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COLOR
Part IV - Color Recipes

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Contents

Animal meat & hide, and clothing

Flowers

Foliage & greenery

Fruits & nuts

Gemstones, stone, and soil

Miscellaneous

Metals

Sweets, snacks, and beverages

Vegetables

Wood & other raw products

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Students frequently ask questions like, How do you make grape color? The recipes that follow will give you a start in simulating grapes, brass, leather, and other materials.

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Keep in mind that these formulas are only starting points. They approximate the color of a typical sample of an object, but certainly not every instance. For example, one grape may be redder than another, or paler, or duller in color. A recipe also doesn't take into account the character of the particular painting, nor the effects of the environment surrounding the subject or model, such as reflected light, direct light, shadow, and other influences. Also not considered are variations in a specific tube color from manufacturer to manufacturer. Still, these recipes provide useful points of departure.

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A few notes are in order about the colors listed.

• When white is called for, either titanium or lead white may be used. In a few cases, zinc white is specified, and that should be adhered to.

• The more reliable phthalocyanine blue may be substituted for Prussian blue, and phthalocyanine green may replace Prussian green.

• It is not expected that you will literally measure out 325 tiny teaspoons of white paint, plus one teaspoon each of Prussian blue and alizarin crimson to simulate a hydrangea flower. In practice, it is more likely that you will squeeze a large blob of white paint onto your palette, and then mix in a little bit of the blue and crimson, adjusting the mixture until it seems right.

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Animal Meat & Hide, and Clothing

Deer: 16-pts white, 3 yellow ochre, 2 raw umber, 2 raw sienna

Dove/Pigeon (gray): 24-pts white, 2 raw umber, 1 ivory black

Egg, Robin's: 12-pts white, 1 viridian, trace of cadmium yellow pale & raw sienna

Flesh (Caucasian): 200-pts white, 1 raw sienna, 1 burnt sienna, 1 burnt umber

Khaki: 8-pts white, 3 yellow ochre, 1 raw umber, trace of burnt umber & cobalt blue

Leather (brown): 30-pts white, 8 raw sienna, 4 burnt sienna, 1 burnt umber

Shrimp (cooked): 72-pts white, 1 cadmium red light, 1 cadmium yellow deep

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Flowers

Buttercup: 1-pt white, 1 cadmium yellow lemon

Daffodil: 8-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow pale, trace of cadmium yellow

Dandelion: 8-pts white, 2 cadmium yellow pale, 1 yellow ochre

Geranium: 3-pts white, 1 cadmium red light

Goldenrod: 6-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow, trace of raw umber

Hydrangea: 325-pts white, 1 Prussian blue, 1 alizarin crimson

Lavender: 140-pts white, 2 French ultramarine blue, 1 alizarin crimson, trace of raw umber

Lilac: 100-pts white, 2 alizarin crimson, 1 French ultramarine blue, 1 ivory black

Mountain Laurel (green): 4-pts cobalt blue, 2 cadmium yellow, 1 raw sienna

Mountain Laurel (pink): 150-pts white, 2 cadmium red, 1 alizarin crimson

Peach: 300-pts white, 1 cadmium red

Poinsettia: 2-pts cadmium red, 1 white

Pussywillow: 16-pts white, 1 raw umber

Sunflower: 1-pt white, 1 cadmium yellow pale, trace of cadmium yellow

Rose (American Beauty): 2-pts white, 1 alizarin crimson, trace of cobalt blue

Rose (wild): 65-pts white, 1 alizarin crimson, trace of French ultramarine blue

Wisteria: 115-pts white, 2 French ultramarine blue, 1 alizarin crimson

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Foliage & Greenery

Fern Frond: 35-pts white, 2 cadmium yellow lemon, 1 cobalt blue, 1 raw sienna

Grass: 16-pts white, 8 cadmium yellow lemon, 2 cobalt blue, 1 raw umber

Mint Leaf: 4-pts cobalt blue, 3 cadmium yellow lemon, 2 raw sienna, 2 white

Moss: 1-pt French ultramarine blue, 1 cadmium yellow pale, 1 raw sienna

Palm Frond: 10-pts white, 4 cadmium yellow lemon, 2 cobalt blue, 1 burnt umber

Spruce, Blue: 4-pts white, 4 yellow ochre, 1 French ultramarine blue

Willow: 2-pts cadmium yellow lemon, 1 cobalt blue, 1 zinc white, 1 raw sienna

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Fruits & Nuts

Apple, Crab: 60-pts white, 2 cadmium yellow deep, 1 cadmium red light

Apple, Green: 16-pts white, 1 cobalt blue, 1 cadmium yellow pale, trace of Venetian red

Apricot: 84-pts white, 4 cadmium yellow deep, 1 raw sienna

Banana: 24-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow, trace of burnt umber

Blueberry: 2-pts white, 1 French ultramarine blue, 1 lamp black

Cherry: 3-pts cadmium red light, 1 cadmium yellow deep

Filbert: 1-pt white, 1 yellow ochre, trace of burnt umber

Grape (purple): 8-pts white, 1 cobalt blue, 1 lamp black, trace of alizarin crimson

