Color table obtained from the main ones. How to get purple? Methods of mixing paints to create different shades


The brown color and its shades, although not too bright, are quite popular due to their use in the design of residential premises, in the colors of furniture, and when drawing paintings. Therefore, the question of how to get a brown color when mixing paints will interest everyone.

Coloristics and obtaining a certain color from others is a science based on the color wheel. There are only 3 primary colors: yellow, blue and red. The rest can be made by mixing them together and are called secondary (purple, orange and green). Therefore, before answering questions about how to get brown paint, what primary or other colors are needed, you need to understand the rules for mixing colors.

Basic laws of mixing:

1. One color in a circle is a symbiosis of tones opposite to it relative to the center, the resulting additional tone is called achromatic. There are also complementary colors. For example, red is opposite green, yellow is opposite blue.

2. When paints adjacent to each other in a circle are mixed, new ones appear. So, to get orange, you combine red with yellow; green paint is obtained by mixing yellow with blue.

3. When the same shades are combined, similar mixtures can be obtained.

Color Mixing Methods

To achieve brown color, there are several methods. You can mix either construction paints (acrylic, oil), or those intended for painting and drawing (watercolor, oil, gouache, etc.). It is important to take clean and classic tones.

Let's see how to get brown color when mixing paint:

  • Classic method- mix green and red paint together.
  • Using three colors- combine yellow and blue with red in equal proportions (as you know, yellow and blue together give a green color).
  • Intermediate option– combine blue with orange or gray with orange.
  • Complex combination- yellow and magenta, instead of magenta you can use violet, i.e. yellow and orange with purple - this option is less popular; it is difficult to control the resulting paint and its nuances.
  • Additional method– mix green and purple with the orange tone of the gouache.

It is worth noting that to obtain brown, both dark and light tones of primary or additional colors can be used when mixing.

In the video: obtaining brown of different saturations.

Dark brown tones

How to get dark brown color? This issue can be solved simply: you need to add black paint to regular brown paint, but do the addition drop by drop so as not to spoil it, thoroughly mixing the mixture each time.

Other possible dark shades:

  • Mustard - made by combining red, yellow and black with the addition of a drop of green.
  • Chocolate - from a combination of blue and orange, slightly lightened with white. The result will be a milk chocolate shade.
  • Marsala - red and brown are mixed (its shade is darker, almost chocolate).
  • Brown - made by adding a little red paint to brown.
  • Chestnut - can be obtained by dropping a little red into dark brown.

Light brown tones

Adding a white color will help make the brown color lighter. There are other popular light shades. For example, a brown tone with copper, gray or honey nuances, coffee and milk - these shades can be used if you add white paint in different proportions.

The addition of yellow makes the color ocher, and tobacco is obtained by mixing 4 colors: yellow, green, red and white.

Use of natural raw materials

Since ancient times, the question of how to create a brown color was solved with the help of plant ingredients: beet juice, onion peels, sorrel, blackberries or blueberries. Nowadays, hardly anyone would want to dye their sweater or other clothes by squeezing out natural juices. It is easier to buy a ready-made chemical dye. However, such information may be useful.

One of the well-known methods is dyeing with natural coffee. How to do this for a blouse is explained below:

  1. First you need to brew coffee (for 100 g of ground coffee you need 2 liters of water).
  2. Cool the coffee broth and strain through 3-4 layers of gauze.
  3. Place the resulting solution in a bowl and heat it over a fire to 80ºC.
  4. Place the blouse to be dyed in the hot solution and bring to a boil.
  5. Boil for 15 minutes, constantly stirring the contents, which is necessary for uniform coloring.
  6. The fabric or item is removed from the basin and the water should be allowed to drain.
  7. It is better to dry the blouse flat on hangers.

When deciding how to get original shades of brown, it is better to learn how to find the correct and balanced ratios of the main colors to be mixed. There are a large number of options for light or dark brown, and the required shade can only be obtained by experimenting with primary and additional colors. Now you know the nuances of getting brown from what colors, what colors are used for this.

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, but there is no way to buy the necessary material. 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?

Often, artists are faced with a 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 at work, while rich 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.

Everyone knows from school that if you mix three colors - red, yellow and blue, it will be brown. But the often sought after colors, as luck would have it, give completely unexpected shades. From the color of childish surprise to a fairly rich dark wood shade. So, maybe it’s not the colors that are to blame, but we didn’t listen well in art lessons? Let's figure out, together with the editors of the site, how to make the desired shade of brown without having to repaint the walls.

