Brown is a dark, warm, and neutral color that can be produced by mixing other colors together. The specific colors that are blended to create different shades of brown depend on whether you are working with paints, dyes, or other pigments. Here’s an overview of the main color combinations that result in browns.
Combining Primary Colors
In painting or other color systems that use the primary colors red, yellow, and blue, browns can be made by mixing together red and green. Green is the secondary color made from blending yellow and blue. When you mix red and green paints or pigments, the resulting color is a neutralized brown.
Different shades of brown can be achieved by adjusting the proportions of red and green. Using more red will produce reddish browns, while increasing the amount of green will result in olive or yellowish-green browns.
Using Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are located directly across from each other on the color wheel. When complementary colors are mixed, they neutralize each other to create a gray or brown tone.
Some examples of complementary color pairs that can make brown are:
- Orange + Blue
- Red-orange + Blue-green
- Yellow-orange + Blue-violet
Varying the quantity of each complementary color will shift the exact brown shade. With more of the warmer orange, red-orange, or yellow-orange hues, the brown takes on a richer, darker appearance. Increasing the amount of the cooler blue side results in muted, softer browns.
Mixing Primary and Secondary Colors
In the traditional RYB (red, yellow, blue) color model, browns can also be produced by combining a primary color with an adjacent secondary color on the color wheel. Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors.
Some primary + secondary color mixes that make different brown hues are:
- Red + Orange (made from yellow + red)
- Yellow + Green (made from yellow + blue)
- Blue + Violet (made from blue + red)
Once again, the exact ratio of the two colors blended together determines the brown’s undertones and intensity. Using more of the primary color results in deeper, richer browns.
Tertiary Color Mixing
Tertiary colors are made by combining a primary color with an adjacent secondary color. These colors can also be mixed to produce browns.
Some examples of tertiary color combinations that form different brown shades are:
- Red-orange + Yellow-green
- Yellow-orange + Blue-green
- Blue-violet + Red-violet
With tertiary mixing, adjusting the quantities changes the brown’s warmth and depth. More of the color on the red-orange to yellow-orange side creates warmer, richer browns. Increasing the blue-green to blue-violet tertiary makes muted, cooler browns.
Mixing Analogous Colors
Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color wheel. They are similar in hue, which allows them to create harmonious color combinations. Analogous colors can blend together to make natural, earthy browns.
Some analogous mixes that produce browns include:
- Red + Red-orange + Orange
- Yellow-orange + Yellow + Yellow-green
- Blue-green + Blue + Blue-violet
Using more of the middle color in each analogous trio results in more neutral browns. Increasing the first or third color makes bolder, more saturated browns.
Mixing Colors with Brown Pigments
Another way to achieve brown is by adding brown pigments like raw umber or burnt sienna to other colors. These earthy pigments darken and neutralize the original hue into different shades of brown.
Some examples of mixing browns with other colors include:
- Burnt umber + Cyan
- Raw umber + Violet
- Burnt sienna + Green
The brown pigment overwhelms the original color and creates a muted, natural brown. Varying the ratio of brown pigment to the other color changes the depth and intensity of the finished brown.
Combining Paint Colors
When mixing paint to create brown, using a warm color like red, orange, or yellow as a base and then adding small amounts of a cooler color like blue, green, or purple will produce different brown tones.
Here is a table showing some examples of paint color mixes that result in browns:
| Base Color | Added Color | Resulting Brown |
|---|---|---|
| Orange | Blue | Reddish brown |
| Yellow | Purple | Olive brown |
| Red | Green | Russet brown |
The brown becomes deeper and more saturated by increasing the quantity of the warm base color compared to the cool added color. Neutral, soft browns result from more equal ratios of the mixed colors.
Mixing Dye Colors
With dyes, browns can be produced by combining colors from opposite sides of the color wheel. This neutralizes the colors into more natural, muted browns.
