Home Forums The Learning Center Color Theory and Mixing Mixing Brick Red and Other Challenging Colours

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  • #994984
    KolinskyRed
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        A while back I came across books whose publication dates are separated by a century in which both authors wrote of seeing and mixing the colour of a red brick wall.

        The more recent of the two is Betty Edwards, and her book on Color. Seen here in a flip through from youtube
        … no audio with this clip.

        Recently, a question arose about this colour. This is what Edwards wrote and i think it’s a great concept for learning a colour mixing process:

        ‘Imagine an artist painting a landscape, which includes a weathered brick wall. The sun shines on part of the wall, and the painter is at that point in the work sees that she needs to mix a hue for that part of the painting. She must decide, “what is the colour of that sun-drenched section of the wall?” This requires, first and foremost, seeing what the actual color is, naming it and mixing it.

        The artist looks closely and perhaps feels surprised that the bright sunlight has changed her expected color for the bricks (in terms of color constancy, the whole wall “should be” brick red). A novice in color might identify the hue as “beige” but the experienced painter knows that is not descriptive enough to mix the color. She first needs to know which of the pure color wheel pigments is the basis of the hue, because those are the colors she has on her palette. Even though the color is very pale and dull, she sees that the underlying tint is reddish and orange-ish and therefore knows that the base color of the mixture will come from the color wheel tertiary, red-orange. This sounds more difficult than it is. Remember there are only twelve basic color wheel hues, all derived from three primaries yellow, red and blue.

        Next the artist must determine the value level and intensity level. By mentally comparing the value of the wall color with an imaginary scale from white to black, the painter decides that the value is very light. Then, she compared the intensity level to an imaginary scale from the brightest to the dullest level for that particular color wheel hue, red-orange, and she is then able to decide that the wall color is of medium intensity. Now the artist can name the perceived color by citing its three attributes “the hue is red-orange, the value is very light, and the intensity is medium.

        Having seen into the color on the brick wall, and having identified it in terms of its three attributes, the artist can begin mixing the color, perhaps with some unspoken verbal prompts.”I first need some white, then magenta and yellow to make a pale red-orange. Next, I need to dull the color. I’ll mix blue to make dulling the pale red-orange.
        When the mixture looks right (meaning red-orange, very light, and medium intensity), the painter tests it either on a scrap of paper or in the painting itself. Seeing that the mixture has gone a bit too dull, she perhaps adds a speck of yellow to restore colorfulness (and the author goes on to write about testing and adjusting the color)…”

        It appears what is being shared is a great beginning approach is to think it through, step by step:

        What’s the hue? See it. Say it with regards to one of 12 hue families Mix it. Evaluate. Adjust if necessary.

        What’s the lightness/darkness? See it. Say it. Adjust mix for lightness/darkness. Evaluate. Adjust if necessary.

        What’s the dullness/colourfulness? See it. Say it. Adjust mix for dullness/colourfulness. Evaluate results. Adjust if necessary.

        It’s very much a process, careful and thoughtful when first tried. It becomes pretty quick with experience (well at least I hope it will!).

        On a personal note, I really liked her paper bag example. This colour, brick red and the colour of Vincent’s tulip leaves are examples of colours in my pre-painting days I would never have been able to relate to the 12 colour hue circle fro which to select my tube colours. I think that’s a great skill, but it takes observation and practice for sure.

        Do you have a progression to mix a colour match? Hue first, value next then colourfullness/dullness?

        If different, what’s your way of approaching seeking a match?

        I’ve mentioned my own surprise at paper bag beige, brick red, and Vincent’s Iris leaves as three colours I had to work at just to place the hue family before I’d even selected paints for mixing. I was also greatly challenged by the “red” of the robes worn by monks, and then by the “red” of the poppy flower.

        Has anyone had any colour matches that were a surprise, or a challenge in terms of locating it on the colour wheel? Care to share?

        Just some colour thoughts on a quiet Sunday afternoon. An organized way to approach colour mixing, whatever it may be can be very helpful.

        Cheers!

        #1267887
        Pinguino
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            Just in time! I was thinking about this very topic. Oil paints, specifically.

            I do not paint “pictures” but I do a lot of color mixing exercises (for relaxation). I also have a somewhat scientific background.

            My discoveries:

            1. Gamblin Venetian Red is an excellent mixing complement for PB15:3 or PB15:4 (Phthalo Blue, Green Shade). Gamblin doesn’t provide that PB, but Rembrandt does.

            PB15:3 or 15:4 has a slightly greenish hue which I like, and the entire Phthalo series can become rather garish. But Venetian Red, in tiny quantity, removes the green and dulls the garishness. Result: Beautiful mid-chroma blues.

            The only difficulty is that Venetian Red is very opaque, whereas the PB is transparent. This makes it hard to mix.

            2. Gamblin “Transparent Earth Red” is actually more like transparent Burnt Sienna. It is not a good mixing complmenet for PB15:3 or PB15:4. Mixture leans green.

            3. I just purchased W&N “Transparent Red Ochre.” On the Internet, the pigment is listed as PR101 (synthetic) but the tube says PR102 (natural). I will report back after some mixing exercises. Preliminary inspection of the tube color suggests that the W&N color may adequately complement the PB.

            Now, what has that got to do with your question about bricks? The mentioned red is about as close to bricks as one can get. Thus, instead of using the red to quiet the PB, you might use the PB to quiet the red.

            #1267888
            MatildaArt!
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                Hi, if you haven’t seen them check out Mark Carder videos on color mixing using the approach you describe😊

                https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NeyYXMl934g

                https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TNB3XY67Q-I

                C&C Always Helpful!
                Onward and Upward!

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