“We told each other which colours we liked best together, and I remember the feeling of profound originality I experienced when I insisted, although it had just occurred to me that I had always liked black and brown together best”

from ‘Gwendoline’ by Elizabeth Bishop

I also like brown and black together.
I cook by colour and feel. I might look at the ingredients of the recipe but rarely follow the instructions. I imagine how its made. Same with painting.
Venison stew marinated overnight in guinness, cooked slow with onions and thyme. I like food with not too much going on, where there is close interaction between only a few things. Same with painting.
RR with his brown and black suede outfits. In his prime my god he turned heads, whole bars. Winter or summer always in brown and black.
Remember the root of brown is red. Make brown from reds. Stops it being too dour as brown can be. Broon. Paintings can become quickly like trench warfare, a fight with the mud.
No, think clay not mud.