Mixing a rich, deep dark red brown color can be challenging. Unlike mixing a pure primary color, dark red browns require balancing multiple pigments and undertones to achieve the right hue, value and chroma. By understanding color theory and color mixing principles, you can learn to mix the perfect deep burgundy, mahogany or maroon for any painting or design project.
Choose Your Pigments
When mixing dark reds, you will need a combination of a red pigment, brown pigment and black pigment. Here are some common choices:
Red pigments: Cadmium red, alizarin crimson, quinacridone red.
Brown pigments: Burnt umber, raw umber, burnt sienna.
Black pigment: Ivory black, carbon black, lamp black.
Select one pigment from each category. Cadmium red, burnt umber and ivory black make a nice balanced choice. Quinacridone red, raw umber and lamp black will produce a very deep maroon. Experiment with different combinations.
The Importance of Undertones
Pay attention to the undertones of your pigments. Red pigments with a more orangey undertone will mix browns with a warmer, reddish look. Red pigments with a bluer undertone will mix cooler browns with more purple or mahogany tones.
| Warmer Undertone | Cooler Undertone |
|---|---|
| Cadmium red | Alizarin crimson |
| Naphthol red | Quinacridone red |
The natural undertones of raw and burnt umber are more neutral and can warm up or cool down depending on the red pigment used.
Start with a Red Base
Always start your mix with a bright red base. Add just enough of your brown pigment to dull down the brightness and give an understated brown tone. For a bold burgundy, use more red in the ratio. For a subdued brown with red undertones, use more brown.
As you add brown, check the color against your target hue. Is it too bright and pink? Add more brown. Is it becoming too muddy? Add a little more red.
Deepen with Black
Once you’ve achieved the right balance of red and brown, use black to deepen the shade and lower the value. Add black gradually and mix completely to avoid making the color look dull.
With more black, you’ll get an inky, opaque maroon. Use restraint with the black to retain transparency and luminosity. Measure the amounts precisely for color consistency.
Achieving the Right Consistency
The consistency of the paint also affects the final color. For watercolor and gouache, mix your dark red brown fairly fluid and transparent. For acrylic or oil painting, you can afford to make it more viscous and opaque.
When using black to darken acrylic colors, add a touch of medium or glazing liquid to prevent the black from making the mix look chalky. For oils, thin with a rich painting medium.
Test Your Mix
Always test your mixed color before committing it to your artwork. Brush out swatches on a test sheet to see it in full. Check the color in different light conditions. Make adjustments as needed.
You may want to lighten up the value, warm it up with a redder brown or mute it down with more black. Testing will help you learn how to bias your mixes to achieve your desired dark red brown.
Examples of Dark Red Brown Mixes
Here are some example mixes for common dark red brown shades:
Rich burgundy:
| Cadmium red: | 3 parts |
| Burnt umber: | 1 part |
Deep maroon:
| Alizarin crimson: | 2 parts |
| Raw umber: | 1 part |
| Ivory black: | 1 part |
Dark mahogany:
| Quinacridone red: | 2 parts |
| Burnt sienna: | 3 parts |
| Lamp black: | 1 part |
These mixes give you a starting point, but feel free to customize to your own preferences. The joy of mixing colors is experimenting to create your perfect hue!
Tinting Your Dark Reds
Once you’ve mixed your ideal dark red brown, you can lighten and soften it by tinting with white or opaque mixing colors like naples yellow.
Add white sparingly to retain richness. Try mixes like:
– 1 part white + 3 parts burgundy
– 1 part naples yellow + 3 parts maroon
Tinting produces lovely softened effects for subjects like flushed skin tones, velvet fabrics and sun-lit red wines.
Color Harmony with Dark Reds
Rich burgundies, deep purplish reds and brownish maroons are versatile for many color schemes. Here are some examples of harmonious color combinations:
Complementary – Pair with greens like viridian, sage or forest green to create lively contrast.
Split Complementary – With warm tertiary colors like olive green, greenish browns, yellowish greens.
Analogous – With other deep reds, plums, deep roses, magentas and violets.
Triadic – With vibrant oranges and lime greens or acidic yellows.
Monochromatic – With black and shades of gray to create a moody, elegant look.
Always view your mixed dark red brown in context of your whole composition before finalizing. Adjust the tone and intensity if needed to perfectly complement your color scheme.
Matching Dark Reds Accurately
Trying to match an existing dark red exactly can be tricky. Small variations in tone can look noticeably off.
If you need to match a color precisely, use a color mixing guide or color finder chart. Place a sample of the target color in the finder frame and mix colors directly next to it until you achieve an identical match.
For ultimate accuracy, use a spectrophotometer to analyze the color numerically and reference printed mixing guides to formulate the precise mixture. Take time to match it as closely as possible.
Darkening Light Reds
What if you don’t have a dark red pigment on hand? You can start with a bright primary red and darken it with browns and blacks.