Some examples of dye mixes that make different shades of brown include:
- Red + Green
- Orange + Blue
- Yellow + Purple
Varying the proportions of the two colors changes the brown tone. Using more of a warm color like red, orange, or yellow makes rich, deep browns. Increasing the amount of a cool color like blue, green, or purple creates softer, neutral browns.
Mixing and Layering Oil Paints
With oil paints, browns can be produced by mixing colors directly on the canvas or palette. Layering thin glazes of different colors on top of each other is another oil painting technique that results in rich browns.
Some examples of layering oil paint colors to make browns include:
- Orange over blue
- Burnt sienna over ultramarine blue
- Yellow ochre over purple
The undertone of the bottom color influences the tone of the brown. Warmer undercolors like orange result in reddish browns, while cooler shades like purple make more neutral earth tones.
Mixing Tempera or Acrylics
For tempera or acrylic painting, browns can be blended by combining the paints before applying them to the canvas. Or glazing layers can be built up similar to oil paints.
Some tempera/acrylic mixes that produce rich browns include:
- Red + Green
- Orange + Blue
- Yellow + Violet
Adjusting the quantity of each color changes the shades. More of the warmer color results in deeper reddish or golden browns. Increasing the cooler color makes muted lighter browns.
Mixing Watercolors
With watercolor paints, various browns can be created by blending wet paints directly on the paper. Allowing transparent layers of different colors to mix results in natural, luminous browns.
Some examples of wet-on-wet watercolor mixing to produce browns include:
- Scarlet + Forest green
- Gamboge + Ultramarine
- Cadmium yellow + Violet
Varying the amount of each color and leaving some areas unblended creates richer browns with more depth and interest.
Mixing Color Chalks
For color chalk drawings, layering and blending chalks on textured paper produces soft natural brown tones.
Some color chalk mixes that result in earthy browns include:
- Orange chalk + blue chalk
- Yellow chalk + violet chalk
- Red chalk + green chalk
Heavier application of the warm color chalk makes darker values. Lighter pressure with more of the cool chalk creates lighter browns.
Mixing Soft Pastels
With soft pastels, combining colors through direct mixing or layering on the paper produces rich transparent browns.
Some examples of color mixes with soft pastels that result in browns are:
- Blending red, orange and yellow pastels
- Laying purple over yellow
- Scrubbing green over red
Using more orange and red makes warmer reddish browns. Increasing purple and green creates cooler and more neutral soft browns.
Mixing Fabric Dyes
For dyeing fabric, fiber, or yarn, neutral browns can be achieved by blending complementary colors from opposite sides of the color wheel.
Some examples of complementary dye mixes that produce different shades of brown include:
- Red + Green
- Orange + Blue
- Yellow + Violet
Adjusting the amount of each color changes the brown tone. More of the warm color results in richer browns, while increasing the cooler color makes softer muted browns.
Mixing Food Colors
With food coloring for icing, cake batter, or candy making, natural browns can be produced by blending complementary gel colors.
Some food color mixes that result in appetizing browns include:
- Red + Green
- Orange + Blue
- Yellow + Violet
Varying the food color quantities changes the richness of the brown. Adding more of a warm color like orange makes deeper chocolate browns. Increasing the cool color amount produces softer caramel browns.
Mixing Hair Dyes
For hair coloring, neutral brown hues can be achieved by blending together complementary shades from opposite sides of the color spectrum.
Some examples of complementary hair dye mixes that result in natural brunette shades include:
- Auburn + Ash tones
- Golden + Violet tones
- Copper + Green tones
Adjusting the ratio changes the depth and undertone. More warmth from the auburn, golden, or copper dyes creates richer chestnut browns. Increasing the cool ash, violet, or green dyes results in softer beige-browns.
Conclusion
Brown is an incredibly versatile color that comes in all different shades and intensities. Mastering how to blend and layer colors to produce browns unlocks a wide range of creative possibilities. Whether mixing paint, dyes, food color, or other pigments, combining warm and cool complementary colors is the key technique for achieving natural, neutral brown tones.