A Comprehensive Guide to Color Mixing and How to Make Colors

Are you looking for a color mixing chart to create your desired shades? Do you want to know how to make colors like purple, red, orange, pink, blue, green, yellow, and brown? Look no further! In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on color mixing, giving you valuable insights on how to achieve the colors you desire.

Color Theory: Understanding the Basics

Before we dive into color mixing combinations, let's take a quick look at color theory. Understanding the basics will help you grasp the concepts better and save you time in the long run.

Primary Colors: The Building Blocks

Primary colors are the foundation of color mixing. They cannot be created by mixing other colors. The three primary colors in painting are red, yellow, and blue.

Mixing of Secondary Colors: Creating New Hues

Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors. By combining red and blue, you get purple. Mixing red and yellow creates orange, while blue and yellow produce green.

It's important to note that different shades of primary colors exist, each with its own color bias. Some primary colors lean towards cooler tones, while others lean towards warmer tones. This distinction becomes crucial when mixing colors.

Mixing of Tertiary Colors: Exploring Intermediate Shades

Tertiary colors are mixtures of a primary color with a secondary color. They are often referred to as intermediate colors. Examples include yellow-orange, red-orange, red-purple, blue-purple, blue-green, and yellow-green.

Tertiary colors are incredibly versatile and essential if you want to achieve a more natural look in your artwork.

Complementary Colors: Achieving Contrast

Complementary colors are opposite each other on the color wheel. When combined, they create high contrast. The complementary colors of the primaries are as follows: purple and yellow, orange and blue, and green and red.

Understanding complementary colors will help you create striking and visually appealing color combinations.

Color Mixing Wheel: A Visual Guide

Let's Dive into Specific Colors

Now that we have covered the basics of color theory, let's explore how to create specific colors by mixing different pigments or paints.

What Colors Make Red?

Red is a primary color in both the RYB and RGB models. It cannot be created by mixing other colors. However, in the CMYK color space used in printing, red can be achieved by mixing yellow and magenta in equal parts.

What Colors Make Green?

Green is a primary color in the RGB model, but when it comes to opaque pigments and paints (RYB), it can be created by mixing yellow and blue in equal parts. Increasing the amount of blue will result in a blue-green shade, while more yellow will yield a yellow-green hue. In the CMYK model, green is obtained by mixing cyan and yellow.

What Colors Make Blue?

Blue, just like red, is a primary color in both the RYB and RGB color spaces. It cannot be created by mixing other colors. However, you can create shades of blue by adding a little black to the color mixture. For example, adding white paint will result in a hint of blue, like cerulean blue. To achieve sky blue, mix ultramarine blue and titanium white.

What Colors Make Yellow?

Yellow is a primary color in the RYB and CMYK models, meaning it cannot be made by mixing other colors. However, in the additive RGB model, yellow is considered a secondary color. To create yellow, you need to overlay green light and red light.

What Colors Make Orange?

Orange is a secondary color located between red and yellow on the traditional color wheel. To make orange, mix red and yellow together. Adding more red to the mixture results in a color known as red-orange, while increasing the yellow paint produces yellow-orange. Red and orange combined create vermilion, a red-orange color.

What Colors Make Purple or Violet?

Purple, or violet, is a secondary color in the RYB color model. Mixing red and blue in equal proportions creates purple. Starting with red as the base and adding a splash of blue paint will give you purple. Using more red in the mixture results in magenta, a reddish shade of purple.

What Colors Make Pink?

Pink is a hint of red, which means it can be made by mixing red with white. If you prefer not to use white, you can create a shade of pink similar to peach or coral pink by mixing light yellow with red paint. For a vibrant pink, mix magenta and white. Depending on the colors used, you can achieve different shades of pink.

What Colors Make Brown?

Brown is created by mixing the primary color red with the secondary color green. By combining complementary colors, you can achieve various shades of brown.

What Colors Make Gray?

Gray is a spectrum of colors between black and white. To make gray, mix a little black into a white base until you reach the desired shade. Alternatively, you can mix complementary colors in equal proportions to achieve gray without using white.

What Colors Make Turquoise?

Turquoise can be made by mixing green and blue, with a ratio of approximately 2 parts blue to 1.5 parts green. To create a pale turquoise, use a very pale blue in the mixture. For a darker shade, add a little gray-white.

What Colors Make Cyan?

Cyan is a primary color in the CMYK color space, used in printing. It cannot be created by mixing other colors. However, in painting, you can make cyan by mixing blue and white. Another method involves mixing blue and green to create a turquoise base, then adding a touch of yellow and white until you achieve the desired shade of cyan.

What Colors Make White?

In additive color mixing, which involves mixing colored lights, white can be created by combining the primary colors red, green, and blue. However, in subtractive color mixing, which deals with pigments or dyes, it is impossible to create white.

What Colors Make Black?

Black paint can be made by mixing the three primary colors of the RYB color space: red, yellow, and blue. In subtractive color mixing, where pigments or dyes are used, combining all colors in equal parts produces black.

Handy Color Mixing Charts

Here are color mixing charts to help you visualize various color combinations:

Additive and Subtractive Color Mixing

Understanding the difference between additive and subtractive color mixing is crucial.

Subtractive color mixing involves using pigments or dyes to create colors. Mixing colors in this way subtracts specific wavelengths of light, resulting in darker colors tending towards black. This method is used in printing, painting, and other forms of color mixing, where substances absorb light and reflect specific wavelengths.

On the other hand, additive color mixing is the process of creating colors by adding different wavelengths of light together. This method is used in digital screens, where red, green, and blue (RGB) are the primary colors. Additive color mixing creates brighter colors as more light is added to the mixture, ending with white.

Final Words on Color Mixing

Whether you have primary, secondary, intermediate, or tertiary colors at your disposal, understanding color mixing opens up a world of possibilities. By combining different shades, you can create an infinite range of colors and achieve the desired look in your artwork.

Did you find this color mixing chart guide helpful? Share it with your friends and let us spread the joy of creating vibrant and beautiful colors together.