Mix the colors to make purple. Useful video: how to mix colors

“We touched on the basic principles of drawing - what you need to do to draw approximately what you want. And they did this using the example of pencil and paper. Why? Because it is easier than learning how to paint with paints, since in the case of using paints in addition to the problem " How should I draw this? the problem “” appears - so that what comes out is very similar to what was intended. And in this article we will try to give an accurate answer to this question.

How to get the right color? There are two ways. The first is traditional, using the well-known color wheel:

So, there are primary colors:

• yellow
  
• blue
  
• red .

Which when mixed give

• orange
  
• green
  
• violet
  
• brown .

Moreover, the shades of mixed colors depend on the proportion of primary colors. And, using the color wheel, you can get the desired color like this:

1. Take a certain amount of the main color (for example, blue )
2. Add some second primary color (for example, yellow )
3. Compare the result green with what you wanted to get
4. Add one or another primary color to correct the shade.
5. Or simply take the desired shade of green from a tube jar.

Why does the last point arise? take the desired shade from the jar? Because getting the desired color by mixing the main ones sometimes happens difficult.

Basically, to start, you can get the desired color using such a color wheel. However, as skill increases, the need for more precise color selection increases. Indeed, with the help of the described principles, it often turns out dirt. For example, it is very difficult to get a good violet color by mixing red And blue. Or is it difficult to get necessary shades green , orange, brown colors. That is, the principles do not take into account any factors that affect the result when mixing colors.

We are happy to tell you that these factors really exist, and, moreover, with their help you can cope with the problem of “dirt” and still learn how to get the right colors not by intuitive mixing, but by ordinary simple sequence of actions. This sequence and the reasons for the “dirtyness” of the standard color wheel were discovered not by us, but by Michael Wilcox. Who wrote the book " . How to get the color you really need". By the way, you can download this book by Michael Wilcox from the link Blue and yellow do not make green.

Naturally, it will not be possible to present all the material in the book in one article, so we will limit ourselves to the main points, and we recommend getting the details from this very book by Michael Wilcox, “Blue and Yellow Don’t Make Green.”

So, how can you reliably and accurately get the color you want?

To do this, it is necessary to take into account an important theoretical point. Why do we see color? Because different objects (including paint pigment) have different surface, which reflects light differently from the sun or other light source. That is, the surface of, for example, a bathtub, has such a structure that it reflects all colors and absorbs nothing. And all the colors of the rainbow, as we know, form white. Accordingly, the bathtub appears white. On the other hand, the surface of soot has such a structure that it absorbs all the light falling on it. And soot doesn't reflect anything. As a result, we see black soot.

What happens if you mix white and soot? It will turn out beautiful grey color. Why? Because light is reflected from pieces of white completely, as white. And then it is partially absorbed by soot particles. The more soot in the white, the darker the gray it turns out - due to the fact that more and more white light reflected by the white particles is absorbed by the soot particles.

The exact same principle works for colored pigments. Thus, red paint is red because it primarily reflects red color. Blue color looks blue, since the pigment in its composition absorbs all colors except blue. It “works” exactly the same way yellow color - the pigment absorbs most colors except yellow.

Next, we move on to mixing colors. So, for example, you take blue paint and red paint. Mix them and get dirt. Why? Because the reflected color is red ABSORBED blue pigment in the same way as all the falling color. Accordingly, the red pigment absorbs all the radiation is blue - because the nature of its surface is designed so that predominantly red pigment is reflected.

But you may ask: “What nonsense, because mixing blue And yellow we still get green, and according to your theory, it should also turn out to be dirt?” Well, if truly pure colors existed in nature, then we would see the formation of dirt. But there is one thing But, which makes it possible not only to mix colors, but also to carefully and reliably select the truly desired shade of color.

So, the pigment reflects more than just light. Light of the same wavelength is reflected in greater least. Thus, the red pigment mainly reflects red color. But nevertheless, all other colors are also reflected (for example, violet or orange). Exactly the same can be said about yellow color - the pigment predominantly reflects yellow, but nevertheless it can be reflected in sufficiently large quantities orange or green. WITH blue same thing - it can carry additional “harmonics” green or purple .

So there is Not three primary colors. Eat six primary colors:

1. Mainly reflective paint red and to a lesser but significant extent orange .
2. Paint that mainly reflects red and to a lesser (but significant) extent violet .
3. A pigment that primarily reflects yellow and in addition green .
4. A pigment that primarily reflects yellow and plus an additive orange .
5. Mainly reflective material blue and partially violet .
6. Material that reflects predominantly blue and partially green .

