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Showing posts with label Americolor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Americolor. Show all posts

Monday, July 7, 2014

Food Color Cross Reference

Over the past few months, I have mixed MANY colors using Americolor food gels.  I want to share my mixing knowledge with ALL bakers, not just the ones who use Americolor as their brand of choice.  So...I have made cross reference charts for each popular brand of food colors.  This way, you will know your brand's equivalent to Americolor and you can mix the same colors shown on my blog...the correct way.   

The Americolor Color Bias Charts (Below) are a reminder as to which color belongs to which color bias group.  This is important information to know folks!!!  If you know what groups your colors belong to, you will mix the right colors all the time.







Each chart (below) has the brand of color you are using to the left and the Americolor equivalent to the right.  Some brands have more colors than others.  If your brand doesn't have a color you need, you will need to create it in order for the final color to be accurate.  For example:  If you need Egg Yellow, but you only have Lemon Yellow, you will have to mix some Orange into the Lemon Yellow to create Egg Yellow.  (Color Tip: Electric Blue is a mix of Royal Blue and Sky Blue...both are blue-green bias)  **Click on the chart for a larger view.  Please feel free to save it and print it out for a handy cheat sheet**






Now here comes the fun part!!!  My good friend Rebecca from The Cookie Architect, has asked me to be part of her "Practice Bakes Perfect" challenge over at Cookie Connection. The theme is Summer and I am thinking "vintage"!!!  

So here it is...your color palette!!!  You must use at least 4 of these colors, but feel free to use all five of them.  Use your cross reference charts (above) to help you mix these colors if you are using a brand other than Americolor.  If you don't have the color in the formula, use what you have learned in my previous post on Color Bias to mix your colors the proper way by using my Americolor Color Bias charts (above).  Please note, there is no ratio listed for these formulas because there is no way to accurately measure food gels.  One drop from my bottle may be a different drop from your bottle and some don't even use squeeze bottle food colors.  Painters use their eyes to measure ratios and blend until they see the desired color.  This might be challenging for some of you, but it is the most accurate way of mixing colors. Just give yourself time and patience . . . and you will get it, I promise.  The best way to mix icing, is to start with your lightest color and add the darker color a little at a time until you reach the desired color (Mixing Tip: I use a knife to dab color into my icing...never drops.  This prevents over coloring your icing and going too dark).  Please note that saturated colors will deepen over time (a few hours to overnight), so try and be patient before adding more dark colors to your mix.    







My color inspiration came from these beautiful vintage beach posters (below).  






Just remember the most important thing about mixing is to have fun with it.  I can't wait to see these colors come to life, so get baking and mixing...and good luck!!! 

Have a wonderful and colorful week:-)































Friday, April 25, 2014

Mixing Tertiary Colors The Easy Way

Phew...I survived the holidays!!!  I can finally get back to doing what I love...mixing up colors.

Last time, we learned about color bias and how to choose the proper "primary" colors to mix all other colors.  Color bias is mainly used for "primary" colors, since pure primary colors don't exist.  However, putting secondary colors (orange, green and violet) into color bias groups can make it easier for you to see the difference between each secondary color. Can you see the dominant "primary" color in each set of secondary colors on the chart?




Secondary colors can lean toward a color bias...this is what is known as a tertiary color.  We already know that we need to mix a "primary" color and a secondary color to get a tertiary color.  But wait...which two colors do we need to mix together?  It really doesn't matter!!!  What I love about creating tertiary colors is that there is no wrong way to mix them...which means no muddy colors.  



Don't forget...you still need to remember your complementary colors, for you don't want to mix those two together unless you plan on making a neutral color (refer to complementary chart).   


Red-Orange (Red + Orange)

Let's say you needed to make a specific tertiary color such as Vermillion.


You need to choose a "primary" red that has an orange bias (refer to "Primary" Color Bias Chart).  When it comes to choosing the right orange, you need not to worry.  Orange already contains red, so any orange will do.  I will let you in on a little secret...it will make life so much easier if you choose the orange that leans towards the red bias.  You won't have to add as much "primary" red to your icing.  We all know red has an aftertaste and can be harmful to our bodies...so it just makes sense to use less of it when possible.  

Take a look at the icing samples below, which two look the closest to Vermillion?  


"Primary" Super Red mixed with oranges
(1) Terracotta  (2) Electric Orange  (3) Orange
(4) Copper  (5) Peach
"Primary" Red Red mixed with oranges
(6) Terracotta  (7) Electric Orange  (8) Orange
(9) Copper  (10) Peach
"Primary" Tulip Red mixed with oranges
(11) Terracotta  (12) Electric Orange  (13) Orange
(14) Copper  (15) Peach
"Primary" Xmas Red mixed with oranges
(16) Terracotta  (17) Electric Orange  (18) Orange
(19) Copper  (20) Peach
"Primary" Holiday Red mixed with oranges
(21) Terracotta  (22) Electric Orange  (23) Orange
(24) Copper  (25) Peach

That is right...#1 and 6 match the Vermillion swatch!  These icing colors are the most accurate because I used an orange biased "primary" red and Terracotta for my secondary color, which is a red biased orange (See Secondary Color Bias Chart above).  If you don't own a food color such as Terracotta you can use any orange and just add more red to your icing.  

