When mixing paint to achieve a brown color, there are a few key things to consider. The specific shades and amounts of paint you use will determine the exact brown tone you get. However, in general, brown paint is created by mixing complementary colors from opposite sides of the color wheel. The most common combinations used to make various hues of brown paint are:
Red And Green
Mixing red and green paint is one of the most popular ways to make brown. Red and green are complements on the standard RYB (red, yellow, blue) color wheel. When blended together, they neutralize each other’s intensity and create a muted, earthy brown. The amount of each color you use controls the brown’s warmth or coolness.
More red makes a warmer, orange-brown. More green gives a cooler, olive-type brown. Play around with different red to green ratios until you get your desired shade of brown. Leafy greens, emerald greens, and forest greens work well for a natural look. Bright reds and burnt reds also mix nicely.
Yellow And Purple
Another complementary pair that mixes into various browns is yellow and purple. These are opposites on the RYB color wheel. Mixing yellow and violet paint produces rich, deep brown tones. The more yellow you add, the warmer and more golden-brown the mix will be. With more purple, you get a cooler, grayer-brown.
Naples yellow and cadmium yellow give warm, sunny hues. Avoid lemon yellow as this can make greens instead of browns. For the purple, try mixing blue into crimson red rather than using an actual purple tube color. This allows more control over the tone. Small amounts of white can also lighten and soften the brown.
Orange And Blue
Orange and blue are another complementary pair that blend together for versatile browns. With more orange in the mix, you get coppery, rustic browns. Adding more blue results in cooler, chocolate browns. Burnt sienna and burnt umber are tube colors that essentially combine orange and blue pigments already.
For mixing your own, use a bright orange like cadmium orange. Prussian blue, cobalt blue, and ultramarine make nice deep blues. Adjust the proportions until you get the precise shade of brown you want. A touch of black can also be used to darken and neutralize the mix.
Red, Yellow, And Blue
Browns can also be made by blending all three primary colors – red, yellow and blue. With equal parts of each, you get a neutral dark brown. Adjusting the ratios results in warmer or cooler variations.
More yellow gives golden browns, more blue makes ashy or grayish browns, and extra red brings in orange-brown tones. Use cadmium reds and yellows for brightness. Try mixing ultramarine or Prussian blue with a crimson red rather than using straight primary blue and red.
Brown Tube Colors
While brown can be mixed from other paints, there are also convenient premixed brown tube colors you can buy. These offer quick, consistent shades of brown without having to blend. Some popular brown paints include:
- Burnt umber – a warm, reddish-brown
- Raw umber – a greenish-yellow brown
- Burnt sienna – a warm orange-brown
- Raw sienna – yellowish-brown
- Sepia – a grayish, antique brown
- Van Dyke brown – a dark, warm brown
- Coffee brown – a neutral, slightly reddish brown
These basic brown paints can be intermixed to create additional shades. Adding white makes them lighter. Black darkens them. Yellow, red, blue, orange, and purple can all tweak the temperature as needed. Browns are very versatile and work for all kinds of painting techniques and subjects.
Acrylic vs. Oil Paints for Brown
Both acrylic and oil paints can be used to mix and apply brown tones. There are some differences between the two mediums to consider.
Acrylic paints have these characteristics when making browns:
- Mix and dry very quickly
- Colors blend and spread easily on the palette and canvas
- Easy to control opacity – thin with water or medium for translucent browns
- Hues can shift slightly darker as the acrylics dry
- Can be used for painting techniques like glazing, dry brushing, etc.
Oil paints behave this way when blending browns:
- Mix more slowly but generally blend well
- Long drying time allows more open mixing time on the palette
- Rich, buttery texture – opaque brown tones
- Colors darken over time due to oil paint’s natural yellowing
- Glazing and blending is easy given the slow drying time
Both types of paint allow for vibrant, flexible brown mixing. Acrylics tend to be a bit more forgiving for beginners. Oils provide lush blends with time to tweak the tones. Use whichever medium you are most comfortable with.
Tips for Mixing Browns
Follow these tips when exploring brown paint mixing:
- Start with small amounts and add gradually until you get the desired shade – it’s easy to add but tough to remove excess.
- Mix complements like red/green, orange/blue, yellow/purple for rich browns.
- Adjust warmth with more yellow, orange, red. Cool with blue, green, white.
- Adding white makes tints. Black makes shades. Gray dilutes intensity.
- Test on a palette first before applying to your painting surface.
- Match the intensity/tinting strength so stronger colors don’t overpower.
- Canvas swatches can be helpful to record and compare brown mixes.
Sample Brown Paint Mixes
Here is a table showing some sample brown paint mixes to try with acrylic or oil paints:
| Color 1 | Color 2 | Resulting Brown Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Burnt Sienna | Lemon Yellow | Golden brown |
| Burnt Umber | Ultramarine Blue | Deep chocolate brown |
| Alizarin Crimson | Prussian Blue | Rich mahogany brown |
| Cadmium Yellow | Dioxazine Purple | Autumnal brown |
| Yellow Ochre | Cerulean Blue | Muted tan brown |
Uses for Brown Paint
Mixed browns have versatility for all kinds of painting subjects. Here are some common uses for brown paint:
- Landscapes – for earth tones in dirt, rocks, trees, pathways
- Portraits – within skin tones, eyes, hair
- Still life – on vases, wood, flowers, boxes, foods
- Abstract – as a neutral base color for layered techniques
- Wildlife/Pets – for fur, feathers, hooves, hides, horns
- Barns, cabins, cottages – for weathered wood textures
- Sepia effects – as an antique, vintage color scheme
Browns are endlessly useful for all painting subjects and styles. Keep a selection of both mixed and tube browns readily available whenever painting.
Conclusion
Brown is an extremely versatile color to have in your artistic palette. It can be easily mixed using complementary paints like red/green, orange/blue, and yellow/purple. The proportions of each color determine the exact warm or cool brown tone. Tube browns like burnt umber, raw sienna, and sepia also provide handy premixed options. Browns are essential for landscapes, portraits, still life, animals, buildings, and more. Mix, experiment, and become confident using browns to bring your artwork to life.
