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How to Mix Military Paint Colors

Jeremiah Blanchard

Military fatigue colors are unique in that they offer an ability to camouflage various surfaces. Military camouflage patterns are arbitrary by design, but they do employ certain characteristics and variations of standard colors. Learning how to mix paint to produce military colors is generally easy. This task requires only basic knowledge of color wheel dynamics and how to effectively mix paint to produce the colors you desire.

Green Color Shades

Step 1

Purchase a military paint color code diagram from a local Army-Navy store or at an arts and crafts store. This will give you a visual template of the colors to mix.

Step 2

Place a small amount (about the size of a teaspoon) of green paint onto an artist's pallet. Two inches away, place the same amount of brown paint.

Step 3

Use a small paintbrush, such as a 3/4-inch flat brush, and begin to swirl the two colors together. Look at the color diagram as you mix the paint. Stop whenever you've made your chosen color. Mixing these two paints together will create various shades of Olive green, Hunter green and Logan green. You can add more brown to the mix to make darker greens or add yellow to make lighter greens.

Brown Color Shades

Step 1

Place a teaspoon of brown paint on an artist's pallet. Two inches away, place white paint in the same amount.

Step 2

Dip a 3/4-inch flat paintbrush into the white paint and add it to the brown. At first, you should add just a small amount to begin changing the color of the brown using only the tip of the paintbrush.

Step 3

Begin swirling the white paint into the brown, and look at your color code diagram as you mix. Military brown shades range from dark brown to light sandy brown for desert camouflage. Add more white paint if you want to lighten the brown to a specific shade on the color diagram.