Elena Rossi
Red is a primary colour in traditional colour theory, but it can be made in different ways depending on the medium and palette you're working with. In the subtractive colour model (used for painting and printing), red can be created by mixing certain pigments—specifically, magenta and yellow. This combination reflects red wavelengths, giving you a vibrant red pigment. In the additive colour model (used for screens and digital displays), red is one of the three primary colours, alongside green and blue (RGB). When creating a digital painting, mastering RGB values can help achieve the perfect hue of red. To create a warmer or cooler shade of red in a painting, you can add a touch of white to soften the tone or black to deepen it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Achieving a pure red | Complex |
| Creating a range of red shades | Possible |
| Creating a primary red | Difficult |
| Creating a secondary red | Possible |
| Creating a deep red | Add green |
| Creating a brownish red | Add more green |
| Creating a reddish-brown | Add blue and brown |
| Creating a bright red | Add neon colour |
| Creating a muted red | Add green |
| Creating a dull red | Add green |
| Creating a rich red | Add red and green |
| Creating a dark red | Mix with colours spaced further apart on the colour wheel |
| Creating a light red | Mix with colours spaced closer together on the colour wheel |
| Creating a wide range of shades | Use a cool and warm version of each colour |
| Creating a wide range of hues | Use more than primary colours |
| Creating a wide range of colours | Mix yellow with magenta |
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What You'll Learn
Mix magenta and yellow
Mixing paint to create new colours is an essential skill for any artist. While it may be tempting to buy tubes of paint in various shades of red, learning to mix your own shades will save you money and give you more control over the colours in your work.
To create red paint, you need to mix magenta and yellow. This is because, when these colours are combined, their wavelengths cancel out all other wavelengths of light except those of red. This is known as subtractive mixing, where wavelengths are removed when certain pigmented layers absorb them, changing the perceived colour.
By mixing magenta and yellow, you can create a range of red hues, from bright fire engine red to deep wine red, depending on the proportions of each colour you use. It's important to experiment and add small amounts of each colour at a time, as the exact shade of red you create will depend on the ratio of magenta to yellow.
Keep in mind that the type of paint you use will also affect the final colour. For example, acrylic paint tends to produce brighter reds, while watercolour may result in softer, more muted tones. Additionally, adding white to your mixed red paint will create a tint, lightening the shade, whereas adding black will create a darker shade or tone.
Through practice and experimentation with mixing magenta and yellow, you'll be able to create a wide range of red shades to use in your artwork.
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Add white for a creamier red
Red is a primary colour, so it's impossible to make pure red in any medium. However, you can create different shades of red by mixing pure red with other colours.
If you want to create a creamier shade of red, adding white is the way to go. When you add white to red, you get pink. By adding small amounts of white to red, you can create a range of pinkish reds, from light to dark, depending on the ratio of white to red.
Start with a small amount of white paint and gradually add more until you achieve the desired shade of creamy red. It's important to add white gradually, as too much can quickly lighten the colour.
You can also experiment with adding a tiny touch of yellow or green to create a warmer or cooler shade of creamy red, respectively. These colours can enhance the depth of the red while also lightening it, creating a unique and pleasing shade.
Remember, the key to achieving the perfect creamy red is to add colours gradually and mix thoroughly, allowing the paint to dry between layers to accurately gauge the shade.
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Add black for a darker red
Adding black to red paint will make it darker. However, it is important to note that adding black to any colour will make it appear flatter and absorb more light. This may not be the desired effect, especially if you are painting a room, as it can make the space feel smaller.
If you want to avoid this, there are other colours you can mix with red to make it darker. One option is to use a complementary colour, such as green. This will give your red paint a brownish undertone. Start with a ratio of 1 part green to 10 parts red, and adjust from there. You can also add a small amount of green to maroon or burgundy to create a darker red.
Another option is to mix red with grey, which will create a flatter, muted red. Start with a ratio of 1 part grey to 15 parts red. You can also mix red with brown to make a muted, earthy shade of red. For a lighter brown, use a ratio of 1 part brown to 20 parts red. For a darker brown, use a small amount of brown paint.
Additionally, you can layer coats of paint to achieve a darker shade of red. After the first coat has dried, add a second coat of the same red paint. This will make the colour richer.
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Mix red with orange and violet
Mixing paint colours can be a tricky business, especially when it comes to reds. Reds are used to make many other colours, and it can be hard to get the exact shade you want.
If you are mixing paint and want to create a red, you can do so by mixing orange and violet. Start with a spot of red paint and add orange to it. You can create a red hue by mixing equal parts of red and orange, but the red element will be stronger if you use a little less orange. The same goes for mixing red and violet. You can also add a small amount of green to the red to create a red-orange, as green is made by mixing blue and yellow, which are the constituent parts of orange.
It is important to remember that mixing paints is an art, and it can take a lot of trial and error to get the exact colour you want. It is always best to start with a small amount of paint and work from there, adding more of the secondary colour until you get the desired effect.
You can also alter the shade of red by adding black or white. Adding white will lighten the tint, but too much will create pink. Adding black will darken the shade, but too much can make it hard to distinguish the original red hue.
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Combine red with green
Combining red with green will create a brownish or rust-coloured red. The more green you add, the more muted the red will become. To avoid a brownish red, add only a tiny amount of green paint to the red. You can also create a darker red by mixing in a little Phthalo Green. This will give you a slightly earthier dark red.
If you want to lighten the shade of red, you can add white paint, but this will often lead to a pink colour. You can also add yellow to lighten the red, creating a warmer hue.
If you want to darken the red, you can add black paint, but this can easily overpower the red and create a muddy or overly dark colour. It is best to start with a very small amount of black paint and build up from there.
You can also experiment with adding blue to the red to create purple-red shades. Using a blue that already contains a bit of red, such as ultramarine blue, will result in a deep shade of cool red.
It is important to always mix your paint well and test it on your palette before applying it to your artwork.
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Frequently asked questions
You can create red paint by mixing magenta and yellow. Magenta absorbs green light, and yellow absorbs blue light, with the combination reflecting red wavelengths. You can also add cyan to this mixture, with a ratio of 60% magenta, 37% yellow, and 3% cyan.
To make darker shades of red, add black. To make lighter shades, add white.
You can make orange-red by mixing red with orange, and violet-red by mixing red with violet.
Mix red with a very small amount of green. Gradually add more green in small increments to further alter the hue.