Mix in raw or burnt umber to initially dull down and darken a pure red like cadmium or vermilion. Add a touch of black or dark blue if needed to reach the desired richness.
This approach works for paints, dyes, epoxy resins and more. Always test mixes before applying to ensure you’ve achieved an even, pleasing result.
Using Complementary Colors
An expert technique for darkening reds is blending in the complementary color, green. Tiny amounts of dark forest, emerald or Hooker’s green deepen red pigments beautifully.
The contrasting colors neutralize each other, resulting in a rich, low-chroma darkness. Complementary neutrals produce extremely natural effects.
Use this method sparingly. Add too much green and your mix will end up muddy and dull. Test carefully when exploring this approach.
Dark Red Brown vs. Dark Brownish Red
Is there a difference between dark red brown vs. dark brownish red? The order of the words conveys a subtle distinction in priority.
Dark red brown leads with the red aspect – a mainly red color with brownish qualities. The emphasis is more on deep berry tones.
Dark brownish red foregrounds the brownness as primary, enriched by red undertones. This describes colors closer to true browns in nature.
However, there is significant overlap between these terms in practice. Adjusting ratio of pigments will shift a color along the continuum from red-dominant to brown-dominant.
Using Natural Earth Pigments
Many traditional paints were made with natural earth pigments. You can reproduce these historic red-brown tones using modern earth tone watercolors, oils and acrylics.
Key earth pigments for antique deep red browns include:
– Burnt sienna – Translucent, reddish brown oxide popular for glazing
– Raw umber – Cool, deep brown clay pigment perfect for shadow colors
– Iron oxides – Rich reds, reddish browns and ochres
– Sepia – Dark inky brown made originally from the cuttlefish ink sac
Mix these pigments together and with modern hues like quinacridone red to create traditional dark red brown paints with character and opacity perfect for heritage crafts.
Lightfastness of Dark Red Pigments
When selecting pigments for mixing rich lasting dark reds, pay attention to lightfastness ratings. Lightfastness refers to how resistant a color is to fading over time.
Look for paints rated Excellent or 1 (maximum rating) for lightfastness. Some excellent choices include:
– Quinacridone red
– Burnt sienna
– Carbon black
– Lamp black
Avoid fugitive pigments rated Poor or III as they can fade to unusable dusty tones when exposed to light. Always check manufacturer ratings before purchasing paints.
Mixing Dark Reds in Digital Art
Digital artists can mix custom dark red browns using RGB color sliders in programs like Photoshop and Procreate.
Start with a red base and lower brightness while nudging up blue tones slightly to achieve deep burgundy shades. Increase green and lower blue for an earthy burnt sienna. Add bits of black to reach perfect values.
Use color picker tools to sample colors from reference images. Adjust and match the tones to create realistic shadows, objects and scenes.
Save your mixed colors to swatch libraries for quick access across projects. Name swatches accurately like “Deep Maroon” for easy browsing.
Print Applications for Dark Red Browns
Mixed ink colors like deep burgundy, mahogany and chocolate are widely used in print projects including:
– Packaging – Dark red browns convey classic luxury on boxes, bottles, shopping bags.
– Marketing – Deep maroons and red browns express power, sophistication and heritage in logos, branding, advertisements.
– Publications – Rich dark reds provide stylish, formal look for cover designs, headers, text.
– Promotional – Burgundy and mahogany give an elegant touch to invitations, business cards, signage.
Always review printed samples before full production to ensure colors appear as intended on the final substrate. Adjust inks to match if the translation is off.
Dyeing and Tinting Fabrics
To dye or tint fabrics a custom dark red brown, use fiber reactive dyes formulated for the specific fiber. Follow safety precautions.
On cellulosic fibers like cotton and rayon, mix fiber reactive dyes in colors like cherry red, chocolate brown and black to produce deep maroons and burgundies.
For wool or silk, select acid dyes suitable for protein fibers in complementary tones. Use auxiliary chemicals suited for the fiber.
Match color carefully in small test samples first before dyeing full garments or yardages. Custom mixed colors create beautiful unique fabric effects.
Staining Wood Dark Red Brown
Woodworkers can use oil-based stains to tint wood rich, warm hues of maroon, burgundy and reddish brown.
Mix gel stains in colors like cherry, mahogany, dark walnut and ebony to produce your desired custom tone. Always test on scraps first before applying to a finished piece.
Allow adequate drying time between coats. Topcoat with varnish for added protection when complete.
Water-based wood stains can also be blended to create similar deep translucent wood effects. Seal properly after staining.
Conclusion
With some color theory knowledge, a discerning eye and lots of testing, you can learn to mix beautiful custom dark red brown tones for any application. Mastering color mixing opens up unlimited possibilities for your creative projects and designs. Approach every mixture as a new opportunity to create your ideal nuanced color.
