Brown is a dark orange color, made by combining red, yellow and black. It can be thought of as dark orange, but it can also be made in other ways.
The color brown is defined as a composite color as well as a darker shade of orange. In the CMYK color model, brown is the result of black and orange combined while in the RGB color model, you get brown by combining red and green.
Orange is the colour between yellow and red on the spectrum of visible light. Human eyes perceive orange when observing light with a dominant wavelength between roughly 585 and 620 nanometres. In traditional colour theory, it is a secondary colour of pigments, produced by mixing yellow and red.
Browns are usually described as light or dark, reddish, yellowish, or gray-brown. There are no standardized names for shades of brown; the same shade may have different names on different color lists, and sometimes one name (such as beige or puce) can refer to several very different colors.
Brown is not featured on a traditional color wheel as it is what's known as a composite color—a color made of a mix of pigments, a blend of primary and secondary colors. It is considered a warm hue, along with red, orange and yellow and is noted as a deep shade of orange on modern color wheels.
The fundamental answer for which colors make brown is the three primary colors—red, yellow, and blue. In color theory, these three primary colors are hues that cannot be created from any other colors. Varying the amounts and ratio of each of the primary colors will alter the shade of brown that you get.
To create a basic brown paint, mix two complementary colors in equal amounts. Choose a red paint and a green paint (or yellow paint and purple paint, or blue paint and orange paint) and dab a little bit of each onto your surface to mix. Stir the different colors with your palette knife until it becomes a smooth brown.
You won't find brown on the traditional color wheel, but since its closest shade is orange, many use blue as a complementary color for brown. Combining blue and brown tones can make a relaxing environment out of an ordinary bedroom.
Bistre Brown. Of all the dark brown shades, bistre brown is up there as one of the darkest. The temperature of this dark brown color is very cool, and it shares similar hues with dark brown and Tuscan brown.
The color brown is usually perceived as neutral and natural. Because of this, brown is thought to evoke feelings of warmth, security, and earthiness. Brown does a fantastic job of conveying emotions related to the natural world, as well as connoting organic, wholesome feelings in general.
Burnt orange can be defined as something that looks between brown and orange.
Rust is an orange-brown color resembling iron oxide.
Tan is a color that is a pale tone of brown or green tone of orange. The first written use of tan as a color name in English was in the year 1590.
So if we are not black or white in colour, what are we? “People who say they are black are actually very, very dark orange and people who say they are white are actually very, very light orange. We are all different shades of orange,” said Harbisson, who still sees the world in black and white.
A color rooted in the palettes found within the natural world, beige has a warming, restful and sophisticated appeal, and is best described as a very light brown with subtle hints of yellow and gray, but there are many variations out there to choose from.
Generally speaking, the opposite of brown is blue or bluish-grey.
Burnt umber is the most popular shade of brown. It's a warm brown with red undertones, often used in painting and color mixing due to its richness and depth.
Tan is a pale tone of brown. The name is derived from tannum (oak bark) used in the tanning of leather. The first recorded use of tan as a color name in English was in the year 1590.
Both dark green and light green have wonderful shades that work with brown tones. Blue – Brown and blue tones work together as a study in contrast. Also, the bright and vibrant shades of blue will balance out the neutral background of brown.
Seriously — brown, no matter the shade, is considered a neutral, meaning it not only pairs well with other neutrals and earth tones, such as black, cream, white, and olive green, but works to balance out brighter statement colors, too.
Terracotta Color in Sum
So there you have it: the answer to, “Orange and brown make what color when mixed?” is… terracotta color!
The color black is NOT the mixture of all colors. Depending on the pigments you use, it's likely going to come out brown or grey, but not black, simply mud. Black is itself a pigment, so if you want black, you need to use black.
Orange pigments range from yellowish to reddish and even into the pinks and browns. The basic color wheel for how to mix orange is a mixture of primary colors red and yellow.