Looking for input on BROWNS ...

[jenerations]

I am looking toward Fall and wanting to do some pieces in brown, which is new for me. From Dharma's catalog and Steve's helpful swatch, I really like Dharma's Chocolate Brown. Anyone have any input/advice on using it?

Now the harder question, anyone know how it will blend with a lighter pink, say 1 part or less MX-8B? I am thinking it will "rust up" which is ok but I don't want too orange. I know I will likely have to try it but thought I'd seek input first!

[steve]

I am looking toward Fall and wanting to do some pieces in brown, which is new for me. From Dharma's catalog and Steve's helpful swatch, I really like Dharma's Chocolate Brown. Anyone have any input/advice on using it?

Now the harder question, anyone know how it will blend with a lighter pink, say 1 part or less MX-8B? I am thinking it will "rust up" which is ok but I don't want too orange. I know I will likely have to try it but thought I'd seek input first!

The Chocolate Brown swatches are ProCHEM and Jacquard/RGS. I'm not sure if the RGS is the same as Dharma. It may well be. Personally I much prefer the ProCHEM. It is richer and has more dimensions. The RGS is simpler and darker.

I'm not inclined to blend already blended colors as chocolate brown is. This is because I do not know what the constituent colors are and the results may be difficult to predict. Frankly, you might just end up with a darker brown yet.

If you want to fine tune a color, you really can't beat ProChem's assortment. The downside is that you ending collecting a lot of colors!

When I work with browns, I enjoy browns with a hue bias. Some are orangish, greenish, or reddish. I play with color relations playing off the hue of the brown. For example, I might use a complementary or split complementary colors play off the browns. I also like to play with bright saturated colors to contrast the duller browns.

Steve

[Dancing Barefoot]

I have had great success with Prochem Chocolate Brown from Dharma. Make sure you use enough dye, or the color will not be rich enough. I use about 9 TBS for 3 cups of dye mix. I use it for tie-dye as a shading color and also as a solid area color and it's really nice. Brown is the new black.

dark Khaki is nice too, and Camel is good for a lighter brown, it complements the chocolate well

For pink, I usually mix 1tsp Prochem #15 Amtheyst per 1.5 cups dye mix.
I use Fuschia in the same dilution for a hot pink.

hope this helps

[jenerations]

Thanks for the input! Esp. helpful is the tip on the amethyst, I have some and don't care for it much used full strength as a purple, but will try it as a pink as you said.

[steve]

I have had great success with Prochem Chocolate Brown from Dharma.

Are you sure about the ProChem being from Dharma? Dharma sells RGS/Jacquard.

There is a huge difference between the two chocolate browns!

Steve

[unformedmatter]

i recently did a gradation on prochem's cocoa. when it gets light, it has a definate pinkish cast to it. it might be a color that you could use real well with pinks, and won't get funky at the blend points.

[Marg]

I use ProChem's Chocolate Brown A LOT and I love the fall colors. It makes very nice lwi peices by itself and if you like orange you can do an lwi with orange and then the brown over. I like to use the Choc Brown (All ProChem) with black, terra cotta, forest green, olive drab, turkey red (or I'm going to try barn red this year) bright blue, indigo and some kind of purple. ProChem has included eggplant in their Fall colors before but this was too dark to my taste and I have used grape but am going back to deep purple. I have never mixed the Choc brown with another color. Good luck! Marg

[Dancing Barefoot]

I'm sure you're right Steve, I always think of Dharma's dye line as ProcionMX, that's what I use exclusively.

Procion MX #35A Chocolate Brown

Thanks for clearing it up.