# What colors make red?



## Bri

I've been asked to paint a large scale piece of artwork with oil based paint, the ones you use on houses that don't dry quickly or blend easily. No problem, I got around that problem however, they gave me the wrong color *RED* which is more of a *MAROON*, a reddish brown, a mahogany brown.

I sent it back to them months ago telling them that is the wrong color red and the red won't match the shirt color of the students shirt (because the painting is for a school).
They just gave it back to me and told me the women at the paint shop, said that 'to just add 'white or black' and I will get red.'

How exactly do I *get red out of mahogany brown*? And how do I make red? Because I know red is a primary color and I know you don't make primary colors.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but which paints do you make the color RED like the primary color red out of?


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## Liz

If I want red I get it out of a tube. I would just send the paint back and tell them to get you the paint you need.


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## just

You are not wrong.


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## TerryCurley

You are right you can not make red. Having said that I would try adding some orange to the maroon. Magenta and orange will give a bright red I am told, so I'd give it a try.


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## Sorin

Ohhh jeeze... The people at the paint shop are iether stupid or think you are. Need to drop them cuz you'll jest get screwed again. Ya see, red is red. That's it, its red & nuthin else is red. Ya can't make red. Red is one of the 3 primes - yellow & blue being the others. So your "red" is mixed with sumthin else already & adding other colors, or black/white, will just worsen the prob. You need a cadmium red, sometimes called "safety colors" by house paint people.


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## Butterfly88

If you had pink you could add black to get red. Otherwise just red.


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## Sorin

Butterfly88 said:


> If you had pink you could add black to get red. Otherwise just red.


Ummm... no. I know we all try to not step on each others' toes but hafta stomp a trifle here cuz this is not good advice. Adding black to anything will not produce a pure color. Can't be dunnnn. 
If you have a Sherwin Williams nearby check with them. I know they once had safety colors on their lists. You may have to ask for "industrial" color sheets. I once bought toners only & made my own... Toners are the colors they add to bases to make paints.


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## Asancta

You mean what pigments+oils you need in order to make oil paint colors?http://www.earthpigments.com/artists-oil-paints/

http://www.naturalpigments.com/oil-paint-making-kit.html


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## Bri

TerryCurley said:


> You are right you can not make red. Having said that I would try adding some orange to the maroon. Magenta and orange will give a bright red I am told, so I'd give it a try.


I would need to ask them to buy the orange but then again; I think they are trying to avoid spending any more money so that is probably why they gave me back the maroon after three months. Earlier up in the year I asked them about the 'new red' but their excuse was that it was out on order, three months later they gave me back the same maroon.


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## Bri

Sorin said:


> Ohhh jeeze... The people at the paint shop are iether stupid or think you are. Need to drop them cuz you'll jest get screwed again. Ya see, red is red. That's it, its red & nuthin else is red. Ya can't make red. Red is one of the 3 primes - yellow & blue being the others. So your "red" is mixed with sumthin else already & adding other colors, or black/white, will just worsen the prob. You need a cadmium red, sometimes called "safety colors" by house paint people.


I know this may seem like a bad thing to say, but I hope they void the contract, because they are a thorn in my side from the beginning wanting to get a $300+ job for less than $100. They were saying $300 was pretty expensive and they are thinking on lowering it. $300 is already pretty cheap for the size of board they gave me to work with.
Then for some reason they were expecting me to paint BOTH SIDES for the $300. :surprise:
I didn't find this out until a guy in the group (that asked me to paint the artwork,) turn to me and ask when I'm going to start reproducing the artwork on the next side for the same $300. So basically they misinterpret what I said and I put him straight that it is $300 PER SIDE.
And now, I have been given the heads up by someone, that apparently they are looking for someone else to finish the job because apparently I'm not doing something but that new person, I know will not be painting on that artwork until they pay me my $300 for the work I did.
They must take me for a fool and wanted it for FREE.
This is the last time I will be doing any sort of work for them.


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## Sorin

Yeh, you're being taken. See that you fulfill promises, be honest, but don't bend over too far. If you've taken money you may have to walk softly but otherwise, sounds like they' re not serious. Or you took too long. But I've learned that many people are not trustworthy as customers... Something about money causes mysterious mental illness.


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## Bri

Sorin said:


> Yeh, you're being taken. See that you fulfill promises, be honest, but don't bend over too far. If you've taken money you may have to walk softly but otherwise, sounds like they' re not serious. Or you took too long. But I've learned that many people are not trustworthy as customers... Something about money causes mysterious mental illness.


I am being patient with them.They had asked me to do this artwork since in August 2015, I explained to them everything I will need so that it could be cheaper on them, I explained this. They took over a month too get me the materials that I would need to start, fine. Maybe they weren't ready so then I worked on it until when I got to the red and realized it was the wrong color, I notified them. I continued working on what I can without the red. But honestly, I think they are not serious and don't actually know how much an artwork really cost.
Maybe they had expected me to say 'oh, you know what since I know you somewhat, let me just paint it for free.' Don't get me wrong, I don't mind doing an artwork for free but not under these circumstances.


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## Sorin

Lessons learned, son... Never allow the customer to provide, just pay. Best way to save them money on materials is to make a list, add it up, let them prepay you & you gettem. That way you don't use your money, you don't charge them extra, you're not out on a limb waiting for them. Also, you get the job done & don't look like a fool - you know they'll never admit to errors. But don't get too sour. There are lotsa good people out there! I rarely get skonked & my early warning system's a bugger.
Bet th' rest of you folks out there are nodding to. Good to have down to earth discussions once in awhile!


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## WFMartin

Red is a secondary color, and, as such, can easily be created by mixing Magenta (a primary color) with Yellow (a primary color).

Most colors having the name, "Rose" something-or-other on their labels represent rather accurate versions of Magenta--at least they come as close to a true Magenta as anything I've found.

Winsor & Newton's Transparent Yellow 653 (PY128), mixed with Winsor & Newton's Permanent Rose 502 (PV19) will create Red, provided a bit of white is added to the mix.

W & N Transparent Yellow and Permanent Rose are transparent colors, and, as such need a bit of white mixed with them for them to come to their full chroma, beyond that which their masstone exhibits.

However, you seem to have been supplied with sort of a "brown", or "maroon", each of which is a rather grayed version of red. I couldn't create a more pure or higher-chroma red with a color that is already grayed down, either, so I don't have a productive answer for your problem, other than to go out and buy a primary color, such as Magenta, as an auxiliary color to those which you already have.


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## Sorin

Oops, yer right! Get so used to considering red the prime out of practicality... Thanks, Bill.


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