Making a reddish brown color with acrylic paint is easy to do by mixing colors. The key is understanding color theory and how to combine paints to create the shade you want. With a few basic supplies and some experimenting, you can mix up the perfect reddish brown acrylic paint for your project. In this article, we’ll walk through the steps and techniques for mixing reddish brown acrylic paint.
Choose Your Base Colors
The first step is selecting two or three acrylic paint colors to mix together to form reddish brown. Here are some color combinations that work well:
- Red + Yellow + Blue
- Red + Yellow + White
- Red + Brown
- Red + Burnt Sienna
- Alizarin Crimson + Burnt Umber
Red is going to be the dominant color in creating a reddish brown. You’ll want to choose a warm, burnt red or crimson for the base. Alizarin crimson or cadmium red work nicely.
Adding a small amount of blue to the red will start to neutralize and dull it, making it less orange and more brown. Prussian blue, ultramarine blue, or pthalo blue are good options.
Yellow brings vibrancy and warmth to the mix. Cadmium yellow or brilliant yellow are bold choices. Or for more subtlety, try raw sienna or raw umber.
Burnt sienna and burnt umber will quickly deepen and darken the red into a brown. Use them sparingly or the brown may turn out too dark.
Select Your Paint Consistency
The consistency of the acrylic paint matters when mixing colors. Thicker, more opaque paint will mix together differently than thinner, more translucent paint.
For reddish brown, thicker paint is recommended. Choose soft body or heavy body acrylics from the tube without diluting them with water. The dense, buttery paint will allow you to have more control over the blending process.
If you want to thin the acrylics, add just a touch of water or acrylic medium. You don’t need to over-dilute the paints, just get them to a fluid, creamy texture. Too much water will make it hard to mix the colors accurately.
Prep Your Palette and Brushes
It’s important to have the right tools when mixing custom acrylic colors. Here’s what you’ll need:
- A palette for mixing – plastic, wood, ceramic, or metal all work
- A palette knife – for blending and scraping paint
- Soft bristle paintbrushes – for mixing and testing colors
- Rags – for cleaning brushes and palette
- A cup or jar of water – for keeping brushes wet
Your palette should have a large, smooth area for mixing. Scrape off any old dried paint and make sure the surface is clean before starting. Have a damp rag handy to quickly wipe up spilled paint.
Arrange your base paint colors around the edges of the palette, leaving the center clear for mixing. Squirt out a nickel-sized amount of each paint. You can always add more paint as needed.
Add Colors Together in Stages
Now you’re ready to start combining colors to create the perfect reddish brown!
Take it slowly and add the paints together in stages. Here are some tips for the mixing process:
- Start with the red paint and add a small amount of yellow and blue.
- Mix the colors thoroughly with a brush or palette knife to achieve an even blend.
- Gradually incorporate more blue and yellow while frequently testing the color.
- Scrape some paint off and smear it on a piece of cardboard or canvas to properly see the tone.
- Keep adjusting the amounts of each color until you reach your desired reddish brown.
- Mix in white to lighten up the brown. Add burnt umber or burnt sienna to darken it.
- Don’t overmix or the paint will become muddy. Strive for a rich, natural brown color.
Blending acrylic paint is all about taking your time and slowly tweaking the color. Be patient and keep testing the mixed paint until you’re happy with the reddish brown shade.
Match Colors Using a Ratio
If you need to recreate the same reddish brown acrylic color in the future, make a note of the paint ratios you used.
For example, your perfect blend might have:
- 2 parts Cadmium Red Medium
- 1 part Cadmium Yellow
- 1/2 part Prussian Blue
Keeping a record of the mixing ratios makes it easy to remix the same acrylic color later. Write it down in your sketchbook or paint journal for reference.
You can reproduce a color blend with more or less paint. Just maintain the same ratio of each color for color accuracy.
Store Leftover Mixed Paint
Don’t throw out any extra paint you’ve mixed up. Acrylic paint can be stored for later use.
Transfer the leftovers from your palette to an airtight container so it doesn’t dry out. Glass jars or plastic cups with tight lids work great.
Label the container with the color name and mixing ratio to avoid confusion. Store it with the rest of your paint supplies.
The acrylic paint will stay usable for many months if kept sealed. When ready to use again, give it a quick stir to recombine any pigment that settled.
Additional Tips
Here are some other tips for successfully mixing reddish brown acrylic paint:
- Make sure all paint is from the same brand. Different acrylic brands may have variations in their pigments that can alter blending.
- Wipe or rinse brushes thoroughly between colors. Any leftover pigment can muddy new mixes.
- Do your color mixing in natural daylight if possible for the most accurate color representation.
- Work quickly when blending. Acrylics dry fast, which can make adjusting a color more difficult.
- Start with a very small amount of blue added to the red and yellow. A little goes a long way in dulling the color.
- Metallic acrylic paints like bronze, copper, and gold can create interesting shimmering brown tones.
With some practice and experience mixing paints, you’ll be able to easily achieve any shade of reddish brown acrylic paint you want. Experiment and have fun with the process!
Conclusion
Mixing acrylic paint to create reddish brown color requires choosing the right base colors, preparing your palette and brushes, and taking the time to blend the paints properly. Key tips include:
- Use warm reds, burnt umbers, and other earthy paints as base colors
- Mix colors slowly in stages until reaching the desired reddish brown
- Make notes on color ratios to be able to match the shade precisely
- Store any leftover paint in a sealed container for later use
- Work in controlled conditions and be meticulous about clean tools
Mastering color theory and understanding how pigments interact are the foundations for successfully mixing acrylic paint. With some guided practice and the techniques above, you’ll be blending up gorgeous reddish browns and other rich secondary colors in no time. Let your creativity run free and enjoy exploring the limitless color possibilities with acrylics!
