Making darker shades of green paint from lighter shades can be accomplished in a few different ways. The most straightforward method is to simply mix in a small amount of black, blue, or brown paint. However, more nuanced dark greens can be created by blending complementary colors together. Understanding color theory is key to mixing custom greens efficiently.
Add a Small Amount of Black, Blue, or Brown Paint
The easiest way to darken a light green paint is to add a touch of black, blue or brown. These darker pigments overwhelm the bright green, muting it into a deeper, richer shade. Start by placing a dollop of the original light green paint on a palette or other mixing surface. Dip a clean paintbrush into the black, blue or brown and mix it thoroughly into the green a little at a time. Adding dark pigment gradually gives you better control over the final color.
Black is the most neutral option and will simply make the green darker without altering its tone. Blue has a cooling effect, bringing the green closer to a forest or teal shade. Brown has a warming effect, making the green earthier and more olive-toned. The amount needed will vary based on factors like the starting lightness of the green and the consistency of the paints. Typically just dipping a dry brush into the dark color and blending 3-5 times is enough to produce a noticeable difference.
Test the mixed paint on a spare canvas or piece of cardboard after each addition of black, blue or brown. When you achieve your desired dark green, you can either use it immediately or store it in an airtight container for later. This simple mixing technique works for any type of paint including acrylics, oils, gouache and watercolors.
Blend Complementary Colors
The color wheel is a useful visual guide for understanding color relationships. Colors directly across from each other are considered complements. When blended together in the right proportions, they neutralize each other’s hues, producing a rich, muted shade. Combining colors from opposite sides of the color wheel is an alternative way to make custom greens, including darker varieties.
For green paint, look at the color wheel and find its complement – red. Mixing green and red pigments desaturates both colors, resulting in a more neutral, earthy type of green. Start with a red that contains some orange or yellow tones rather than a pure primary red. This will ensure the green doesn’t get too gray or brown when blended. Add the red to the original light green paint little by little until you get your ideal deeper green.
Another option is mixing a yellow-based green with the complement of yellow – violet. Violet is a reddish purple that can infuse greens with subtle jewel-tone hues. As before, combine the violet pigment gradually until you reach the darkness you want. The proportion doesn’t need to be exactly 50/50. Often just a small amount of the complement color is needed to deepen the original green.
Darken with Shade
In color theory, a hue’s “shade” refers to the darker version created by blending that color with black. It’s the most direct way of making a bold green darker. To shade green paint, take your starting color and add a small amount of black, mixing thoroughly. Adding black reduces lightness and intensity, creating a deeper, muted green.
Continue layering black and testing the color until you’re happy with the richness. At a certain point, adding too much black will make the green appear dull, grayish or indistinct. Stop mixing when the color is still vivid but several tones darker than the original. The amount of black needed varies based on the initial brightness of the green. Brighter greens typically require more black to sufficiently deepen and desaturate them.
Tint with Complementary Color
In color theory, a “tint” is made by lightening a hue with white. The opposite, darkening with a complementary color, produces a richer result than simply shading with black. For green, this means tinting with red. Take a small amount of your starting green and mix in drops of red until you achieve a darker value.
Red has a dulling effect on green, removing some vibrance. But when used sparingly, the red deepens the green in a more nuanced way than black. The red tinting method works best for medium to light greens. Dark greens may become too muted and brownish with the addition of too much red. Adjust the red additions until you find the right balance of darkness without excessive grayness.
Cons of Mixing Paint to Make Darker Greens
It’s easy and inexpensive to customize green paint colors by blending, but there are a few downsides to mixing:
- Takes more effort than buying pre-mixed paint
- Color accuracy can be tricky without experience
- Mixed colors won’t exactly match colors in another project
- Texture or consistency may change when adding pigments
- Tinted paints aren’t suitable for touch-ups after drying
While it does require some trial and error, blending paints can be a fun way to create unique shades. With practice, you’ll get better at efficiently darkening greens through strategic color mixing.
Buying Dark Green Paint
For convenience or color consistency across projects, purchase premixed dark green paint:
- Invertocrene – Vibrant forest green
- Sherwin-Williams – Evergreen Fog – Grayish muted green
- Benjamin Moore – Knight’s Armor – Deep hunter green
- BEHR – Celtic – Blue-toned dark green
- Valspar – Formal Garden – Olive green with gray undertones
Many brands offer dark green options with different finishes like high gloss, satin, flat and acrylic lacquer. Sample sizes let you test colors before fully committing to a gallon. Custom mixes can also be ordered from most major paint suppliers.
Achieving Dark Greens with Other Mediums
Not just limited to paint, dark green colors can also be produced with:
- Dye – Add small amounts of black, brown or blue dye to lighten green fabric dye
- Pigment powders – Mix green pigment powder with black, brown or violet
- Food coloring – Add a few drops blue, black or brown food gel
- Crayons – Melt light and dark green crayons together
- Modeling clay – Knead black or blue clay in with green clay
The same color theory concepts apply when darkening green ink, icing, plastic or any other colored medium. Start with small amounts of the darkening color until you achieve the right richness.
True vs. Perceived Darkness of Green
Human perception of color is subjective. Two different greens may appear equally dark based purely on value (lightness/darkness), but be perceived as different shades. Context and visual factors impact a color’s apparent lightness or darkness.
For example, a warm, yellow-based green will look darker next to a cool, blue-based green of the same value. The redness makes the yellow green appear deeper and richer by comparison. Similarly, a dull flat green can seem darker than a brighter shiny green, even if they are technically the same value.
Our eyes play tricks based on surrounding colors and lighting conditions. To test true darkness, convert photos of the greens to grayscale. This removes the influence of hue and saturation. Or, check the color value using a tool like Photoshop’s eyedropper. The higher the value (near 100), the lighter the green is technically. The lower the value (near 0), the technically darker it is.
Light Reflectance Value (LRV) of Green Paint Colors
LRV measures how much light is reflected by a paint color, from 0 (perfect black) to 100 (pure white). A lower LRV % indicates a darker color. Here is the LRV for some common green paint colors:
| Green Paint Color | LRV |
| Mint Green | 67% |
| Lime Green | 59% |
| Teal | 20% |
| Hunter Green | 5% |
| Emerald | 3% |
Dark green colors typically have a LRV under 30%. Colors with LRV values in the teens or single digits will be very deep and saturated dark greens.
Uses for Dark Green Paint
Deep green paint colors work well for many interior and exterior applications:
- Accent walls or feature walls
- Home office, library or study
- Dining room – creates cozy atmosphere
- Bedroom – tranquil and restful
- Bathroom – paired with wood tones
- Front door – classic and inviting
- Outdoor furniture – resistant to sun fading
- Garden fence, shed or other exterior wood
- Photography backdrops
Darker greens are versatile enough to provide an earthy, lush feel in any room. Accent with warm metals like brass for a sophisticated look.
Conclusion
Deepening light green paint to a darker, moodier shade is simple with the techniques above. Start by trying small additions of black, brown or complementary colors like red and purple. Learning which color combinations achieve the darkness you want without excessive muddiness just takes some experimentation. Soon you’ll be expertly mixing custom, complex greens to suit any design vision.
