Darkening Light Colors
It’s a good bet that most of the colors on your palette are bright and light. Most of the colors available to artists working in any medium are on the lighter side. This is particularly true with the warm colors – yellows, oranges and reds. With watercolor, these light colors become even lighter as soon as you add water.
It can be a challenge to darken any light color while still retaining its character. Think of the paintings which have a subject with a light “local” color, yet also has areas of shade and shadow. The shade and shadow areas are clearly darker but retain an essence of the local color.
Take a look at the dark colors on your palette. You are likely to find that they are mostly cool colors - blues, violets and greens. While these can be used to darken light, warm colors, they will also shift the color away from their essential color identity.
This article looks at the challenge of darkening light colors and offers four different ways to handle light objects and light color sensitively and effectively.
These methods are simple and easy but add the look of color mastery to your paintings. Find a helpful video at the bottom of the article.
Download this brief reference guide with my personal favorite ‘formulas’ for darkening light colors.
The Method Depends On The Effect
There are four ways to darken a light color while retaining its color identity. Each method involves mixing the original light color with another color and creates a different result from the others.
In each case, the original light color is mixed with:
Black or gray (Ivory black preferred)
The complement of the original color
A similar (or analogous) color
A similar earth color (burnt or raw sienna; burnt or raw umber)
Each of these mixtures will create a darkened version of the original color. Each will also create a different visual effect that may work better in some situations than in others.
In general, mixing a color with black or with it’s complement tends to simply create a lower-intensity version of the original. This will work fine in almost every situation, since the combination of value and intensity change creates of shade or shadow. Mixing the original with a similar – analogous – color or with one of the earth tones results in a somewhat more colorful effect that is appropriate in situations where we want to show the effect of light bounce into the shade or shadow.
Exploring The Possibilities
It is easy to explore the possibilities with each of these methods by creating a simple set of mixtures.
Organizing the explorations in the form of a chart, as shown above, is easy and logical.
Light colors from the palette have been placed in the left-most column. In each column to the right, the original color has been mixed with each of the four choices listed above.
The mixing color used in each color swatch is noted below the swatch itself.
The colors used on this chart are those found on my palette. No matter what colors are found on yours, find the light ones and create a color chart like this to explore the effect and to use for future reference.
Keep the chart handy for easy reference when needed.
Useful Neutrals & Earth Colors
The list below includes specific colors that work well for darkening light colors without changing color character.
Raw Sienna – light mid-value yellow orange for darkening warm and cool yellows
Yellow Ochre – light mid-value, yellow orange for darkening warm and cool yellows
Burnt Sienna – mid-value orange/orange red for darkening the warmest yellows and oranges
Raw Umber – light mid-value, yellow orange for darkening the cool yellows
Burnt Umber – mid-value red orange for darkening warm and cool reds
Sepia – dark value warm neutral for darkening warm reds
Quinacridone Deep Gold – mid-value, neutralized cool yellow : not a traditional earth color but gives a chroma ‘punch’ in the shadows
Transparent Red Oxide/Indian Red – mid-value neutral red/brown for darkening warm and cool reds
Neutral Tint – dark mid-value cool (blue) gray for darkening warm and cool blues
Payne’s Gray – dark mid-value cool (blue) gray for darkening warm and cool blues
My Favorite Formulas
I choose a particular darkening methods to fit the situation, but the methods illustrated below are my favorites!
No matter what method you are using, be sure to use plenty of water to avoid a muddy look and be sure that the mixed, darkened color retains the color character of the local color.
Practicing these methods just a little will get you comfortable with the ideas and the results in a matter of no time.
You’ll be amazed at the difference this makes in your paintings and the new range of light effects you’ll be able to accomplish.
Darkening Yellows
How To Darken Yellow Colors In Watercolor
Darkening Oranges
How To Darken Orange Colors In Watercolor
Darkening Warm Reds
How To Darken Warm Red Colors In Watercolor
Darkening Cool Reds
How To Darken Cool Red Colors In Watercolor