Well, have you already understood the principle of color formation?

It's very simple: you take yellow from point 3 and blue from point 6, mix these colors. Blue pigment neutralizes yellow, yellow pigment absorbs blue. What color remains? Right, green! And not just green, but beautiful, bright and juicy green.

In the same way: by mixing blue from point 5 and red from point 2, you neutralize the blue and red colors, and a rich and rich color appears violet color.

And finally: by mixing yellow 4 and red 1, you get orange due to the fact that the red pigment will absorb radiation from the yellow pigment, and yellow will absorb the reflected radiation from the red pigment.

The result was NEW color wheel of six primary colors:

The colors have arrows that indicate the path for optimal manifestation of the “mixed” color. Respectively, variety of shades is born as a result of one or another combination of these SIX primary colors. “Wrong” combinations (for example, blue 6 and red 1) produce dull shades of colors (for example, dirty purple). The combination of one “correct” color and one “wrong” color (for example, blue 6 and red 2) produces more pronounced shades (for example, a brighter purple). And finally, the combination of the “right” dyes (for example, blue 5 and red 2) produces a pure and bright color (bright and beautiful purple).

Naturally, reading the article is not enough to master getting the desired color. It is best to read the book " Blue and yellow do not give green» by Michael Wilcox plus do the practical color matching exercises described in the book. But nevertheless, the answer to our question has been received.

Have you decided to take up painting or are you painting furniture? But don't know how to get different shades? Paint mixing charts and tips will help you do this.

Basic Concepts

Before you start studying paint mixing tables, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with some definitions that will make it easy to understand a new material. The words used in the theory and practice of mixing shades are explained below. These are not scientific encyclopedic definitions, but transcripts in a language understandable to the average beginner, without the presence of complex terminology.

Achromatic colors are all intermediate shades between black and white, that is, gray. These paints contain only a tonal component (dark - light), and there is no “color” as such. Those where it is present are called chromatic.

Primary colors are red, blue, yellow. They cannot be obtained by mixing any other colors. Those that can are compound.

Saturation is a characteristic that distinguishes it from an achromatic shade that is identical in lightness. Next, let's look at what a table for mixing paints for painting is.

Range

Paint mixing tables are usually presented as a matrix of rectangles or squares or as schemes of shade combinations with numerical values ​​or percentages of each color component.

The fundamental table is the spectrum. It can be depicted as a stripe or a circle. The second option turns out to be more convenient, visual and understandable. In fact, the spectrum is a schematic image of a ray of light decomposed into color components, in other words, a rainbow.

This table contains both primary and secondary colors. The more sectors in this circle, the greater the number of intermediate shades. In the picture above there are also gradations of lightness. Each ring corresponds to a specific tone.

The shade of each sector is obtained by mixing neighboring colors along the ring.

How to mix achromatic colors

There is such a painting technique as grisaille. It involves creating a painting using gradations of exclusively achromatic colors. Sometimes brown or another shade is added. Below is a table of mixing colors for paints when working using this method.

Please note that when working with gouache, oil, or acrylic, a grayer shade is created by not only reducing the amount of black, but also adding white. In watercolors, professionals do not use this paint, but dilute it

How to mix with white and black

In order to get a darker or lighter shade of the pigment that you have in your set, you need to mix it with achromatic colors. This is how you work with gouache and mix acrylic paints. The table located further is suitable for working with any material.

There are different numbers of ready-made colors in the kits, so compare what you have with the desired shade. When you add white, you will get what are called pastel colors.

Below is shown how a gradation of several complex colors is obtained from the lightest, almost white, to very dark.

Mixing watercolor paints

The table below can be used for both painting methods: glaze or single layer. The difference is that in the first version, the final shade is obtained by visually combining different tones superimposed on one another. The second method involves mechanically creating the desired color by combining pigments on a palette.

How this is done is easy to understand using the example of the first line with purple tones from the picture above. Layer-by-layer execution is done like this:

1. Fill all the squares with a light tone, which can be achieved by using a small amount of paint and enough water.
2. After drying, apply the same color to the second and third elements.
3. Repeat the steps as many times as necessary. In this version there are only three color transition cells, but there may be more.

When working using the glaze painting technique, it is worth remembering that it is better to mix different colors in no more than five layers. The previous one must be well dried.

