How to make the color gray in different shades and paints

Gouache tempera inks allow you to always modify the colors and mixtures created, even after drying. To do this, you just have to wet the paint a little bit again, in order to correct the color or make new combinations. If you have this material and do not know how to make color mixtures to get the gray, follow this step by step to make the color gray using gouache tempera ink:

1. Grey is a neutral colorand that is why, to create it, you will need the same quantities of the two colors you will mix. To start with, take the gouache paints from the white and black.
2. Add two drops of black and white (i.e. one drop of each color) on a palette in case your paints come in tubes. If you need more volume of paint, add two drops of each color, and so on, as long as the proportions are equal. If the paints are potted, use a different brush to catch each shade, avoiding them to mix without necessity.
3. With a brush, mix the colors until you get a new homogeneous tone.
4. This process will result in the creation of a neutral greyBut as you add more black or white paint, it will be possible to get different types, darker or lighter, respectively.

Remember that even if the paint dries on the surface you are using to mix it, you can retouch the color later by dipping the tip of the brush in water and passing over the paint that has dried. Once moistened, you can add whatever color you want to lighten the mixture, darken it or change it to a bluer or redder shade, for example.

Now that you know how to make the color gray using gouache tempera inks, we invite you to learn more about what neutral colors like gray are.

Water is the main element to use in watercolors, so the quantity of water you use will determine the colour tone: more water means a lighter and more diluted tone, while smaller amounts will result in a more intense and solid tone. Follow the steps to learn how to make the color grey using watercolor:

1. The tone stone, or ice, is a little lighter than neutral, but it is not the lightest tone on the ash scale that you can get. To start, create a standard gray: mix the same amounts of black and white (being one drop of each).
2. First dip the brush in water and then dip the black watercolor paint.
3. After adding the black colour to the palette, clean the brush with water and do the same with the white colour.
4. Mix the two colors until you get the gray. Add, if necessary, more quantities of black or white, always according to the type of gray you want to create: in this case, to make the stone gray tone, choose to add a little more white, which will soften the final tone.
5. Use as little water as possible so that the paint does not dilute to excess.
6. With the gray created in the palette, you can now use it to paint on paper.

The grey color can also be made using universal toners or dyesas they are popularly known. Toners are used to dye practically any kind of paint, but they work best with plastics, acrylics, latex, vinylics and synthetic or water-based enamels. As it is a less used way of painting than others, such as acrylic paints, gouache or watercolors, we recommend that you first choose the white paint that you will use as a base, choose a toner in a black or rather dark tone and orient yourself by the following step by step to make the color grey using toners:

1. For each liter of white paint, regardless of the shade or color you are creating, add a maximum of 60 cubic centimeters (cc) of dye. Remember this rule whenever you work with toners, because if you exceed the amount, the ink will lose adhesion on all surfaces, and will be stained because it has not completely dissolved.
2. Depending on the amount of white paint used in the mixture, you should regulate the black tint to be added. If for every 4 liters of white paint 60 cc of black dye are needed to turn the color grey, 1 liter will require 15 cc.
3. Mix the ink and toner with one mixed until you get the gray.

The large amount of ash that can be obtained is the result of various mixtures. Create a tone of silver-grayHowever, it is not an easy task, and that is why some paint brands already sell the ready color, since it cannot be developed by mixing only primary colors.

However, you can try creating a silver gray with a metallic effect. To achieve this, combine black and whitethat is, as if you were going to create a neutral ash, and add a pure white in the same proportion, which will naturally increase the brightness of the resulting tone. Another option is to put 1 drop of black paint and then 2 more drops of the purest white in your paint set. This technique is easy to perform with plastic and acrylic paints, but it does not work as well when using, for example, watercolors.

Among the different varieties of grey, there is also the one known as pearl grey. Besides the basic mixture of black and white, you will need yellow paint and more white quantities to get this tone. If you want to know how to make the color pearl greyfollow the steps:

1. Mix the white and black to obtain a neutral gray.
2. Add the yellow colour in small amounts.
3. Keep mixing the colors each time you add the yellow, so you can observe the evolution of the color and avoid excesses.
4. When you get to a more yellowish gray tone, start to lighten the mixture by adding a little white paint. There, you’ll have the pearl gray.

Although it is a neutral colour, grey can also reach colder or warmer shades. For example, bluish gray is cold: to create it, all you have to do is add the colour blue to the black and white mixture. Depending on the quantities used, you will get a light bluish gray (more drawn to white) or dark bluish (more to black or blue). If you don’t have blue paint at home, or if yours is already running out, here we explain how to make the blue color.

On the other hand, to create a hotter gray or drawn to red, such as the brownish grey (shade between grey and brown), add a small amount of magenta or red (depending on the material you have) to the black and white mixture.

Hot, cold, pearl, silver, dark… After knowing that the grey has several different shades, it is also important to understand the process to lighten the color. For this, you will need to add larger amounts of white to the standard ash mixture (created with black and white). This way, the more white you add, the shade of grey will become more like pure white. On the other hand, if you add more black paint, it will create a darker gray.

Another way to lighten the gray, but getting a bit more vibrant tone, is to add yellow paint in small amounts, which shouldn’t even reach a drop. Anyway, this color will lighten the gray less than the white itself.

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