Hazelnut: 1-pt white, 1 yellow ochre, trace of burnt umber

Holly Berry: 2-pts cadmium red, 1 white

Honeydew: 325-pts white, 8 cadmium yellow deep, 1 raw sienna, 1 cadmium red light

Lemon: 200-pts white, 4 cadmium yellow pale, 1 cadmium yellow lemon

Lime: 30-pts white, 4 cadmium yellow pale, 1 cadmium yellow lemon

Olive (green): 8-pts white, 2 cobalt blue, 2 cadmium yellow, 1 burnt umber

Orange: 2-pts white, 1 pt cadmium yellow deep

Pimento: 1-pt white, 1 cadmium red deep

Peach (pulp): 24-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow pale, trace of Venetian red

Plum (blue): 4-pts French ultramarine blue, 3 white, 1 lamp black

Pumpkin: 4-pts white, 2 cadmium yellow deep, 1 cadmium orange

Raspberry: 2 pts white, 1 cadmium red deep

Strawberry: 1-pt white, 1 cadmium red deep

Tangerine: 16-pts white, 16 cadmium yellow deep, 1 cadmium red light

Walnut, English: 3-pts white, 2 yellow ochre, trace of raw umber

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Gemstones, Stone, and Soil

Brick: 16-pts white, 8 yellow ochre, 1 Venetian red, trace of burnt umber

Ivory (old): 380-pts white, 8 cadmium yellow, 4 yellow ochre, 1 burnt umber, 1 raw umber

Jade: 100-pts white, 10 cadmium yellow lemon, 1 Prussian blue, 1 burnt umber

Jasper (green): 10-pts yellow ochre, 1 Prussian blue

Jasper (red): 4-pts Venetian red, 2 white, 1 raw umber

Pearl: 80-pts white, 1 raw umber, trace of cobalt blue

Ruby: 2-pts alizarin crimson, 1 white, trace of French ultramarine blue

Sand: 16-pts white, 2 yellow ochre, 1 raw umber

Sapphire: 52-pts white, 17 French ultramarine blue, 1 alizarin crimson

Slate: 10-pts white, 1 lamp black, 1 raw umber, trace of Indian red

Terra Cotta: 4-pts white, 1 burnt sienna, trace of raw sienna

Topaz: 2-pts cadmium yellow deep, 1 raw sienna

Turquoise: 340-pts white, 2 Prussian green, 1 Prussian blue, trace of raw sienna

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Miscellaneous

Manila: 24-pts white, 4 raw sienna, 1 raw umber

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Metals

Aluminum: 75-pts zinc white, 1 ivory black, trace of burnt umber

Brass: 32-pts white, 6 cadmium yellow, 6 yellow ochre, 1 raw umber

Bronze: 16-pts yellow ochre, 8 white, 1 burnt umber, trace of cobalt blue

Copper: 16-pts white, 8 yellow ochre, 1 Venetian red

Gold (antique): 16-pts yellow ochre, 8 white, 1 cobalt blue

Gold (new): 16-pts white, 16 yellow ochre, 2 raw sienna, 1 cobalt blue

Rust: 2-pts white, 2 raw sienna, 1 burnt sienna

Steel (unpolished): 26-pts white, 1 ivory black, 1 raw umber

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Sweets, Snacks, Spices, and Beverages

Champagne: 145-pts zinc white, 8 yellow ochre, 1 burnt umber

Chocolate: 1-pt white, 1 burnt umber, 1 burnt sienna

Claret: 8-pts white, 2 alizarin crimson, 1 cadmium red

Cream: 220-pts white, 4 yellow ochre, 1 raw sienna

Honey: 100-pts white, 8 cadmium yellow, 2 raw sienna, 1 raw umber

Mustard: 3-pts white, 3 yellow ochre, 2 cadmium yellow pale

Popcorn: 32-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow

Sherry: 2-pts cadmium yellow deep, 1 raw sienna

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Vegetables:

Carrot: 64-pts white, 10 cadmium yellow deep

Corn: 32-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow, trace of burnt sienna

Eggplant: 3-pts alizarin crimson, 1 white, 1 lamp black

Lettuce: 27-pts white, 8 cadmium yellow lemon, 2 cobalt blue, 1 raw umber, 1 cadmium red light

Pea (pod & fruit): 10-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow lemon, 1 cobalt blue, trace of burnt umber

Spinach Leaf: 5-pts white, 2 cobalt blue, 1 cadmium yellow lemon, 1 raw sienna

Tomato: 8-pts white, 8 cadmium yellow deep, 1 cadmium red light, 1 raw sienna

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Wood & Other Raw Products:

Cedar: 18-pts white, 1 Venetian red, 1 raw umber

Cork: 16-pts white, 3 yellow ochre, 1 raw sienna, trace of burnt umber

Mahogany: 8-pts white, 3 burnt sienna, 1 Indian red, trace of burnt umber

Oak: 8-pts white, 1 yellow ochre, 1 raw sienna, trace of raw umber

Straw/Hay: 80-pts white, 1 cadmium yellow, trace of burnt umber

Teak: 8-pts white, 3 yellow ochre, 1 burnt umber

Wicker (Rattan): 65-pts white, 3 cadmium yellow, 1 burnt sienna, trace of raw umber

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