In the event that you prepare the required color immediately on the palette, the sequence of working with the same purple gradation will be as follows:

1. Apply color by taking a little paint on a wet brush. Apply to the first rectangle.
2. Add pigment, fill the second element.
3. Dip the brush further into the paint and make a third cell.

When working in one layer, you must first mix all the colors on the palette. This means that in the first method the final shade is obtained by optical mixing, and in the second - mechanical.

Gouache and oil

The techniques for working with these materials are similar, since the pigments are always presented in the form of a creamy mass. If the gouache has dried, it is first diluted with water to the desired consistency. Any set always contains white. They are usually used up faster than others, so they are sold in separate jars or tubes.

Mixing (table below), like gouache, is not a difficult task. The advantage of these techniques is that the next layer completely covers the previous one. If you make a mistake and after drying you don’t like the resulting shade, make a new one and apply it on top. The previous one will not show through if you work with thick colors, without diluting them with liquid (water for gouache, solvent for oil).

Paintings using this painting technique can even be textured, when a thick mass is applied impasto, that is, in a thick layer. Often a special tool is used for this - a palette knife, which is a metal spatula on a handle.

The proportions of mixed paints and the necessary colors to obtain the desired shade are shown in the previous table diagram. It is worth saying that it is enough to have only three primary colors in the set (red, yellow and blue), as well as black and white. From them, in different combinations, all other shades are obtained. The main thing is that the paints in the jar should be exactly the main spectral tones, that is, for example, not pink or crimson, but red.

Working with acrylic

Most often, these paints are used on wood, cardboard, glass, stone, making decorative crafts. In this case, the process is the same as when using gouache or oil. If the surface has been pre-primed and the paints are suitable for it, obtaining the desired shade will not be difficult. Below are examples of mixing shades with acrylic.

For (batik) they are also used, but they are sold in jars of liquid consistency and are similar to printer ink. In this case, the colors are mixed according to the watercolor principle on a palette with the addition of water, rather than white.

Once you understand how to use paint mixing charts, you can easily create an unlimited number of shades using watercolor, oil, or acrylic.

The color mixing table allows you to learn how to get the right one when mixing two or more colors and shades.

This table is used in various fields of art - fine art, modeling, and others. Can also be used in construction when mixing paints and plasters.

Color Mixing Chart 1

Color mixing chart 2

Mixing paints
black= brown+blue+red in equal proportions
black= brown+blue.
gray and black= blue, green, red and yellow are mixed in equal proportions, and then one or the other is added by eye. it turns out we need more blue and red
black= it turns out if you mix red, blue and brown
black=red, green and blue. You can additionally add brown.
bodily= red and yellow paint... just a little bit. After kneading, if it turns yellow, add a little red, if a little yellow paint turns pink. If the color turns out to be very saturated, add a piece of white mastic and mix again
dark cherry= red + brown + a little blue (cyan)
strawberry= 3 parts pink + 1 part red
Turkiz= 6 parts sky blue + 1 part yellow
silver gray= 1 hour black + 1 hour blue
dark red= 1 part red + a little black
rust color= 8 hours orange + 2 hours red + 1 hour brown
greenish= 9 hours sky blue + a little yellow
dark green= green+a little black
lavender=5 parts pink + 1 part purple
bodily= a little copper color
nautical=5h. blue+1 hour green
peach=2h. orange + 1 tsp. dark yellow
dark pink=2h. red+1 hour brown
Navy blue=1h. blue+1h. Sereneviy
avocado= 4h. yellow + 1 part green + a little black
coral=3 hours pink + 2 hours yellow
gold= 10 hours yellow + 3 hours orange + 1 hour red
plum = 1 part purple + a little red
light green= 2 hours purple + 3 hours yellow

red + yellow = orange
red + ocher + white = apricot
red + green = brown
red + blue = violet
red + blue + green = black
yellow + white + green = citric
yellow + cyan or blue = green
yellow + brown = ocher
yellow + green + white + red = tobacco
blue + green = sea ​​wave
orange + brown = terracotta
red + white = coffee with milk
brown + white + yellow = beige
light green=green+yellow, more yellow,+white= light green

lilac=blue+red+white, more red and white, +white= light lilac
lilac= red and blue, with red predominating
Pistachio paint obtained by mixing yellow paint with a small amount of blue

Whatever you say, this color is magical, but it evokes dual feelings: on the one hand, it is a kind of sadness, and on the other, peace and tranquility. In this article we will look at how to get blue by mixing paints. Let's find out what shades exist and what they are called. Let's consider what percentage is needed to solve the problem set before us: how to get blue?