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Mixing the base: how to get brown by simply combining base colors

Think about how often you have stopped in the furniture department and chosen your shade among the many colors. The fact is that, despite its versatility and seeming commonplace, brown has dozens of shades. Try mixing watercolors, even with this example it is clear that the quality and saturation of the shade depend on the proportions of the primary colors and the possibility of adding brighteners.

Important! The basic colors for producing brown are red, blue and yellow. By mixing the base, you can get many shades of brown.


How to get a classic brown color when mixing paints

You've probably often caught yourself wondering why it looks this way when mixing paint, but differently after applying it to the wall? It's simple, it's a matter of lighting, simple physics. However, this must be taken into account when creating the basis.

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“When mixing acrylic and oil paints, do not forget to thoroughly mix the white base before adding colors. It’s better to mix the colors in a small container, notice the proportions and only then “cobble” all the colors.”


To make different tones of brown, you need to alternate the proportions of each shade using the random method. There are special ones. They can be purchased in specialized departments or checked with the seller. For example, the shade of tree bark is obtained from red, yellow and blue (indigo) in a ratio of 1:1:0.5.

How to get red-brown paint

If you need more red tint in a brown tone, then again take three primary colors, but in different proportions: 2: 2: 0.5


Advice! A tone that is too dark can always be diluted with a white base. However, base tints should be used with caution. Changing the proportion can radically change the shade.

How to get dark brown color

Usually in this case a little blue or black is added to the resulting brown tone. The effect will be approximately the same. You will get a darker shade. A deep brown tone can be used when painting walls or highlighting areas. It is highly not recommended to use this as a basis. This will significantly darken the space.


How to make taupe paint

To create taupe paint, add a little white and a little less black to the mixed base. The shades can turn out to be very interesting.


Who said you can only use matte colors? You can add not only gray, but also pearlescent shades to the resulting paint. Change the consistency by including natural inclusions, for example, marble chips. This consistency will favorably highlight the shades, giving the interior a unique style.

How to get light brown color

To avoid getting the previous shade of paint instead of light brown, you need to add a little red and yellow to the resulting color. If you need a lighter tone, then add white.


What colors need to be mixed to get brown from different types of paints

Different types of paints behave differently when mixed. Oil paints differ from acrylic paints, and enamel paints differ from water-based paints. It is very important to consider the quality of the coating on which the tone will be applied.


Sometimes after mixing colors you get indecently dirty shades. The answer is simple - study special color tables or schemes. The more detailed, the more they are divided into shades, the better. The more diverse combinations will be available to you. On the color wheel, friendly shades are located nearby, but irreconcilable “enemies” are opposite. The consistency of the paints itself is of paramount importance. Let's consider the options.

How to make brown from gouache paints

If already mixed colors are mixed, then this combination is called secondary. By the way, such combinations turn out to be the most interesting.

Advice! Combining more than three colors is not recommended. It is believed that in this case there is a greater chance of “running into” an unfriendly color.

As we noted above, paint tends to lighten after drying. This effect is most noticeable when mixing gouache. Therefore, to obtain the desired shade, they are mixed in the palette. How to get brown using gouache:

  1. Connecting green and red. If you don't have green, mix it from yellow to blue. The sequence of steps matters.
  2. If you have orange paint, you're in luck! All that remains is to add blue. What if there is no blue? It can also be created by mixing yellow and red.
  3. Brown can be made even from such a complex color as purple. We add sunny yellow to it, and here it is again - a rich brown color.

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“A light coffee shade can be achieved by combining orange and gray. Interesting? A dark shade of paint, the color of chocolate, can be obtained by mixing gray and orange. You can get a dark coffee shade if you mix purple and acid orange.”

You can see how to mix colors correctly in this video.

How to make brown from acrylic paints

Before you start working with acrylic paints, it is important to choose the right solvent. Acrylic paints can be water-soluble or organic-soluble or mixed. This means that the tinting paste itself may or may not be suitable for your base.

Advice! Before tinting, carefully read the painter's instructions and check which paint it is intended for. Be sure to stir the base before you start mixing.


