable to the average beginner, without the presence of complex terminology.
Achromatic colors are all intermediate shades between black and white, that is, gray. These paints contain only a tonal component (dark - light), and there is no “color” as such. Those where it is present are called chromatic.
Primary colors are red, blue, yellow. They cannot be obtained by mixing any other colors. Those that can are composite.
Saturation is a characteristic that distinguishes it from an achromatic hue that is identical in lightness. Next, let's look at what a table for mixing paints for painting is.
Range
Paint mixing tables are usually presented as a matrix of rectangles or squares or as schemes of shade combinations with numerical values or percentages of each color component.
The fundamental table is the spectrum. It can be depicted as a stripe or a circle. The second option turns out to be more convenient, visual and understandable. In fact, the spectrum is a schematic image of a ray of light decomposed into color components, in other words, a rainbow.
This table contains both primary and composite colors. The more sectors in this circle, the greater the number of intermediate shades. In the picture above there are also gradations of lightness. Each ring corresponds to a specific tone.
The shade of each sector is obtained by mixing neighboring colors along the ring.
How to mix achromatic colors
There is such a painting technique as grisaille. It involves creating a picture using gradations exclusively achromatic colors. Sometimes brown or another shade is added. Below is a table of mixing colors for paints when working using this method.
Please note that when working with gouache, oil, acrylic, more gray shade is created by not only reducing the amount of black, but also adding white. In watercolors, professionals do not use this paint, but dilute it
How to mix with white and black
In order to get a darker or lighter shade of the pigment that you have in your set, you need to mix it with achromatic colors. This is how you work with gouache and mix acrylic paints. The table located further is suitable for working with any material.
Comes in sets different quantities ready-made colors, so compare what you have with the desired shade. When you add white, you will get what are called pastel colors.
Below is shown how a gradation of several complex colors is obtained from the lightest, almost white, to very dark.
Mixing watercolor paints
The table below can be used for both painting methods: glaze or single layer. The difference is that in the first version, the final shade is obtained by visually combining different tones superimposed on one another. The second method involves mechanically creating the desired color by combining pigments on a palette.
How this is done is easy to understand using the example of the first line with purple tones from the picture above. Layer-by-layer execution is done like this:
- Fill all the squares with a light tone, which can be achieved by using a small amount of paint and enough water.
- After drying, apply the same color to the second and third elements.
- Repeat the steps as many times as necessary. In this version there are only three color transition cells, but there may be more.
When working using the glaze painting technique, it is worth remembering that it is better to mix different colors in no more than five layers. The previous one must be well dried.
In the event that you prepare the required color immediately on the palette, the sequence of working with the same purple gradation will be as follows:
- Apply color by taking a little paint on a wet brush. Apply to the first rectangle.
- Add pigment, fill the second element.
- Dip the brush further into the paint and make a third cell.
When working in one layer, you must first mix all the colors on the palette. This means that in the first method the final shade is obtained by optical mixing, and in the second - mechanical.
Gouache and oil
The techniques for working with these materials are similar, since the pigments are always presented in the form of a creamy mass. If the gouache has dried, it is first diluted with water to the desired consistency. Any set always contains white. They are usually used up faster than others, so they are sold in separate jars or tubes.
Mixing (table below), like gouache, is not a difficult task. The advantage of these techniques is that the next layer completely covers the previous one. If you make a mistake and after drying you don’t like the resulting shade, make a new one and apply it on top. The previous one will not show through if you work with thick colors, without diluting them with liquid (water for gouache, solvent for oil).
Paintings using this painting technique can even be textured, when a thick mass is applied impasto, that is, in a thick layer. Often a special tool is used for this - a palette knife, which is a metal spatula on a handle.
Mixed paint proportions and required colors to obtain the desired shade are shown in the previous table diagram. It is worth saying that it is enough to have only three primary colors in the set (red, yellow and blue), as well as black and white. From them, in different combinations, all other shades are obtained. The main thing is that the paints in the jar should be exactly the main spectral tones, that is, for example, not pink or crimson, but red.
Working with acrylic
Most often, these paints are used on wood, cardboard, glass, stone, making decorative crafts. In this case, the process is the same as when using gouache or oil. If the surface has been pre-primed and the paints are suitable for it, obtaining the desired shade will not be difficult. Below are examples of mixing shades with acrylic.
For (batik) they are also used, but they are sold in jars of liquid consistency and are similar to printer ink. In this case, the colors are mixed according to the watercolor principle on a palette with the addition of water, rather than white.
Once you understand how to use paint mixing charts, you can easily create an unlimited number of shades using watercolor, oil, or acrylic.
Two color mixing tablesThe color mixing table allows you to learn how to get the right one when mixing two or more colors and shades.
This table is used in various fields art - fine art, modeling, and others. Can also be used in construction when mixing paints and plasters.
