Acrylic Painting Techniques for Copper Tones
- Rather than attempting to mix a single copper color, break down the different colors you see. Stare at the object and look for the primary color or the mid-tone. The tone of this color is based on the surroundings and light of the still life, making it warm or cool. Begin with a neutral brown, such as raw umber, and add yellow ochre and cadmium red to make a warm color. For a cool color, add cadmium red and cobalt blue to yellow ochre. Try to lighten the color using mostly yellows and only small amounts of titanium white. To darken the color, do not use black, but add dark blues and browns.
- After you find your base color, mix a low-light color, or the area of the copper that is mostly in shadow. Your low-light is also warm or cool, depending on surroundings. Mix together cadmium red and cobalt blue to make a purple. Adjust the amounts, adding more red for a warm color or more blue for a cool color. Neutralize the purple slightly by adding yellow ochre or a bright Indian yellow. A neutral purple-gray will accent the rich oranges in the copper.
- Highlights will make your copper pop and look three-dimensional. Look for the color that is lightest in the copper. Copper highlights are usually very orange, so start by mixing cadmium red, Indian yellow and a little bit of titanium white. To make the orange cooler, add small amounts of cobalt blue to neutralize it.
- Most copper surfaces are very reflective, so if your have other colors in your still life, they will show up in the copper. Look for any colors in the copper that you have not already mixed, such as greens, pinks or blues. Mix a small amount of that color and add it to your base color and highlights in the reflective areas you see.
- Use a soft brush, such as a sable, to apply the paint to the canvas. This will keep the surface of the copper smooth like metal. Apply the base color first, and then the lowlights. Mix in areas of reflected color. Add your highlights last to keep the colors from getting muddy.