Your plotfunction is real if both Log-arguments are `>0`. Perhaps using RegionFunctions might help solving your problem: Plot[ Log[27, Sin[2*x] - 1/3*Cos[x]] -1/3*Log[3, -Cos[x]] , {x, -2 Pi, 2 Pi}, PlotRange -> All, RegionFunction ->Function[x, (Sin[2*x] - 1/3*Cos[x] > 0) && ( -Cos[x] > 0)],PlotRange -> All, PlotLabel -> "both Log-arguments>0"] [![enter image description here][1]][1] **addition** But the sum of two comlex numbers might although evaluate to real, if the summands are complex: Plot[{ #, Im[#]} &[Log[27, Sin[2*x] - 1/3*Cos[x]] - 1/3*Log[3, -Cos[x]]] // Evaluate, {x, -2 Pi, 2 Pi}, PlotStyle -> {{ Red}, Green }] [![enter image description here][2]][2] and that's the result MMA calculates. [1]: https://i.sstatic.net/S85FM.jpg [2]: https://i.sstatic.net/0qVD2.jpg