Color Mixing Chart 1
| Required Color | Base Color + Mixing Instructions |
| Pink | White + add a little red |
| Chestnut | Red + add black or brown |
| Royal red | Red + add blue |
| Red | Red + White to brighten, yellow to get orange-red |
| Orange | Yellow + add red |
| Gold | Yellow + a drop of red or brown |
| Yellow | Yellow + white for lightening, red or brown for a dark shade |
| Pale green | Yellow + add blue/black for depth |
| Grass green | Yellow + add blue and green |
| Olive | Green + add yellow |
| Light green | Green + add White yellow |
| Turquoise green | Green + add blue |
| Bottle green | Yellow + add blue |
| Coniferous | Green + add yellow and black |
| Turquoise blue | Blue + add a little green |
| White-blue | White + add blue |
| Wedgwood blue | White + add blue and a drop of black |
| Royal Blue | |
| Dark blue | Blue + add black and a drop of green |
| Grey | White + Add a little black |
| Pearl gray | White + Add black, a little blue |
| Medium brown | Yellow + Add red and blue, white for lightening, black for dark. |
| Red-brown | Red & yellow + Add blue and white to brighten |
| Golden brown | Yellow + Add red, blue, white. More yellow for contrast |
| Mustard | Yellow + Add red, black and a little green |
| Beige | Take brown and gradually add white until a beige color is obtained. Add yellow for brightness. |
| Off white | White + Add brown or black |
| Pink gray | White + Drop of red or black |
| Gray-blue | White + Add light gray plus a drop of blue |
| Green-gray | White + Add light gray plus a drop of green |
| Gray coal | White + add black |
| Lemon yellow | Yellow + add white, a little green |
| Light brown | Yellow + add white, black, brown |
| Fern green color | White + add green, black and white |
| Forest green color | Green + add black |
| Emerald green | Yellow + add green and white |
| Light green | Yellow + add white and green |
| Aquamarine | White + add green and black |
| Avocado | Yellow + add brown and black |
| Royal purple | Red + add blue and yellow |
| Dark purple | Red + add blue and black |
| Tomato red | Red + add yellow and brown |
| Mandarin, orange | Yellow + add red and brown |
| Reddish chestnut | Red + add brown and black |
| Orange | White + add orange and brown |
| Burgundy red color | Red + add brown, black and yellow |
| Crimson | Blue + add white, red and brown |
| Plum | Red + add white, blue and black |
| Chestnut | |
| Honey color | White, yellow and dark brown |
| Dark brown | Yellow + red, black and white |
| Copper gray | Black + add white and red |
| Eggshell color | White + yellow, a little brown |
| Black | Black Use black as coal |
Color mixing chart 2
Mixing paints
black= brown+blue+red in equal proportions
black= brown+blue.
gray and black= blue, green, red and yellow are mixed in equal proportions, and then one or the other is added by eye. it turns out we need more blue and red
black= it turns out if you mix red, blue and brown
black=red, green and blue. You can additionally add brown.
bodily= red and yellow paint... just a little bit. After kneading, if it turns yellow, add a little red, if a little yellow paint turns pink. If the color turns out to be very saturated, add a piece of white mastic and mix again
dark cherry= red + brown + a little blue (cyan)
strawberry= 3 parts pink + 1 part red
Turkiz= 6 parts sky blue + 1 part yellow
silver gray= 1 hour black + 1 hour blue
dark red= 1 part red + a little black
rust color= 8 hours orange + 2 hours red + 1 hour brown
greenish= 9 hours sky blue + a little yellow
dark green= green+a little black
lavender=5 parts pink + 1 part purple
bodily= a little copper color
nautical=5h. blue+1 hour green
peach=2h. orange + 1 tsp. dark yellow
dark pink=2h. red+1 hour brown
Navy blue=1h. blue+1h. Serenevy
avocado= 4h. yellow + 1 part green + a little black
coral= 3 hours pink + 2 hours yellow
gold= 10 hours yellow + 3 hours orange + 1 hour red
plum = 1 part purple + a little red
light green= 2 hours purple + 3 hours yellow
red + yellow = orange
red + ocher + white = apricot
red + green = brown
red + blue = violet
red + blue + green = black
yellow + white + green = citric
yellow + cyan or blue = green
yellow + brown = ocher
yellow + green + white + red = tobacco
blue + green = sea wave
orange + brown = terracotta
red + white = coffee with milk
brown + white + yellow = beige
light green=green+yellow, more yellow,+white= light green
lilac=blue+red+white, more red and white, +white= light lilac
lilac= red and blue, with red predominating
Pistachio paint obtained by mixing yellow paint with a small amount of blue
Red and green combined give a dark brown color. But its shade and intensity depend on the chosen proportions. the main role in this combination belongs to the color green. The darker it is and the greater the proportion used, the more intense the brown color, even black.
