Red and black are gorgeous pairs of colors and go pretty perfectly hand in hand. But does it blow your mind thinking about what would be the outcome if you mixed red and black together? We have the answer to your question.
So, the question is, what color does red and black make?
When you add black to your red, it creates a darker shade of red like burgundy or brown or something else depending on how much black you have added to your red.
The following piece contains more about:
- How do people see the colors red and black?
- Representation of red and black in the media
- Philosophical combination of black and red
- Do red and black make brown?
- Do red and black make purple?
Let’s dive into the article to learn more about the colors red and black and what they represent.
Table of Contents
What Color Does Red and Black Make?
Red and black colors are very vibrant and make a very interesting pair for a great combination. Both colors provide a gorgeous vibe but it still makes us wonder what color they would make if mixed.
Well, when you mix red and black together, it will provide a darker version of red every time. It just depends much black you are adding to the red for the outcome to be a darker red or burgundy or a shade of brown.
It is because this is how mixing black with any color works. If you add black to any shade of color, you will get a darker version of that. So, when you mix red and black, you will get a darker version of red like burgundy or brown.
It depends on your shade preference how much black you want to add to the red to get your desired color. But in case you want to bring out a tint of a particular color you created with red and black, you can just add a little white to it and you will get the tint you need.
But if you use a ratio where you use more black than red, then your outcome will be a color that is almost black or black. So, to make a different color out of red and black, you will need to add black less than red.
And make sure you add the black in a small amount while you are mixing the colors. Otherwise, you might waste a lot of colors and won’t get the outcome you are looking for.
How Do People See the Colors Red and Black?
Even though people wear red and black colors on many happy occasions like Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc., the colors often give us some dark feelings. These two dramatic colors convey some double meaning while we look at them.
If you take a look at the color red, you will imagine blood, anger, etc. It also sometimes portrays sensual imagery in our heads when we see red. But it depends on the context.
But a vision of red always puts a picture of blood in your head, it can even make you think of murder if you are a fan of crime shows. So, in most cases, it represents violence.
As red reminds everyone of blood, murder, or violence, it can also represent life. Christians always see the blood of Jesus as a blessing as it offers them salvation. In this way, the color red puts some positive portrayal even if it’s representing blood. After all, blood is also a part of our life force.
Red is used to portray rebellion. American women started wearing red lipstick in the 1940s to rebel against Adolf Hitler to show their patriotism.
On the other hand, the color black doesn’t have any double entendre. Black always represents death. People wear black to funerals to express their grief for the dead. Holding a black sign is also a way of expressing grief for a disgraceful matter.
Then again, the combination of red and black is also widely used in villains’ attire to express their evil nature. Vampires are often seen wearing red and black clothes in movies and series to express their personality of being in the dark and drinking blood.
So, it depends on the context of how people see the colors red and black. It can represent a beautiful sunset in a painting, or it might make you think of a supervillain wearing black leather clothes covered in blood.
Representation of Red and Black in Media
In any movie or series, you will notice that black and red are often used to portray a character of a villain. You will see devil characters, Dracula, vampires, mafia gangs, etc. have a look created with black and red colors to express the dark and rough side of their character.
You will also notice that most of the Halloween costumes people wear have red and black in them. The colors combined can make you aware of the sense of fear. In western culture, they always represent a bad guy with black attire or a simple black hat.
Black and red have another prominent influence in the goth industry. As we stated earlier, red and black have a vibe that can make you scared. Hence, the overuse of black and red in gothic attire creates a scary vibe in the look.
We already stated before that red is also considered a sign of rebellion. Many female characters of negative roles are often portrayed in red attire to show their character as dangerous, immoral, or deceptive. But red is also used to express a sensual side of the female character in many movies.
We can see the protagonist of a movie or series wearing white or any light colors whereas the villain or antagonists are wearing darker colors like red and black. And this tradition has been going on for ages and everyone is familiar with this theory so it is often seen to use red and black in negative terms like this.
Philosophical Combination of Black and Red
According to a philosophical point of view, the combination of red and black represents the combination of life and death. The red represents blood which is an element of life and the black represents death.
And for this reason, the Jewish maintain a peculiar tradition. They don’t mix milk and meat in their recipe because milk represents life and meat represents death. And for this superstitious reason, they don’t use milk in their meat in any recipe.
Do Red and Black Make Brown?
Yes, they do. If you combine the color red and black at an adequate amount then you can get the color brown. But don’t take a lot of color at once. Add black to your red little by little to get the brown shade you want.
If you want a lighter shade or a tint of the brown shade you got, then add a little white color to your previous mixture to get the shade you are looking for.
Do Black and Red Make Purple?
Actually, no. You can not get the color purple from mixing red and black together. We have already discussed how adding black to any color works. But to summarize again, when you add black to a particular color, it creates a darker version of that color.
So, when you will be adding black to your red, you will be getting a darker shade of red such as burgundy or brown. Burgundy is a little close to purple, but it contains more of a red tint in it so you can’t count it as purple.
To get a purple shade, you can add some blue with your red and black. But make sure the hues of the colors are compatible with each other. Otherwise, it will get all muddy.
FAQ
Do red and black make maroon?
Maroon is a darker shade of red. So yeah, adding a little black to your cadmium red will make maroon.
Can I make black by mixing my acrylic colors?
Yes, you sure can. Just take equal parts of red, blue, and yellow and mix them. You will get the outcome of black.
How can I get burgundy by mixing red and black?
Adding black to red little by little will do the work. But for a better outcome, you may add some ultramarine blue with your cadmium red and true black to get the perfect burgundy shade.
Conclusion
We finish our broad discussion over what color do red and black make here. Hope our article helped you find the answer you were looking for.
Now you will be able to use red and black with more perspective and it will help you understand the use of colors in better senses.
Painting is fun. Paint anything, paint on everything. Do not limit yourself to canvases or colors. Make the world your canvas and paint it in your way.