Warm brown is a versatile and popular paint color that can add a sense of coziness and warmth to any room. Mixing your own custom warm brown paint color allows you to achieve the exact shade you want for your space. With some basic color theory and the right paint color ingredients, you can easily mix up a batch of warm brown paint.
Choosing Paint Colors to Mix Warm Brown
When mixing paint to create a custom color, you’ll need to select two or more paint colors to blend together. For a warm shade of brown, you’ll want to use paint colors with warm undertones like yellow, red, or orange.
Here are some paint colors that work well for mixing warm brown:
- Yellow ochre
- Burnt umber
- Burnt sienna
- Raw sienna
- Raw umber
- Terra cotta
- Dark orange
- Red oxide
The specific combination you use will determine the exact hue and depth of brown. For a light warm brown, you may want to start with a yellow ochre or raw sienna base. For a deeper reddish-brown, try adding in more burnt umber or burnt sienna.
You can mix together colors within the same paint brand and type, such as two acrylic craft paints or two interior latex wall paints. For best results, opt for higher quality paints with good pigmentation.
Calculate Amounts of Each Color
Once you’ve selected two or three paint colors to blend, you’ll need to calculate the ratio to use to achieve your desired warm brown shade. There are a couple approaches you can use:
- Start with test swatches – Mix together small amounts of your chosen paints on a palette or spare piece of cardboard. Adjust the ratios until you achieve a swatch you like. Then multiply the ratios to mix a larger batch.
- Use color theory – Determine the approximate ratio based on the characteristics of your starting colors. For example, if adding a small amount of red to a yellow, start with a 4:1 or 3:1 ratio of yellow to red.
Whichever method you use, make notes of the paint colors and ratios you mixed so you can replicate it again later on if needed.
Mixing the Paint
Once you know how much of each color you need, follow these steps to mix your custom warm brown paint:
- Add a dollop of each paint color into a mixing container, using the proportions calculated.
- Use a paint stick or wooden skewer to stir the paints together thoroughly.
- Continue mixing until the paint achieves an even, uniform brown shade.
- Check the color against your desired hue. Adjust by adding more of one color or the other until you achieve the perfect warm brown.
- Once happy with the color, mix in any remaining paint to scale up the batch to the needed quantity.
- If mixing a large amount of paint, consider using a drill mixer attachment to combine the paint quickly and evenly.
Properly combining the ingredients is key for color accuracy. Mix slowly and thoroughly to ensure even pigment dispersion.
Achieving Different Warm Brown Hues
Playing around with different color combinations can yield an array of beautiful warm brown tones for all sorts of projects.
Here are some examples of mixing warm browns:
Light Tan Brown
- 3 parts raw sienna
- 1 part yellow ochre
Mixing mostly raw sienna with a smaller amount of yellow ochre produces a soft sandy brown with warm golden undertones. Increase the ochre for added vibrancy.
Reddish Brown
- 2 parts burnt sienna
- 1 part red oxide
The addition of vivid red oxide shifts this combination towards a rich mahogany brown. Boost the ratio of red oxide to amp up the redness.
Neutral Brown
- 2 parts raw umber
- 1 part yellow ochre
Raw umber has greenish-gray undertones that mute the warmth of the yellow ochre. This creates a more neutral medium brown.
Deep Chocolate Brown
- 3 parts burnt umber
- 1 part burnt sienna
For an intense, almost blackish brown, a combination of burnt umber and burnt sienna produces a rich chocolate brown. Add more burnt umber for a darker shade.
Tinting Brown Paint Lighter
If your homemade brown paint is too dark once mixed, you can lighten it up by tinting it with white paint or paint extender medium.
Here are some tips for lightening brown paint successfully:
- Add white slowly – Start by adding 1 part white paint for every 4 parts brown paint. Adding too much white at once can dilute the shade too dramatically.
- Stir thoroughly – Take your time blending in the white paint fully to avoid streaky results.
- Check often – Mix in white in small increments, checking the color after each addition to prevent lightening too much.
- Consider a paint medium – For water-based paints, adding some extender medium helps thin the paint while retaining the color strength.
Test your lightened paint on a swatch before committing to a full batch. You can always make it lighter but it’s hard to reverse it if you add too much white.
Deepening Brown with Black or Umber
For a darker warm brown, you can add in a small amount of black paint. Raw umber or burnt umber will also deepen a brown shade while retaining warmth.
When darkening brown paint, keep these tips in mind:
- Black overpowers – Add black very sparingly, starting with 1 part black to 8 parts brown.
- Umbers deepen gently – For a more natural effect, use raw or burnt umber to darken in moderation.
- Do not overmix – Dark paints can start to look flat and muddy if blended too long. Stop when the color is evenly incorporated.
- Check on a swatch – Mix a small test batch first to ensure you achieve the desired darkness before mixing a full quantity.
Blending brown with complementary colors like green or blue is another way to create beautiful, complex deep brown hues.
Troubleshooting Homemade Brown Paint
When cooking up your own brown paint colors, there are a few issues that can arise. Here are some common problems and how to avoid them:
Problem: Paint is streaky or uneven
- Solution: Mix paint thoroughly until no streaks remain before adding to project. Avoid over-diluting with water/medium.
Problem: Paint dried darker or lighter than expected
- Solution: Test formulas on swatch before mixing full batch. Allow test swatch to dry fully to see actual dried color.
Problem: Paint loses vibrancy when dry
- Solution: Use higher quality paints with good pigment load. Add a few drops of acrylic artist medium to intensify color.
Problem: Paint changes hue as it dries
- Solution: Certain colors shift after drying – test before committing. Adding white/black can also alter undertones.
When first starting out mixing custom paints, make small test batches to learn how the colors interact together as they dry. This helps avoid surprises and wasted paint mixes.
Storing and Maintaining Mixed Paint
For the best results using your homemade mixed paint, proper storage is key. Here are some tips for keeping your paint in good condition:
- Store airtight – Seal containers tightly to avoid air exposure, which can cause drying/skinning.
- Use clean containers – Ensure containers are free of old dried paint residue that could contaminate the color.
- Limit oxygen – For oil-based paints, pour a thin layer of water on top to prevent oxidization.
- Keep cool – Store paint away from heat sources to prevent premature drying/spoiling.
- Check before reusing – Before using stored paint, give it a good stir and verify the color and consistency.
- Use quickly – Mix only what you’ll use within a few days for fastest results.
Properly stored and maintained, homemade paint mixes can last for many uses. But for the freshest, most accurate colors, aim to mix paint as needed for each new project.
Conclusion
Mixing up the perfect warm brown paint color is easy with the right combination of paints and ratios. Choosing warm-hued paints like ochre, umber, and sienna and blending them together in different proportions lets you achieve an endless variety of rich, welcoming brown tones. With a little practice and some handy tips for adjusting the color, you’ll be custom mixing beautiful warm browns tailored to your projects in no time.
