Mixing Neutrals Without Black: A Step-by-Step Guide

When it comes to creating neutrals in acrylic painting, many artists reach for black to desaturate their colours. But using black can often result in dull, flat tones. The good news is, you can mix stunning neutrals without ever touching black by using complementary colours to create a range of beautiful, rich greys, browns, and subdued tones.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to mixing neutrals in acrylics without black, and how to use these subtle colours to enhance your paintings.

1. Start with Complementary Colours

Complementary colours are pairs of colours that sit opposite each other on the colour wheel, such as red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple. When mixed together, complementary colours neutralise each other, creating a muted or desaturated colour.

Try this: Pick a pair of complementary colours from your palette and mix equal parts of each. You’ll get a neutral tone—usually a brown or grey—that can be adjusted by adding more of one colour or the other.

2. Adjust the Temperature

Once you’ve mixed a neutral tone using complementary colours, you can adjust the temperature by adding a bit more of either colour. For example, adding more blue will cool down the neutral, while adding more red will warm it up. This allows you to create both warm and cool neutrals depending on the needs of your painting.

Try this: Experiment with adding small amounts of warm or cool colours to your neutral mix to see how it changes the tone. This is especially useful when you’re painting shadows or highlights that need to blend seamlessly with the rest of your composition.

3. Create Subtle Greys

Greys are one of the most versatile neutrals you can mix, and they’re easy to achieve without black. By mixing blue and orange, or red and green, you can create beautiful, subtle greys that work perfectly for shadows, backgrounds, or desaturated areas of your painting.

Try this: Start by mixing blue and orange together in equal parts, then adjust the ratio to create the shade of grey you need. Add white to lighten it or more blue to cool it down.

4. Mix Rich Browns

To mix browns without black, you can use a combination of warm colours like red, orange, and yellow with a small amount of their complementary cool colours (green, blue, or purple). This creates rich, earthy browns that are perfect for adding warmth to your painting.

Try this: Mix red and green together, then add a touch of yellow or orange to warm it up. If you want to deepen the brown, add a bit more red or even a touch of blue to cool it down and darken it.

5. Use Neutrals to Create Depth

Neutrals are essential for creating depth and balance in your painting. By mixing your own neutrals, you can achieve a more natural, harmonious look that complements the rest of your palette. Use these tones in areas where you want the viewer’s eye to rest or where you need to balance out more saturated colours.

Try this: Mix a range of warm and cool neutrals and use them in your background or shadow areas to create depth and contrast with your more vibrant colours.

Final Thoughts

Mixing neutrals without black allows you to create more nuanced, rich tones that harmonise with the rest of your palette. By using complementary colours and adjusting the temperature of your mixes, you can create beautiful greys, browns, and subdued tones that add depth and interest to your acrylic paintings. So next time you need a neutral, skip the black and mix your own!

Before you go, dream it, paint it!