How to Mix Brown Oil Paint
To mix brown with oil paint, combine 3 parts Raw Sienna, 1 part Burnt Sienna and 1 part Ivory Black. Brown is what you get when all three primaries meet, or when a color meets its complement. Earth pigments like sienna are the easiest starting point; adjust warmth with red or yellow.
Opens the free browser simulator with these colors on the palette. Squeeze them out and blend with the palette knife.
Step by step
- Put down 3 parts of Raw Sienna. It is the largest amount, so it is your base.
- Add 1 part of Burnt Sienna.
- Add 1 part of Ivory Black. It is a strong tinter, so add it a little at a time and check the color as you go.
- Blend with a palette knife, folding the paint over itself until no streaks of the separate colors remain.
- Pull a thin smear out to the side. Thin paint shows the true color better than a thick pile.
Lighter versions of brown
The same recipe with more and more titanium white mixed in, by volume:
#704727
#9E7355
#B28C72
#C6A994
#DFD0C4
Another way to mix brown
With Cadmium Orange and Winsor Violet: 5 parts Cadmium Orange and 2 parts Winsor Violet.
Tips for mixing browns and neutrals
Browns are complementary mixes. If a brown looks too red, add a little green; too yellow, add a little violet or blue; too cold, add sienna.
Questions
What colors make brown?
To mix brown with oil paint, combine 3 parts Raw Sienna, 1 part Burnt Sienna and 1 part Ivory Black. You can also mix it from 5 parts Cadmium Orange and 2 parts Winsor Violet.
How do you make brown lighter?
Add titanium white a little at a time. Adding the same amount of white as the whole mix gives about #C6A994. White also cools and softens a color, so you may need a touch more of the warm color in the recipe to keep the same character.
How do you make brown darker?
Add a little ultramarine or black. Ultramarine with a brown gives a deep, cool dark that still looks like color.