Blue color. Psychological perception

It is this shade that has attracted humanity since ancient times. He was always given special attention. So in Ancient Egypt, the process of sacrifice to the Gods was depicted in this color. In astrology it corresponds to the planet Venus. In esotericism it is used for meditation, concentration, and also for the process of self-knowledge. In the modern world, psychologists have an ambiguous attitude towards this tone: on the one hand, it promotes concentration to achieve a set goal, and on the other hand, it can separate a person from reality and introduces emotional coldness into the worldview.

In psychology, various color tests are used, and one of the most effective is the Luscher test, according to which the tone we describe symbolizes calmness and self-satisfaction. This test can determine a person’s stress tolerance and communication abilities. Each time the test amazes with its accuracy; like a faithful friend, it can give answers to questions that have been brewing inside for a long time.

Shades of blue

Our described tone is noble and stylish. It hides the peace of the cold sky and the raging passion of the sea. How to get blue? Mixing colors will give a large number of related tones and halftones, the percentage recipe is varied. There are many shades of it. And how beautifully they are called! Based on the names alone, you can understand how much we love this shade, how it inspires and gives strength. So, as an example, we give the following names of shades of blue: cornflower blue, dove blue, Niagara color, cyan, ultramarine, heavenly, sea wave, light blue, azure, Persian blue, royal blue, indigo, Prussian blue, sapphire, blue-black. Here are the main shades of the tone we are describing. In addition to them, many semi-shades can be distinguished, that’s how multifaceted this tone is.

Even any shade can have different characteristics: blue is frivolous and playful, because it is not for nothing that they say “blue dream”, in other words, unrealistic and unrealistic. But the shade “indigo” is identified with highly developed mental abilities. Children who are mentally gifted are often called “indigos.” It is also worth taking into account a person’s tendency in clothing and in choosing an interior in favor of the specified tone, and the first thing that can be said about him is that this person has an analytical mind. But let's return to the main question: how to get blue?

Mixing colors

After all, it is the primary color, but we can get a large number of its shades using different tones. So how do you get blue when mixing colors? Consider getting "Royal Blue". To do this, you need to use blue as the main tone, adding to it a small part of black and a drop of green. As a result of this mixing, the desired shade should be obtained. How to get blue, but a brighter shade than the previous one? To do this, we use the same colors that we described above, but in this case we need to halve the amount of black. The result of mixing should be a beautiful dark blue shade.

Now let's look at what colors to get the blue color of the sea, a shade of turquoise. To do this, it is also necessary to use the main shade of our tone, and the additional one will be a green tone, taken in a ratio of one to three. The result should be an unforgettable color of the sea, the color of a beautiful girl’s eyes, mysterious and deep, at the same time exciting and calming. Now I would like to figure out what tones are needed to get a Wedgwood blue. In this case, the peculiarity is that the main color will be used not blue, as was previously the case, but white. To the white original tone you need to add half of our described tone. Considering the amount of base color, and as a highlight or as a cherry on the cake, add a drop of black. The result should be a peaceful, calm shade of the same tone we adore.

Let's consider this option: how to get a blue color by mixing orange colors in a very small amount with our main tone, which in this recipe we define as the original one. The result of this operation should be a heavy shade, one might even say menacing. The result obtained is identified with a dirty and harsh sky during a wild storm, when the sea roars like a wild beast, and the wind howls and tears the sails of ships.

Blue in nature

What colors are needed to produce blue in nature, you ask? In our real world, at the level of physics, this tone is perceived by the human eye in the range of 440 - 485 nm. In other words, spectral blue color is felt under the influence of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength whose digital value is indicated above.

Blue paint

How to get blue color artificially, you ask? As you know, natural dyes of this shade are very rare and therefore valuable. One of the dyes of the aniline series is fuchsin. Its significant drawback is that it is far from the beautiful blue tint that one would so much like to achieve; in this case, magenta gives a bluish-red tone. The result of waiting will make you disappointed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, to summarize what has been said, I would like to note that the main question of our article is how to get blue. Mixing colors in different proportions will be the answer, but do not forget that today acrylic paint of the described shade can be classified as dark blue with a purple tone. This type of shade is called "ultramarine". Moreover, the issue of mixing paints is relevant for young artists, for whom, in addition to theoretical information, practice is important. The ability to form your own style, still based on theoretical knowledge, is one of the main tasks. I would like to believe that this material will be useful and interesting.

