R1 Crimson

We find 4 colors in the R1 Crimson mixing group, which I’ve labeled Crimson, after the classic Blue leaning Red (Cool Red) painter’s color Alizarin Crimson.  These colors have a moody Blue undertone, but just a bit, to make them deeper and cooler than our Primary R2 group.  If we add too much Blue we will end up in the berry and Pink looking Red Violets.

Brick Red(8) is cleanly but heavily desaturated Red, that is a color true to its namesake.  It’s a great cool, muddy Red color that can deepen and give a deep Blue moody vibe to any color in the whole Red Hue Group.  Add bit of the very deep Plum from R2 and you have a Cool Red color that will share Plum’s depth and contrast.

Red Wine(7) is a bit lighter and less desaturated than Brick Red, and is my go-to for this mixing group when I need Cool Red for creating dark values.

Merlot(6) is a full intensity color thats just a bit lighter and more intense, with a little more Blue added  than two colors already mentioned.  This keeps it fairly deep, while still keeping the intensity high making it a powerful mixing color, great for pulling the RV Hue Group a bit towards Red, or R2 towards Blue, while also increasing intensity and emphasizing Red and Blue in these mixes.

Very light Reds are difficult, as Primary Red is a fairly rich and deep color, so having a nice muted light valued Red, is a huge asset to any palette, which brings us to Cherry Bomb(4).  It’s been slightly muted and lightened, but both are done with care so that Cherry Bomb stands out as a R Hue Group light red MVP. It can lighten and tone down any color in the R Hue Group, while keeping each base color’s unique character intact, without going to far.

For making Shadows, jump across the wheel to one of the Secondary Green complementary colors in G1, my favorite being Forest Green.  You can also sneak in some OG Green for even more, but cooler, depth.