What colors make brown? So, you want to get an answer to this question. Right? Do not get worried as this blog will help you find the answer to this question. We will explore what exactly is a brown color and how it relates to the color wheel. So, read till the end!
Brown is one of the most common colors we usually see in our life. It is a beautiful color that is a symbol of beauty and natural warmth. It is usually associated with the colors of fall and winter. From wood, soil, and natural landscapes to human hair color and eye color, it is found everywhere.
Most foods are also brown in color. Although it is not considered as the favorite color of people, it is the color of elegance, reliability, honesty, safety, and healing.
Brown is a versatile color. It comes in various varieties as there are different shades of brown that we can get by mixing a variety of colors.
It may be light brown, dark brown, sand brown as well as other shades of brown. Brown is a complex color with so many possible applications. But most artists get worried as they cannot always be able to find brown color in their art supplies.
If you are one of them, do not panic. It is possible to mix some primary and secondary colors to get a basic brown color.
Three Types of Colors That Make Brown
There are three main types of colors that can make a brown color. Primary colors, secondary colors, and complementary colors. We can get brown color by mixing a few colors of the color wheel that range from red to yellow.
A simple trick is to add two primary colors such as red and green or a primary color (blue) with a secondary color (orange).
In addition, to determine the intensity of the colors, complementary colors are used that cancel each other’s effect and increase or decrease the brightness and intensity of one another.
In fact, mixing a variety of color combinations to get brown is quite easy but getting an exact shade of brown takes a little more effort and perfection.
Here, in this blog, we will help you with what colors make brown. We will show you how you can make different shades of brown such as dark brown, light brown, warm brown, cool brown, greenish or reddish-brown.
Moreover, you will also come to know how primary colors are added with the secondary colors and how you can mix paints to create a basic tone of brown.
Are you ready to produce any hue you desire? Do not go anywhere and follow along to learn the beautiful shades of brown!
What two colors make brown?
Are you working with limited art supplies? Do you have a few colors and now you want to make brown by using those limited colors?
It is possible to make brown from only two colors. But for this, you need to understand the basics of color theory so you can mix colors to get the desired color palette. Primary colors such as red, blue, and yellow are used to create other colors on the color wheel. For example:
- red and blue are combined to make purple
- blue and yellow are combined to make green
- yellow and red are combined to make orange
So, purple, green, and orange become secondary colors.
To make brown from two colors, you need to mix one secondary color with its complementary primary color. It means you need to mix purple with yellow, green with red and orange with blue. Let’s get a closer look to this formula:
Purple + Yellow = Brown
Green + Red = Brown
Orange + Blue = Brown
If you want a lighter shade of brown, take an opaque white color with you and make necessary adjustments.
What colors make dark brown?
To get a dark brown color, it is important to add those colors that are darker than the primary colors. For example, you can add black or purple color to create a dark effect, the same as the color of chocolate.
If you are using red, yellow, and blue, you can add more red and blue colors than yellow. For a darker tone, you can mix red with ultramarine blue or black color. This will create the same effect that you get from mixing red and black.
The tones for red may vary. A bright shade of red usually works better. For example, you can use cadmium red, pyrrole red, or naphthol red. All these options will give a smooth darker shade!
According to expert artists, if you are adding black or purple to get dark brown, you need to understand the difference between the results obtained by adding both colors. For example, adding black color gives a smoother look and feel and can make the mixture look brighter as compared to adding purple.
Pro Tip:
If you want to draw a tree bark, a brick, a tree in sunlight or paint a gleam in antique wood, these primary colors will be used to get a reddish-brown and a blackish-brown shade with more or less of using white.
What colors make light brown?
What colors make brown? Brown is said to be the easiest paint to mix but it is quite complex when it comes to perfecting the shade. It is somehow easier to get a light brown shade whether you are using watercolors, acrylic paints, pastel colors, or oils.
Things you will need:
- A color palette having primary colors of red, blue and yellow
- A tube of white paint
- A palette and palette knife
The first step in making a light brown shade is to add a small amount of red paint on the palette. After that, add blue and yellow paint but make sure that these three paints are in equal amounts.
Mix all the colors well with a palette knife or brush until you get a rich brown color. Now, this is the time to give it a light shade using a few drops of white paint. Continue adding the white paint until you get the desired tone.
It is always recommended to add white in the mixture in a little amount until the brown color is light enough. Plus, you can get different results each time as it all depends on the shade of the paint and the consistency of pigments.
To Discover More Pro Tips About Mixing Brown Paint Go HERE
Conclusion
So, you are curious to know what colors make brown. Brown is an important color for the artists as it forms the basis for painting a lot of things such as wood, skin, earth, hair, and much more.
Most painters especially beginners try to mix a little bit of every color to make brown and hope for the best.
At times, luckily you can get brown but not every time, you can get the same results. That is why it is necessary to mix the right range of colors so that you can get the exact shade of brown that you want.
So, now you have come to know how you can get different shades of brown using primary, secondary, and complementary colors. Cheers!
We hope that now it will be easier for you to get an understanding of the lighter and darker shades of brown using a variety of colors. Now you can take your paintings to the next level while having some fun.
All these color mixing techniques (mentioned above) to get brown can be applied to any drawing that uses pastel colors, colored pencils, or acrylic paints.
Now, there is no need to buy separate brown paint as it is quite easy to create any hue with the three basic primary colors. So, do not wait anymore and try all these tricks to add shades of brown to your artwork. Happy Painting!
