Mixing colors can seem complicated at first, but learning some basic color theory can help make sense of it. When it comes to mixing paints, the colors are grouped into “warm” colors and “cool” colors. The cool colors include greens, blues, and purples, while warm colors include reds, oranges, and yellows. Cool color combinations tend to create serene, calm, and peaceful moods in art. When selecting cool colors to mix, it helps to understand the primary colors that make up these hues.
The primary colors
The primary colors in art are red, blue and yellow. These are called primary colors because they cannot be created by mixing other colors. All other colors are derived from these 3 hues.
Secondary colors
When you mix any two primary colors together, you get the secondary colors:
| Red + Yellow = Orange |
| Red + Blue = Violet |
| Blue + Yellow = Green |
So the secondary colors are orange, violet (or purple), and green. These are called secondary colors because they are created by mixing two primary colors together.
Tertiary colors
The tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color. For example:
| Red + Orange = Red-orange |
| Red + Violet = Red-violet |
| Blue + Green = Blue-green |
| Yellow + Orange = Yellow-orange |
| Yellow + Green = Yellow-green |
Tertiary colors have neutralized hue, because they contain mixtures of complimentary colors. They are more muted and subtle in appearance.
Cool colors
The cool colors include greens, blues and purples. On the color wheel, cool colors fall in the range of greens, blues and violets. They are called “cool” because they evoke sensations of coolness and calm.
Green
Green is a secondary color made from mixing blue and yellow. It sits between blue and yellow on the color wheel. Various shades of green can be mixed by altering the proportions of blue and yellow. More blue makes an aqua green, while more yellow makes chartreuse green.
Blue
Blue is a primary color which cannot be mixed from other colors. Adding white makes lighter tints of blue, while adding black makes navy blue. Blue has a calming, peaceful effect.
Purple
Purple is a secondary color made by mixing red and blue. Red-violet is a tertiary color between red and purple. Blue-violet is between blue and purple. Lighter tints are called lavender. Darker shades with more blue are called indigo.
Cool color combinations
Here are some examples of pleasing cool color combinations for mixing paints or doing design work:
| Blue and Green |
| Blue and Purple |
| Blue and Turquoise |
| Light Blue and Violet |
| Green and Aqua |
| Lavender and Sea Green |
| Indigo and Forest Green |
Blue and green
Blue and green are complementary colors directly across from each other on the color wheel. This combination is prevalent in nature, evoking sensations of water, sky and plants. Mixing different shades of blue and green creates a tranquil, relaxed feeling. Aqua greens combined with light blues are especially peaceful.
Blue and purple
Blue and purple complement each other nicely because they are both secondary colors containing red or blue pigments. Light shades like lilac and sky blue work well together. This combination lends itself to mystical, spiritual themes.
Blue and turquoise
Turquoise is a bluish-green tone halfway between blue and green. Combining turquoise with a true blue creates a very relaxing palette. The balance of warm green tones and cool blue is serene. This combo evokes tropics, beaches and clear waters.
Light blue and violet
Mixing light tints of blue with soft violets and lavenders creates a delicate, ethereal mood. Add some white to make pastel shades of bluebonnets and lilacs. This palette suggests spring blossoms.
Green and aqua
Aqua is a greenish-blue tone between green and blue on the color wheel. Mixing aqua with greens makes a soothing, watery palette. The cool aqua tempers the intensity of green for a refreshing combo. Minty greens work well with an aqua blue.
Lavender and sea green
Sea green is a blue-green shade, lighter and grayer than forest greens. Combining this with a light to medium lavender purple creates a soft, feminine palette. The lavender warms up the sea green for a vintage beach house vibe.
Indigo and forest green
Deeper shades of green and blue also complement each other nicely. An indigo blue mixed with pine green or forest green creates an earthy, natural mood. This combo might be used for an outdoor scene at twilight. Add white for moonlight highlights.
Tips for mixing cool colors
Here are some tips for successfully mixing cool paint colors:
– Start with a small amount of paint on a palette. It’s easier to lighten up dark colors than to darken light ones.
– Mix in a little bit of color at a time until you achieve the desired hue.
– Blend in a small amount of a warm color like yellow or red to dull down very intense blues and greens. This helps them look more natural.
– Don’t overmix colors or they can get muddy. It’s better to layer them.
– Test your mixed colors on a practice canvas before painting your final work.
– Take good notes so you can replicate color mixtures later.
– Let your underlayers dry before painting over to prevent new paint from mixing into the layers below.
Conclusion
Cool color combinations like blues, greens, violets and turquoises create peaceful, relaxing moods. Mixing adjacent colors on the wheel like green and blue work well together. Combining a primary with a secondary color like blue and purple is also harmonious. With some basic color theory knowledge and experimentation, you can create beautiful cool color palettes for any painting or design project. The soothing hues of cool colors add a tranquil ambiance to artwork.