Quiz time!!!  Now that you know what two colors will get you the most accurate tertiary color, let's see if you can find all of them for each color below.  The two best answers are listed after each set of icing colors.  Remember what you learned and have fun!!!


Yellow-Orange (Yellow + Orange)

Which two numbers match this Gold?   


"Primary" Lemon Yellow mixed with oranges
(1) Terracotta  (2) Electric Orange  (3) Orange
(4) Copper  (5) Peach
"Primary" Electric Yellow mixed with oranges
(6) Terracotta  (7) Electric Orange  (8) Orange
(9) Copper  (10) Peach
"Primary" Egg Yellow mixed with oranges
(11) Terracotta  (12) Electric Orange  (13) Orange
(14) Copper  (15) Peach
"Primary" Gold mixed with oranges
(16) Terracotta  (17) Electric Orange  (18) Orange
(19) Copper  (20) Peach
Answer: #2 and #8 match the Gold swatch above.     


Yellow-Green (Yellow + Green)

 Which two numbers match this Chartreuse?  


"Primary" Lemon Yellow mixed with greens
(1) Electric Green  (2) Mint Green  (3) Avocado
(4) Leaf Green  (5) Forest Green  (6) Teal
"Primary" Electric Yellow mixed with greens
(7) Electric Green  (8) Mint Green  (9) Avocado
(10) Leaf Green  (11) Forest Green  (12) Teal
"Primary" Egg Yellow mixed with greens
(13) Electric Green  (14) Mint Green  (15) Avocado
(16) Leaf Green  (17) Forest Green  (18) Teal
"Primary" Gold mixed with greens
(19) Electric Green  (20) Mint Green  (21) Avocado
(22) Leaf Green  (23) Forest Green  (24) Teal
Turquoise mixed with 'primary" yellows
(25) Lemon Yellow  (26) Electric Yellow  (27) Egg Yellow
(28) Gold
Answer: #1 and #7 match the Chartreuse swatch above. 


Blue-Green (Blue + Green)

Which two numbers match this Turquoise?


"Primary" Royal Blue mixed with greens
(1) Electric Green  (2) Mint Green (3) Avocado
(4) Leaf Green  (5) Forest Green  (6) Teal
"Primary" Electric Blue mixed with greens
(7) Electric Green  (8) Mint Green  (9) Avocado
(10) Leaf Green  (11) Forest Green  (12) Teal
"Primary" Sky Blue mixed with greens
(13) Electric Green  (14) Mint Green  (15) Avocado
(16) Leaf Green  (17) Forest Green  (18) Teal
"Primary" Navy Blue mixed with greens
(19) Electric Green  (20) Mint Green  (21) Avocado
(22) Leaf Green  (23) Forest Green  (24) Teal
Turquoise mixed with "primary" blues
(25) Royal Blue  (26) Electric Blue  (27) Sky Blue
(28) Navy Blue
Answer: #8 and #10 match the Turquoise swatch above.



Blue-Violet (Blue + Violet)

Which two numbers match this Indigo?


"Primary" Royal Blue mixed with violets
(1) Violet  (2) Regal Purple  (3) Electric Purple
"Primary" Electric Blue mixed with violets
(4) Violet  (5) Regal Purple  (6) Electric Purple
"Primary" Sky Blue mixed with violets
(7) Violet  (8) Regal Purple  (9) Electric Purple
"Primary" Navy Blue mixed with violets
(10) Violet  (11) Regal Purple  (12) Electric Purple
Answer: #1 and #2 match the Indigo swatch above.


Red-Violet (Red + Violet)

Which two numbers match this Mulberry


Violet mixed with "primary" reds
(1) Super Red  (2) Red Red  (3) Tulip Red
(4) Xmas Red  (5) Holiday Red  (6) Burgundy
Regal Purple mixed with "primary" reds
(7) Super Red  (8) Red Red  (9) Tulip Red
(10) Xmas Red  (11) Holiday Red  (12) Burgundy
Electric Purple mixed with "primary" reds
(13) Super Red  (14) Red Red  (15) Tulip Red
(16) Xmas Red  (17) Holiday Red  (18) Burgundy
Answer: #4 and #11 match the Mulberry swatch above.



I hope you got all of them right!!!  Next time I will show you all the colors you can make using your pinks and neutral colors.  

Have a wonderful and colorful week:-)