Red and blue make…Brown? Help!

[userk2]

Hello everybody! I’m a new user/ amateur. I have a quick question for all of you.

I was using acrylics a couple of days ago and I could not seem to make fuschia, but when I mixed my red and my blue all I got was brown…

Is that normal? Or do you think it’s the paints?

Because I tried adding white to make it lighter and that did not help at all.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Mythrill]

Hello everybody! I’m a new user/ amateur. I have a quick question for all of you.

I was using acrylics a couple of days ago and I could not seem to make fuschia, but when I mixed my red and my blue all I got was brown…

Is that normal? Or do you think it’s the paints?

Because I tried adding white to make it lighter and that did not help at all.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

User, that is correct. This is because your red has a lot of yellow to it, so it will make brown when mixed with blue. Instead, you want a magenta to make purple. Try Permanent Rose (PV 19-gamma) or Quinacridone Magenta (PR 122).

Please notice the codes in parenthesis. Different colors may have the same names, but the code is a more accurate way to buy them. When you go to the store, always look for the code on the color name.

[userk2]

User, that is correct. This is because your red has a lot of yellow to it, so it will make brown when mixed with blue. Instead, you want a magenta to make purple. Try Permanent Rose (PV 19-gamma) or Quinacridone Magenta (PR 122).

Please notice the codes in parenthesis. Different colors may have the same names, but the code is a more accurate way to buy them. When you go to the store, always look for the code on the color name.

Thank you! I am a minor (turning 18 soon) so I am not allowed to access my savings account and I’m only allowed to have about $5 at time so I ‘can’t waste a ton of money.’ In other words, I cannot buy more paint. Is there any way to make my red less yellow, without buying new paint?

[jorri]

which red and blue did you use? A scarlet with a greenish blue will nearly work like a complimentary because they dont have much common wavelengths.
But brown, brown is still a red-orange shade, so it implies you haven’t added enough blue, maybe, but sounds like it wouldn’t get there if it is making brown anyway.

Ultramarine Blue with quinacridone red might be ok. (if you need to make from red and blue.)
Quinacridone magenta or rose is already a good fuschia to start with…if these are pigments you haven’t got maybe just buy a more fuschia colour to start with. Most of these will require a white tint to get there.

AFAIK there’s no way to reduce the yellow from the red.

[Mythrill]

AFAIK there’s no way to reduce the yellow from the red.

I have to second this. Sorry for saying, User, but if you can’t get a new tube of paint and your red is too yellow, you’ll probably have to make do without the particular shade you are looking for.

[Gigalot]

You need a primary Red colour. Quinacridone Magenta PR122; Lithol Rubine PR57:1 or Naphthol FBB Carmine PR146. Any of these colors are great to mix Fuchsia. Lithol Rubine is cheaper choice. PR170 is gorgeous color too.

[userk2]

These are my red and blue…

[jorri]

[IMG]http://s3.amazonaws.com/wetcanvas-hdc/Community/images/29-May-2015/1971744-11392834_1610068689271153_1201934280927841601_n.jpg[/IMG]

These are my red and blue…

Not heard of this brand, hard to know what they are unless there’s pigment number on the side. But that red does look pretty scarlet, likely some kind of napthol but its right on the orange side. And the other looks like a middle pthalo, which are reasonably green.

[KeeverMacLeod]

It’s not the end of the world. You’re effectively dealing with complementary colors, but you can make some reasonably nice paintings from those two.

[rltromble]

Not heard of this brand, hard to know what they are unless there’s pigment number on the side. But that red does look pretty scarlet, likely some kind of napthol but its right on the orange side. And the other looks like a middle pthalo, which are reasonably green.

Artist’s loft is Store brand of an arts and craft store here in the US called Michaels.

To the OP;
Without going into a long explanation about subtractive color and true primaries, know that paint doesn’t reflect purely red, green, blue, yellow, orange, or violet light, but a small range of colors, while adsorbing others. In simplest terms your red paint is either a red orange color or red violet and your blue is either a blue violet or a blue green. The fact that you got brown means your red must lean close to orange. Brown is actually a low chroma (how pure or dull the color is) orange. The closer two colors are together the cleaner the resulting color will be. A colors complement will dull the color and loosely they are;
Red-Green
Blue-Orange
Yellow-Purple
It is hard to tell from their website what the colors really look like as color swatches can vary a lot from the actual paint:
http://www.michaels.com/artists-loft-acrylic-paint-4-oz/M10134990.html?dwvar_M10134990_color=Titanium%20White#start=2
But violet reds tend to be dark in color, Alizarin crimson and Anthraquinone Red are most common. Looking at the list, the color they call crimson is probably the closest. Just mixing this color with white will get you close. As for the blue, ultramarine is the most common violet blue and in most paint lines the only blue with violet tendencies.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]

[Bastet469]

The bottle looks pretty new and unused. Have you tried to return or exchange it? You should. Ask for a manager if you have to. Micheal’s will usually honor an exchange if you don’t have a receipt.

I’d be happy to call the store on your behalf if you like and apply some pressure. I’m good at that sorta thing. My friends get me to deal with customer service people all the time. I love a challenge!

[FONT=Palatino Linotype]"I like kids' work more than work by real artists any day."
-Jean-Michel Basquiat [FONT=Palatino Linotype]
Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump

[SamL]

These are my red and blue…

Hi userk2,

Can you take a look at your blue paint tube, and see which of the following is on the label?

Brilliant Blue#001AD9
Phthalo Blue#0031AD
Ultramarine #0043FA
Cerulean Blue #1C91FF

These are all the blues offered by Artist’s Loft.

[userk2]

It’s not the end of the world. You’re effectively dealing with complementary colors, but you can make some reasonably nice paintings from those two.

Actually I’m trying to do a special painting for my sick grandmother because her birthday is coming up, so I was going to paint a picture of a bird surrounded by azaleas (her favorite flowers).

[userk2]

The bottle looks pretty new and unused. Have you tried to return or exchange it? You should. Ask for a manager if you have to. Micheal’s will usually honor an exchange if you don’t have a receipt.

I’d be happy to call the store on your behalf if you like and apply some pressure. I’m good at that sorta thing. My friends get me to deal with customer service people all the time. I love a challenge!

Lol, I love this post, and I might take you up on this offer at some point.

[userk2]

Hi userk2,

Can you take a look at your blue paint tube, and see which of the following is on the label?

Brilliant Blue#001AD9
Phthalo Blue#0031AD
Ultramarine #0043FA
Cerulean Blue #1C91FF

These are all the blues offered by Artist’s Loft.

Brilliant Blue

[Author]

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