The paint mixing table allows you to create a huge palette of bright shades from 3 basic colors. It is very exciting! The main thing is to choose the right paints according to the color mixing table.

Artist's Workshop: Magic Lessons

1. The combination of two adjacent colors of the spectrum produces shades with different intensities of these colors. For example, yellow and orange when superimposed produce yellow-orange or orange-yellow, depending on which of these 2 colors predominates. If you mix in equal proportions 3 shades located next to each other on the color wheel, for example, yellow, red and orange, you will get the same orange, but dirtier.

2. When white is added to any color, it produces pastel shades of varying intensities.

3. By mixing 2 primary colors in equal proportions, which are separated by 1 shade on the color wheel, we get exactly the intermediate color that separates them. For example, red + blue = purple.

4. An equal combination of 2 contrasting colors (located opposite each other on the color wheel) always produces gray with a tint of one of these colors. For example, red + green, blue + orange, etc. Interestingly, if you mix complementary colors in a 2/1 ratio, you get absolute gray (without additional shades).

5. 3 primary colors located next to each other, when applied in equal proportions, also form gray, for example, green + yellow + orange. Pay attention to the striking pattern: harmonious color combinations (which you can get using the color wheel) when mixing those included in them shades give a gray color - balancing, they absorb each other.

Creating new colors using a paint mixing table

As we already know, there are only 3 colors that cannot be obtained by mixing others. But from them you can create all other shades. These magical colors are red, yellow and blue. By the way, by mixing them with each other in equal proportions, you can get black. How to create all the other shades of the palette, see the table:

The color mixing table and color wheel are used not only in painting, they are simply irreplaceable when tinting and mixing decorative plaster in construction, in perfumery and soap making, when dyeing fabrics, batik, etc.

Color spectrum: revealing the secrets of the rainbow

Isaac Newton, passing light through a prism, received a multi-colored beam called a spectrum. For the convenience of combining colors, a continuous line of the spectrum with all its transitional tones was turned into a circle. As you know, in the color spectrum there are three primary shades (red, blue and yellow), and when they are mixed in pairs with each other, three more secondary shades are obtained (green, orange and purple). It is these 6 shades that form the color wheel, and each of them has complementary colors (blue and red-violet, yellow-green, purple, red and yellow-orange, blue and yellow-green). Newton, by the way, identified 7 colors, adding blue to the spectrum, which, along with the six main ones, is considered the color of the rainbow. By mixing these shades, making them darker or lighter to varying degrees, you can get a full range of colors.

I would like to immediately make a reservation that the division of the spectrum is arbitrary and depends on the characteristics of our perception. A person can identify up to 1000 tones in the color spectrum. It is interesting that reptiles and birds do not distinguish blue shades, and some fish see everything around them in red. It is believed that for cats the colorful world around us looks dimmer, but they can distinguish a huge variety of shades of gray.

Color spectrum table

The colors of the spectrum are called chromatic, as opposed to achromatic (from Latin, “without color”): white, black, gray. The order of shades in the spectrum is always the same, starting with red and ending with violet.

Shades on the color wheel from green-blue to blue-violet are considered cool, from yellow-green to red-violet - warm. This division is quite arbitrary and depends on what associations these colors evoke in us: red-orange fire, yellow sun, blue ice, blue ocean abyss. Did you notice that when we separated colors we didn't mention green? And this is no coincidence. Pure green (which, by the way, is extremely rare) is considered neutral. A drop of yellow makes it warmer, a drop of blue cools it down.

The color wheel is extremely important in a designer's work. With its help, you can not only determine harmonious color combinations, create the desired atmosphere in the room or an attractive image, but also influence perception by skillfully emphasizing the brightness, purity, beauty of color, enhance its intensity by adding complementary shades, balance cold tones with warm ones, etc. d. This magic is not difficult to learn even without being a designer, and it can be used not only in interior or clothing design. With the help of the color wheel, anyone can create harmony in the apartment, correctly combine colors in clothes, manicure, makeup, etc. For example, blue eyes will be emphasized by orange-coral lipstick or peach eyeshadow, and a scarlet dress will be refreshed by a green-turquoise scarf.