When it comes to mixing colors, a common question is whether combining red and yellow makes orange. At first glance, this seems obvious – red and yellow are adjacent colors on the color wheel, so mixing them should result in the color in between, which is orange. However, the actual process of mixing pigments or light is more complex than it may appear. In this article, we’ll explore the basics of color theory, look at the specifics of mixing red and yellow, and find out if the end result is always orange or if other colors can result as well. Understanding color mixing helps artists create the hues they want and helps explain why we see the colors we do in the world around us.
The Basics of Color Theory
To understand what happens when you mix red and yellow, it’s helpful to first review some key concepts in color theory.
The Color Wheel
The color wheel illustrates relationships between colors. Primary colors – red, yellow, and blue – cannot be created by mixing other colors. When combined, primary colors make secondary colors – orange, green, and purple. Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary and adjacent secondary color. Complementary colors are located opposite each other on the wheel.
RGB and CMY Color Models
There are two main color models to understand:
- RGB – In this additive color model, red, green, and blue light are combined to create other colors. Computer screens and televisions use combinations of red, green, and blue light to display colors.
- CMY – The subtractive CMY model uses cyan, magenta, and yellow pigments or dyes. Combining these absorbs certain colors from white light as it is reflected back. Printers use mixtures of cyan, magenta, and yellow ink to produce colors.
Color Mixing
When mixing colored lights, the colors add together to produce brighter and different hues. Mixing paints, inks, or dyes results in subtractive mixing, where some colors are absorbed or subtracted from the mix.
So to summarize, the color wheel helps visualize color relationships, RGB and CMY are the main color models, and color can be mixed through addition or subtraction. With this foundation, let’s look specifically at mixing red and yellow.
Mixing Red and Yellow Light
When beams of red and yellow light mix, the result is orange light. This is additive color mixing, as described by the RGB model.
Red, yellow, and orange are next to each other on the color wheel. In the RGB model, red and green combine to make yellow light. Mixing red and yellow light together results in orange light.
When red light (at a wavelength of 700 nm) and yellow light (580 nm) mix, the output is orange light with a wavelength of about 610 nm, directly between red and yellow on the spectrum.
The following table illustrates this:
| Color | Wavelength |
|---|---|
| Red | 700 nm |
| Yellow | 580 nm |
| Orange (mix) | 610 nm |
So when it comes to mixing colored light, combining red and yellow light does produce orange light.
Mixing Red and Yellow Pigments
Mixing red and yellow pigments like paints, dyes, or inks does not result in a pure orange color. Instead, it produces a range of orange-browns.
This is because of the subtractive CMY model. Yellow paint or dye absorbs blue light and reflects back red and green. Red paint absorbs green and blue light and reflects back red. When you mix them, neither can reflect back a pure orange. Yellow lacks pure red light, and red lacks pure green light.
The mix absorbs a lot of blue, most green, and some red. What gets reflected back is low intensity orange-brown. The exact shade depends on the ratio of red and yellow pigments. Equal parts produces a dull orange-brown. More yellow shifts it lighter, more red shifts it darker.
Looking again at the color wheel, directly between yellow and red is a pure orange. But in subtractive color mixing, you can’t get a bright true orange from just red and yellow paint.
However, adding white paint to the mix brightens it back towards an orange. White reflects back all light, filling in what’s missing from the red and yellow. With enough white, the mix can appear near orange.
Other Factors in Mixing
A few other factors come into play when physically combining red and yellow that can alter the perception of the mixed color:
- Type of pigments – Different pigment compounds reflect light differently. More transparent pigments mix closer to ideal color theory than opaque pigments.
- Texture – Thick, globby paint changes light scattering versus thin washes of color.
- Surface – The texture and color of the surface underneath impacts the perception of the mixed color.
- Viewing conditions – The lighting color and angle alter how we see mixed colors.
These all demonstrate why color mixing in practice is trickier than pure color theory. The physical reality of pigments and light changes the results.
Mixing Red and Yellow Summary
So in summary, here’s what happens when red and yellow mix:
- Mixing red and yellow light produces orange light, following the RGB additive model.
- Mixing red and yellow paints/pigments produces a range of muddy orange-browns, due to the subtractive CMY model.
- Adding white paint can brighten the orange-brown towards a truer orange.
- The specific pigments, method, and conditions impact the perception of the mixed color.
The takeaway is that mixing pure red and yellow light makes orange light, but mixing red and yellow pigments does not reliably create a pure vivid orange color. The fundamentals of color theory provide a starting point, but real-world color mixing is complex and full of surprises! Experimenting firsthand with mixing paints gives direct experience with the nuances of subtractive color.
Applying Color Mixing
Understanding the results of mixing red and yellow is valuable for both artists and scientists. Here are a few examples of applying color mixing concepts:
- Painters can mix pigments to create desired secondary and tertiary colors for painting.
- Digital artists and graphic designers work with RGB and CMY color models to output colors accurately.
- Interior designers choose paints and fabrics to create color schemes following color theory principles.
- Stage designers use colored lighting and gels to generate a palette of hues.
- Clothing designers select dyed fabrics that mix to give branding colors.
- Biologists study color mixing to understand signaling within and between biological species.
- Physicists research color perception and light properties, advancing display and imaging technology.
There are likely many more examples. The foundations of color theory and color mixing have widespread applications in art, science, and technology.
Conclusion
Mixing pure red and yellow light produces orange light, following principles of additive color mixing with RGB light. However, blending red and yellow pigments results in muddy orange-brown colors rather than a pure vivid orange, due to the limitations of subtractive CMY color mixing. There are also many factors that can alter the perception of mixed colors. Understanding the basics, limitations, and real-world conditions around mixing red and yellow helps explain how we see the diverse range of colors in our world. This color mixing knowledge is useful across fields including art, design, biology, optics, and many others. So does red and yellow make orange? Sometimes, but not as clearly and predictably as a simple color wheel might suggest. The delight is in exploring how colors interact and blend in practice, both expanding artistry and revealing the complexity within color itself.
