Probably everyone knows that green is made by mixing blue and yellow but that does not always make an exciting green or one that you will want for your fine art creation. For a more exciting, unique and satisfying painting, you might want to mix your pigment rather than resorting to premixed pants.
Mixing my own greens was a difficult task and I couldn't seem to get it right! There are a myriad of choices for blues and yellows when selecting one to create your own mixed greens. For you to achieve the green that you desire, practice using different blues and yellows and different proportions of each and see how they turn out. Record what and how much of it you were using, so when you do find that perfect combination that 'brings a smile to your face' you will be able to reproduce it whenever you wish while practicing the mixes.
The quality of the greens you mix will depend on the blues and the yellows that you use. Some will produce a muddy or darker value and some a very light and vibrant green. The rule is to add the darker pigment to the lighter pigment when mixing any color, so begin with a yellow and slowly add the blue. It just takes a lot more paint to make a dark color lighter. In your color wheel, you should find Phtyalocyanine blue and Azo yellow and start with those colors.
Green and red makes brown, doesn't it?
Yes, brown is an effect of that combination. There are other combinations that can make different brown values. You need to mix a primary color with a pigment that corresponds to its hue so that the mix will be balanced. This is then known as a tertiary color. This is the term used when a primary color is mixed with a secondary color that harmonizes with it.
Rather than introducing another tone into the painting it is always best to use the colors that you have used throughout your painting when mixing browns. Fine art should be unified and harmonious. Adding green to red or purple to yellow or orange to blue are among the many combinations to choose for making brown. Keep a record of all your combinations as each will bring a different value of brown. Achieving the perfect color mixture but then not being able to reproduce it can be so frustrating.
For example, there will be different shades of brown needed to bring a painting of a brown horse to life. A glazing method is what you will want to use to bring out the sheen of the horse's torso and layered colors to build the depth of the muscles. To achieve the illusion of a 3-D horse, since the animal is not one dimensional, on your canvas you will need to build different layers of the browns that you mix no matter what medium you choose to use. Experts say that for creating the darker tones add some burnt umber or indigo blue, and a sap green for the under-painting is best for reddish or chestnut browns. To create a lighter shade use light ochre and the horse will be golden, but for a chestnut horse add bright red to burnt sienna. For a dark brown effect, use layers of semi-transparent colors to build layers.
Mixing my own greens was a difficult task and I couldn't seem to get it right! There are a myriad of choices for blues and yellows when selecting one to create your own mixed greens. For you to achieve the green that you desire, practice using different blues and yellows and different proportions of each and see how they turn out. Record what and how much of it you were using, so when you do find that perfect combination that 'brings a smile to your face' you will be able to reproduce it whenever you wish while practicing the mixes.
The quality of the greens you mix will depend on the blues and the yellows that you use. Some will produce a muddy or darker value and some a very light and vibrant green. The rule is to add the darker pigment to the lighter pigment when mixing any color, so begin with a yellow and slowly add the blue. It just takes a lot more paint to make a dark color lighter. In your color wheel, you should find Phtyalocyanine blue and Azo yellow and start with those colors.
Green and red makes brown, doesn't it?
Yes, brown is an effect of that combination. There are other combinations that can make different brown values. You need to mix a primary color with a pigment that corresponds to its hue so that the mix will be balanced. This is then known as a tertiary color. This is the term used when a primary color is mixed with a secondary color that harmonizes with it.
Rather than introducing another tone into the painting it is always best to use the colors that you have used throughout your painting when mixing browns. Fine art should be unified and harmonious. Adding green to red or purple to yellow or orange to blue are among the many combinations to choose for making brown. Keep a record of all your combinations as each will bring a different value of brown. Achieving the perfect color mixture but then not being able to reproduce it can be so frustrating.
For example, there will be different shades of brown needed to bring a painting of a brown horse to life. A glazing method is what you will want to use to bring out the sheen of the horse's torso and layered colors to build the depth of the muscles. To achieve the illusion of a 3-D horse, since the animal is not one dimensional, on your canvas you will need to build different layers of the browns that you mix no matter what medium you choose to use. Experts say that for creating the darker tones add some burnt umber or indigo blue, and a sap green for the under-painting is best for reddish or chestnut browns. To create a lighter shade use light ochre and the horse will be golden, but for a chestnut horse add bright red to burnt sienna. For a dark brown effect, use layers of semi-transparent colors to build layers.
