Any Serious Tips on How To Make The Color Of Gold By Mixing Paint?

Question

Trust me, I tried. And I wasted half an afternoon and a lot of paint and couldn't get it right. I came close to the right color, but couldn't get the 'sheen' or 'sparkle' from my blended paints.

It pisses me off when I have to admit there are some things I simply can't do. After fighting my ego I finally I gave up and headed to Dick Blick's and bought a jar of the stupid stuff. Both Liquitex and Golden have 'Gold' paint, but it ain't cheap. Still, it was cheaper than wasting paint trying to get the right effect.

So, in case the need should ever arise again, how would you mix the right colors (with acrylics) to get the shinny gold effect?

Joy, what I didn't have is any iridescent white or iridescent anything. This I'll keep in mind and keep some in stock.

Dragonfly, I did try both mixing Orange Oxide (which came close, with a touch of White and Naphthol) and both Yellow and Orange Ochre. Even using Mars Yellow (with Yellow and White) came close. But without the 'sheen' that I probably could have gotten with a light mixture of an iridescent medium. But I didn't get that far because I was getting pissed off at myself.

Answer 1

Sorry, Wats -
you can get the colour right, but the metallic part is actually metallic particles... you just can't burp that up from nowhere.

Here's what I do - invest in some iridescent white, and use that to add to any colour to make metallics. And don't be so dam cheap, man!

;-)

Answer 2

The serious answer is NO - you cannot mix paint colors to get the sheen and sparkle effects you wanted.

On the other hand, you can get the sheen and sparkle effect by mimicking the way a photograph captures a gold bar or gold nugget. You don't have a solid color in the photograph but a "slow" and soft transition of colors.

It's just like painting water - it all depends on the environment like the glass if it's clear or smoked and, of course, the reflections of the place where it is placed.

Answer 3

In my humble opinion, the easy way is to use metallic paint, but before such paint existed, the illusion of "gold,"I believe, was created by the colours surrounding it, by reflected light & so on. You can make it "glow" but I doubt, that without metallic or iridescent paints, will it have the sheen or sparkle you want.

Answer 4

Go with Golden, they are a hundred times better than Liquitex.

In old reinassance paintings gold was rendered with many shades of ochre/yellow and often as a reflective piece, so painting in a reflection will help make your piece look more realistic if that is what you want.

Answer 5

no you cant get ONE colour to look like gold. by adding highlights and low lights you can create the illusion of something gold. If you are looking for a true gold buy some gold paint.

Answer 6

I would by a tube of "Venetian Gold".
Otherwise you must mix varnish with your colours, but gold is a very, very difficult colour to make on a palette.

Answer 7

I really don't think you can. You cannot create sparkle and sheen where there is none. I don't know what you are using it for, but try imitation gold leaf. Looks beautiful. Pax- C

Answer 8

You can't get "shiny gold effect" from mixing paints. If you really want to paint something that appears shiny and gold, you have to you a variety of colors. Gold shines because of the light it reflects.

I have no idea what you are trying to do, if you what your paint to shimmer, you are going to have to buy something special.

If you want to paint a picture of a gold ring, you need to mix some colors, i dunno, maybe shades of yellow.