How to Make Tan Color

Tan is a light neutral color, and you can mix a fine tan color from other colors you have on your palette. Any color in the brown range, such as tan or chestnut, is a mixture of complementary colors. When these are mixed together, they each absorb light that otherwise would be reflected by the other, creating a duller color. Given the vagaries of the pigment behaviors, though, it's better to mix your own tan from earth colors. You may use either oil or acrylic paints for this project.

Things You'll Need

• White (titanium or zinc) paint
• Palette
• Yellow ocher paint
• Burnt sienna paint
• Palette knife

Instructions

1. Squeeze some white paint onto your palette, about a quarter of a teaspoon to start. You can use a zinc or titanium white. If you have both, the zinc is less powerful but produces cleaner tints; the titanium is more opaque but is a shade muddier in tints.

2. Add yellow ocher and burnt sienna paints in similar amounts of the white you added to your palette.

3. Blend all the colors in a swirling motion with the palette knife. Sweep up the color and turn it over occasionally until it is uniform in color.

4. Slide the palette knife over the blended paint gently. This will flatten it and allow you to see the color clearly, without shadows. If you have the color you want, you are done. More likely, you will want to darken or lighten the color, or make other alterations.

5. Add white if you want to lighten the color. Add equal amounts of yellow ocher and burnt sienna if you want to darken it, but are satisfied with the hue. Add burnt sienna if the color is too yellowish, and yellow ocher if it is too reddish. Very small amounts of paint will do for minor adjustments.

6. Continue fine-tuning your color until you have the tan you want.

References

• Color Matters: Color Theory
• Indiana University Southeast: Color Wheels
• "The History of Art"; Janson and Janson; 1991