Making blue out of orange may seem impossible at first glance. After all, orange and blue are opposite colors on the color wheel. However, with some creative mixing and a basic understanding of color theory, it is possible to blend complementary colors together to create a blue hue. In this article, we will explore if and how blue can be made from orange using principles of art and science.
Understanding the Color Wheel
The first step is to understand the fundamentals of the color wheel. The color wheel arranges colors into a circle based on their hue. Complementary colors are located opposite each other on the wheel. Blue and orange are complements, meaning they contrast strongly with one another. This contrast is what allows them to neutralize each other when mixed.
| Primary Colors | Secondary Colors |
|---|---|
| Red | Green |
| Yellow | Purple |
| Blue | Orange |
The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. When combined, they make the secondary colors of purple, green, and orange. Importantly, blue and orange are opposite each other. This opposing positioning is key to blending them together.
Mixing Color Pigments
In painting, colors are created through pigments. Pigments absorb some wavelengths of light and reflect others. For example, an orange pigment absorbs blue and green light while reflecting red and yellow wavelengths. When pigments are mixed together, the reflected colors combine to create a new hue.
To make blue from orange pigment, you would need to neutralize its warm, reddish-yellow undertone with a cool, blue-green color. Green is positioned between blue and yellow on the color wheel, meaning it contains aspects of both. Adding green pigment to orange makes it more dull and desaturated. With enough green, the orange will become a more neutral brown. From there, adding just a touch of blue pigment will start to produce a dark blue-gray. The more blue added, the brighter and more saturated the blue tone will become.
Using Light and Optics
Colors can also be produced using light and optics. Televisions, computer monitors, and other displays create color through light. Pixels emit red, blue, and green light. The combination and intensity of these three primary colors of light produce all other hues through a process called additive color mixing.
In theory, displaying pure orange light (red + yellow wavelengths) and pure blue light (just blue wavelengths) at the same time could allow our eyes to merge them into one bluish color. However, most screens cannot blend colors seamlessly in this way. Additionally, orange light contains such an overpowering red component that the blue would most likely become purple.
A better option is to start with yellow light. Since yellow lacks red wavelengths, it can more easily mix with blue to make green. From there, decreasing the yellow and increasing the blue luminance would gradually shift the hue towards a blue-green teal. In practice, this would require extremely precise calibrations using RGB values. It may only work for certain shades of orange and blue.
Using Filters
Filters offer another solution for transforming orange light into blue through subtraction. An orange filter absorbs blue and green wavelengths while letting red and yellow light pass through. Placing an orange filter over a white light would give an orange glow. But placing a blue filter on top of the orange filter will block all the remaining red, yellow, and orange wavelengths, leaving only blue light visible.
In photography and cinema, colored gel filters are often layered in this manner to alter the mood and color palette of scenes. A blue nighttime look can be achieved by shooting in broad daylight with an orange filter on the camera lens and a blue filter over the light source. While imperfect, the filtered colors combine to create the illusion of moonlit blue tones.
Pigment Mixing Ratio
To recap, here is a simple pigment mixing ratio to create a blue tone from orange:
| Orange pigment | 10 parts |
|---|---|
| Green pigment | 6 parts |
| Blue pigment | 4 parts |
Start with a bright orange pigment. Add in green at a ~60% ratio to dull and desaturate the orange. Finally, mix in ~40% blue pigment. Adjust the ratios as needed to produce your desired hue of blue. Too much green will make an aqua color, while too little may result in violet.
The Science of Color Perception
Our perception of color is dependent on physics, biology, and psychology. We see color through the cones in our eyes which detect red, green and blue wavelengths. But our brain processes these signals to assign color based on context. The background, lighting, nearby hues, and our expectations all influence the way we perceive a color.
This subjective aspect means people with normal color vision can interpret the same exact wavelength differently. A hue that appears blueish to one person might look more purple to another. So while mixing orange and blue pigments mathematically produces a neutral color, individuals may still perceive bluish tones in it.
Impossibility of Perceptual Mixing
Despite the techniques described above, directly mixing orange and blue pigments cannot accurately produce blue in terms of human color perception. The brain simply will not interpret the neutral mud color as blue because orange overpowers blue so strongly. However, with optical illusions, creative uses of contrast, and visual trickery, orange environments can subjectively appear to have blue tones and vice versa.
Conclusion
In summary, blending complementary colors like orange and blue is possible through various techniques, but not via simple direct mixing. To achieve a blue tone perceptually, the orange needs to be substantially desaturated and cooled by adding greens and reducing reds through intricate color balances. With the right combinations of pigments, light, and filters, orange can be transformed into blue for the human eye under the right circumstances. While not easy, with some color theory knowledge and experimentation, creating blue hues from orange is an achievable artistic challenge.