Do not forget that it is necessary to dissolve paints approximately 15% more than the planned volume. It’s not always possible to hit the right tone and mix the paint. The tint color must be added a little at a time, stirring constantly; sometimes the tone may “settle” at the bottom of the container. Watch the instructional video on how to tint paint correctly.

When is it profitable to mix colors, and when is it better to buy ready-made paint?

It's no secret that large construction stores will offer you to create your own unique color using special tinting machines. This is quite convenient, especially when you need to paint a large area of ​​the room. It is clear that getting into color in this case will be extremely difficult.


The machine not only uses the base, but also, according to a special program, combines the pigments itself. The disadvantage of such a machine is that it will not be able to create a unique paint, but only the one that was originally provided by the program.


Especially if you plan to use more than two secondary shades. But if the question arises whether it is profitable to buy ready-made paint, then we will answer: always leave a supply of base colors for all the paint purchased in one batch. This will help, in case of emergency, to recreate the shade.

Red, blue and yellow are the primary colors of the spectrum. By mixing them together, you can achieve different shades of 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.

Quick navigation through the article

Purple and yellow

To get brown from purple and yellow, you should:

  • Mix red and blue. These colors 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 make 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;
  • The medium shade of brown can be darkened and lightened using black and white. 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.

Working with paints, obtaining different color schemes, and thereby conducting experiments is an interesting activity. A simple person can get carried away - an amateur, a professional artist. Experimenting, creating and enjoying the process is great! In this article we will also try to experiment. Let's find out what happens when you mix red and yellow.

It must be remembered that there are 3 main paint colors - blue, red and yellow; they cannot be obtained independently.

And the rest obtained by mixing are shades. What happens when you mix red and yellow? What color will it be? By mixing primary colors, secondary shade results are obtained. For example, if you mix:

  • blue and red, you get an excellent purple tone;
  • yellowish with red – orange;
  • blue with yellow - green.

It is impossible to get black and white on your own - these are exceptional tones. If you add white to the paint, the shade will change and will look much lighter, but if you use black, the opposite effect will occur.

Mixing table

Basic tones Mixing Nuances
Rich red color and yellowish tonality quite bright Using one part red and two parts yellow, you get a bright orange color.

By adding a large amount of yellow it becomes lighter, and by adding red it becomes darker.

White, brown and yellow Take an equal percentage of paint, you get the perfect beige shade When using white in greater quantities than indicated, the tone will be lighter, and when using brown, on the contrary, it will be darker
Red, yellow, green and black If you mix these tones, you get an excellent mustard color. Of course it will be lighter when adding yellow and darker when using a large percentage of black
Brown, yellow and red If you take 2 parts brown and yellow and one part red, you can get a golden hue It will be brighter and more saturated if you use a slightly higher ratio of yellow paint.
Yellowish and brown If you take one part brown and two parts yellow, the color you get is ocher. The tonality changes depending on the amount of adding a particular shade
Red and white If you mix these colors, you get pink color You can vary it by adding red or white, depending on these conditions and get the saturation of shades

The required paint tones are not always available in retail stores, so the best solution would be to obtain them yourself.

When deciding to get a color scheme at home, you need to be patient and also have a good mood. This manifestation of independence has some advantages:

  • You can get positive emotions from experiments.
  • It is not forbidden to vary numerous times.
  • You will still get the desired color.

On video: how to mix colors.

Any artist knows that a picture painted with his own hand must be alive and the appropriately selected tones must also be natural, which are obtained using trial methods.

The perceived painting should not contain more than three colors of paint, then it will be an artificial masterpiece.

In order to carry out work on mixing tones efficiently and the result exceeds all expectations, you need to know some rules:

  • Do not mix paints made on different bases. For example, on oil and water, everything should be uniform. Otherwise nothing will work out.
  • It is not recommended to use expired coloring agents, since the pigment in them has settled to the bottom and is unlikely to mix with the base again.
  • It is very difficult and almost impossible to choose the same shade that was previously there. In rare cases, this can be done by professionals, but for amateurs it is best to prepare a new color scheme.
  • Before directly mixing the paints, it is necessary to thoroughly stir each color separately, so the quality will be clearer.

Based on the resulting shade, if necessary, you can conduct research again any number of times, adding different shades. But you should follow these tips:

  • To avoid getting stained with paint, it is recommended to have a solvent.
  • Work must be carried out in a specially designated place.
  • Sufficient lighting in the room will also contribute to excellent results.

Color combination (2 videos)