If you mix blue and green, what color will you get?
Blue and green - we get the color of turquoise or sea wave. The more intense the blue tone, the more dominant it will be in the shade, approaching turquoise. The predominance of green makes the shade of sea wave greenish. With an equal proportion of colors, a rich blue tint is obtained.
If you mix yellow and green, what color will you get?
Combining yellow and green, we get a light green or light green tone. In order for it to work out, the proportions of the colors must be the same. By adding green to yellow, we get an olive tint; if there is very little yellow, we get deep green with a blue tint, that is, it all depends on the proportion.
In addition, primary colors can produce many other shades. For example, when combining red and blue you get purple. Which, depending on the proportion we use, can range from a light, almost transparent lavender shade to a rich purple. Yellow and red produce a vibrant orange hue.
Advice! If you try to mix all three main shades at the same time, you will get an indefinite dirty brown color with a blue tint, it is called complex.
By experimenting with primary colors, taking into account the basic rules of color, you can achieve any desired shade.
How to mix colors - video
Two color mixing tables
The color mixing table allows you to learn how to get the right one when mixing two or more colors and shades.
This table is used in various fields of art - fine art, modeling, and others. Can also be used in construction when mixing paints and plasters.
Color Mixing Chart 1
| Required Color | Base Color + Mixing Instructions |
| Pink | White + add a little red |
| Chestnut | Red + add black or brown |
| Royal red | Red + add blue |
| Red | Red + White to brighten, yellow to get orange-red |
| Orange | Yellow + add red |
| Gold | Yellow + a drop of red or brown |
| Yellow | Yellow + white for lightening, red or brown for a dark shade |
| Pale green | Yellow + add blue/black for depth |
| Grass green | Yellow + add blue and green |
| Olive | Green + add yellow |
| Light green | Green + add White yellow |
| Turquoise green | Green + add blue |
| Bottle green | Yellow + add blue |
| Coniferous | Green + add yellow and black |
| Turquoise blue | Blue + add a little green |
| White-blue | White + add blue |
| Wedgwood blue | White + add blue and a drop of black |
| Royal Blue | |
| Dark blue | Blue + add black and a drop of green |
| Grey | White + Add a little black |
| Pearl gray | White + Add black, a little blue |
| Medium brown | Yellow + Add red and blue, white for lightening, black for dark. |
| Red-brown | Red & yellow + Add blue and white to brighten |
| Golden brown | Yellow + Add red, blue, white. More yellow for contrast |
| Mustard | Yellow + Add red, black and a little green |
| Beige | Take brown and gradually add white until a beige color is obtained. Add yellow for brightness. |
| Off white | White + Add brown or black |
| Pink gray | White + Drop of red or black |
| Gray-blue | White + Add light gray plus a drop of blue |
| Green-gray | White + Add light gray plus a drop of green |
| Gray coal | White + add black |
| Lemon yellow | Yellow + add white, a little green |
| Light brown | Yellow + add white, black, brown |
| Fern green color | White + add green, black and white |
| Forest green color | Green + add black |
| Emerald green | Yellow + add green and white |
| Light green | Yellow + add white and green |
| Aquamarine | White + add green and black |
| Avocado | Yellow + add brown and black |
| Royal purple | Red + add blue and yellow |
| Dark purple | Red + add blue and black |
| Tomato red | Red + add yellow and brown |
| Mandarin, orange | Yellow + add red and brown |
| Reddish chestnut | Red + add brown and black |
| Orange | White + add orange and brown |
| Burgundy red color | Red + add brown, black and yellow |
| Crimson | Blue + add white, red and brown |
| Plum | Red + add white, blue and black |
| Chestnut | |
| Honey color | White, yellow and dark brown |
| Dark brown | Yellow + red, black and white |
| Copper gray | Black + add white and red |
| Eggshell color | White + yellow, a little brown |
| Black | Black Use black as coal |
Color mixing chart 2
Mixing paints
black= brown+blue+red in equal proportions
black= brown+blue.
gray and black= blue, green, red and yellow are mixed in equal proportions, and then one or the other is added by eye. it turns out we need more blue and red
black= it turns out if you mix red, blue and brown
black=red, green and blue. You can additionally add brown.
