How to make maroon color?

Last month, I got some repainting work done at my house. During the work, I closely observed the painter mixing different colours to get a beautiful maroon shade. I found the process quite simple, so I wanted to share what I learned with you. Let me explain how to make maroon colour by mixing the right colours in the correct amounts.

How to Make Maroon Colour?

Red and Black

1. First, take the required amount of red paint on your palette. You can use any primary red shade.

2. Then, add a very small amount of black paint to the red. Start with just a little, as black can darken red quickly.

3. Next, mix the red and black thoroughly until both colours blend evenly.

4. Check the colour after mixing. If it still looks too bright or light, add a little more black and mix it again.

5. Keep adding black in very small amounts until you achieve the maroon shade you want.

6. If you are using acrylic paint, remember that it may dry slightly darker than it looks when wet. So, stop when the wet colour is slightly lighter than your desired maroon shade.

Red, Green and Blue

1. Start with red and add a very small amount of green to tone it down. 

2. Then, add a little blue to make the shade cooler. If the colour becomes too brown or dark, add more red to bring back the reddish tone.

3. You can also mix red and brown to make maroon. Add brown little by little until you achieve the desired shade. 

4. For a warmer or cooler maroon, adjust the amount of red, blue, or brown accordingly.

I hope you now know how to make maroon colour by mixing the right colours in the correct amounts. 

Maroon is essentially a rich, dark red shade that leans toward brown. Think of it as red mixed with just a bit of black (or brown), maybe with a tiny splash of blue to bring down the warmth. You can use red as the main ingredient and use less of the darkening agent. This is because it is super easy to overdo it and basically impossible to lighten things back up. I came to know how to make maroon color when I planned to repaint my old wooden bench. Below, I have shared the steps I learned from a YouTube video.

How to Get the Right Shade of Maroon Without It Turning Brown or Grey?

1. Start with a solid base red (crimson or a true red, not one that leans orange).

2. Add black in small amounts using a toothpick dip. It works way better than pouring it in.

3. Mix it up completely before checking the colour. Wet paint always looks darker than when it is dry.

4. If it starts looking grey, add in a bit more red to get that warmth back.

5. For a deeper maroon, add brown instead of black. It keeps things warmer and avoids that flat look.

6. Finally, test it out on some scrap paper or surface, since colours can change once they dry.

When you are blending watercolours or acrylics together, you must look at around 4 parts red mixed with 1 part black or brown as your starting point. That said, always trust your eyes since different brands have different pigment intensities. I hope this answers your questions.

My niece has a passion for home decor. She envisioned transforming her living room with a rich maroon hue, adding a touch of elegance and warmth. However, finding the perfect shade of maroon paint proved challenging as she could not understand what colors make maroon. Since I am an interior designer by profession, so she came up to me for help.

How to Make Maroon Paint?

Let me tell you what I asked my niece to do to make maroon colour at home. She gathered all essential tools: a paint bucket, a mixing stick, and an array of primary colors – red, blue, and yellow. I knew that maroon was a deep red, so I asked her to start pouring a generous amount of red paint into the bucket. To enhance the red's depth, she introduced a touch of blue. With a careful hand, she added a small amount of blue paint to the red, blending them gently.

She continued to add tiny amounts of blue, observing the subtle changes in color. To balance the coolness of the blue, she decided to incorporate a hint of warmth. She squeezed a tiny dot of yellow paint into the mix, stirring it gently.

With each stroke of her mixing stick, she watched as the colors harmonized, creating a rich, velvety maroon. Delighted with her creation, she smiled, knowing she had understood how to make maroon color with acrylic paint and found the perfect shade for her living room walls. My niece’s DIY adventure taught her that creativity and resourcefulness could transform any space.

Now you know what colors make maroon paint.

As a painter you need some specific colours, and you may not find them in your palate right away. Maybe you are someone who likes painting in your free time! Just because the maroon colour is missing you can't just stop your work. At this moment you need to mix the colours from your palate and make the colour red. So, how to make maroon color?

The colour wheel is divided into three categories that are primary, secondary, and tertiary colour. The primary colours in the colour wheel are red, blue, and yellow. By combining the primary colours we get:

Blue + Yellow = Green

Red + Blue = Violet

Red + Yellow = Orange

How to make maroon colour by mixing two colours?

The colour maroon is a combination of three primary colours that are red, blue, and yellow. However, you cannot get the maroon colour by mixing them equally. Also, there is no exact ratio for mixing red, blue, and yellow to get the colour maroon. 

Since making the colour maroon can be tricky I will share a step by step guide with you.

• Firstly mix red and blue in a ratio of 5:1. Since red is the dominant colour in maroon, you have to mix 5 parts red and 1 part blue.

• After this, you need to mix the colour yellow. The colour yellow will bring a brownish tint which is perfect for creating the maroon colour.  But we must add the maroon colour in small amounts.

• If your colour looks violet rather than red add yellow paint. For the perfect hue add a tinge of white paint and you will be ready with your own maroon colour.

A word of advice, please add a small amount of colours while mixing. I hope you understand what I have explained about how to make maroon color.

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