Acrylic Color Help Please

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I am having trouble mixing browns. Once in awhile I end up with the shade I need out of shear volume of colors tossed in, but it is totally accidental and I can never copy it again later. It is irritating the crap out of me!

I even broke down and bought brown in a tube, but when I try to lighten it with white, it turns more of a gray than the tan or beige I am aiming for. I know this has got to be really easy and I'm just stupid as hell... so can one of you old pros with acrylics please oh please tell me the best mix combo for a nice light brown....?

that is all.

Comments: 8

Daniel S. Apr 6, 2007, 3:52am EDT

Burnt umber + vermillion + black

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Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 6, 2007, 3:53am EDT

Ahhh I just ran out of burnt umber and have not bought vermillion. I will do that today and give this combo a shot. thanks muchly!

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Trine Meyer Vogsland Apr 6, 2007, 7:36am EDT

mixing colours is not easy. I have used up loads of paint to practice mixing and still I can not always get that mix I remember from an earlier work. So it is all natural to struggle. When you see the talented ones mixing they seem to add a touch of that and a touch of that and another small touch of that just to warm it up a little etc etc. I have accepted that doing that takes lots of practice so I've stopped getting severly annoyed all the time, LOL I just buy big tubes of paint to allow me to waste a bit. I think I got stuck a bit in immature land myself before I really dared mixing a lot. So stop hitting yourself. It takes time. Besided mixing acrylics is somewhat different from mixing oils which is different from mixing watercolours although the basic rules apply for all.

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Lori (Dr Devience) Leidig Apr 6, 2007, 9:58am EDT

Thanks Trine. I don't feel so bloody stooopid now, any way. It just seems like a nice light brown or tan or beige would be so freakin simple, yet it is what I seem to have the most trouble with. Ohj.

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Melissa The Pirate Princess is still alive! Apr 6, 2007, 11:19am EDT

Have you tried mixing brown with a smidge of yellow?

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Barbara F. Apr 6, 2007, 11:54am EDT

have you tried burnt sienna for a reddish brown?

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Nancy S. Apr 6, 2007, 1:10pm EDT

It is really hard to get the same color twice, so I suggest you make enough for a whole painting. You may end up throwing some out, but better that than mismatched colors.

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Mary C Legg Apr 7, 2007, 2:53am EDT

mixing colors is really not esy-- and it has nothing to do with being stupid-- it's a problem because until peole try for themselves, they don't see how terrifickly complicated a craft or discipline really is -- you might look online for a short tutorial and find out how complex it really must be since it is based on chemical reactions

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Acrylic Color Help Please

Comments: 8

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