bodily= red and yellow paint... just a little bit. After kneading, if it turns yellow, add a little red, if a little yellow paint turns pink. If the color turns out to be very saturated, add a piece of white mastic and mix again
dark cherry= red + brown + a little blue (cyan)
strawberry= 3 parts pink + 1 part red
Turkiz= 6 parts sky blue + 1 part yellow
silver gray= 1 hour black + 1 hour blue
dark red= 1 part red + a little black
rust color= 8 hours orange + 2 hours red + 1 hour brown
greenish= 9 hours sky blue + a little yellow
dark green= green+a little black
lavender=5 parts pink + 1 part purple
bodily= a little copper color
nautical=5h. blue+1 hour green
peach=2h. orange + 1 tsp. dark yellow
dark pink=2h. red+1 hour brown
Navy blue=1h. blue+1h. Serenevy
avocado= 4h. yellow + 1 part green + a little black
coral= 3 hours pink + 2 hours yellow
gold= 10 hours yellow + 3 hours orange + 1 hour red
plum = 1 part purple + a little red
light green= 2 hours purple + 3 hours yellow
red + yellow = orange
red + ocher + white = apricot
red + green = brown
red + blue = violet
red + blue + green = black
yellow + white + green = citric
yellow + cyan or blue = green
yellow + brown = ocher
yellow + green + white + red = tobacco
blue + green = sea wave
orange + brown = terracotta
red + white = coffee with milk
brown + white + yellow = beige
light green=green+yellow, more yellow,+white= light green
lilac=blue+red+white, more red and white, +white= light lilac
lilac= red and blue, with red predominating
Pistachio paint obtained by mixing yellow paint with a small amount of blue
Brown color, although not bright, is quite popular. It is used when renovating an apartment, for painting interior items, when painting with acrylic and other paints and gouache, when dyeing hair, as well as other actions. To get brown, use the mixing technique. The colors are both dark and light, and we will find out which colors later in the article.
One of the main and simple ways make brown is mixing green and red dye I. These colors are available in any palette of paints, from construction paints to those intended for painting on paper canvas. The use of dark green and dark red is not permissible, otherwise we will get a color close to black, but not dark brown.
The next method is to mix 3 dyes: red, blue and yellow. This method follows from the previous one; instead of green, we use blue and yellow, which when mixed give green, and as a result we get the color formula described above. This combination of colors is good when the palette runs out of green.
Another way to make brown is to mix orange and gray or orange and blue, which is more appropriate for a regular paint palette.
The last way to get classic brown is to combine purple and yellow paints. Instead of magenta, you can use violet. This option less popular because it is difficult to control the resulting color when mixing, the slightest overdose and the shade is no longer the same.
Making shades of brown
A traditional palette is good, but its use is not always required, for example, when painting a wall in a hallway, a lighter tone would be more appropriate, but to give a painting realistic colors, when depicting the earth, they usually take dark paint. Below are instructions on how to make brown darker or lighter:
- How to get dark brown color? Let's not reinvent the wheel and offer the most effective method- this is the addition of a black component. We recommend mixing in small drops, otherwise you risk ruining the resulting paint and will have to throw it away. After adding a small dose of black, mix thoroughly until the consistency is homogeneous, only then decide whether you need to darken it further.
- How to get light brown color? Here we will also follow the well-known path and propose a method for using white or white dyes. Adding lightening colors can be done more intensely than darkening ones. This is due to the fact that if you over-lighten the brown, you can always go back a couple of shades darker. The main white paint is white paint; in addition to it, you can use yellow - which will give an ocher tint, red - will give shades of rust, and blue will make it deeper and more contrasting.
For art lovers, together with Olga Bazanova, we have prepared a video lesson on mixing brown from other colors:
Pros and cons of mixing brown
No matter how strange it may sound, it’s not always possible to make brown paint with your own hands. best idea. Let's look at when it is profitable to mix, and when it is better to buy ready-made dye:
- Drawing acrylic paints on canvas - here you can make brown and its shades in any quantities and portions of colors;
- You are making repairs and there are excess paints left from which you can get brown for use in the intended design;
- You do whatever you want, but the color palette presented in stores doesn’t contain what you need;
- If the design of the room includes brown walls, then you should not buy other colors to mix them; there are enough brown paints in hardware stores to choose the right one;
- If you dye your hair, you should not mix different components, even of the same shade, unless this is provided in the instructions;
- If you are not sure in advance that you will use brown.
Secrets of mixing colors
- To make a beautiful brown paint use exact proportions.
- If you achieve the desired tone, then add the “thinner” color a little at a time, otherwise you risk ruining everything.
- Try to test the resulting dye on a small area to be painted, because the color in the jar and on the surface may differ.
- When working with a painting, you can combine paints directly on the canvas, thereby achieving an interesting effect.
- Before combining other paints, read the instructions; the color of the dried paint may differ from the one applied, this should be taken into account.
Conclusion
Methods of obtaining brown flowers and there are many shades, they can be used for any painting work, but you should focus on the feasibility of mixing or buying ready-made. In addition to the main mixture, you can make many shades from light to dark, from contrasting to deep. Don't be afraid to experiment, because everything famous masterpieces interior design, painting and fashion items appeared as a result of a large number of samples. Tell us in the comments, what paints do you use to make your brown dye?
