Green is a secondary color made by mixing two primary colors – blue and yellow. When blue and yellow light mix, the result is the color green. When blue and yellow paints or pigments mix, they also form green. So the simple answer is that blue mixed with yellow makes green. However, there’s more nuance when it comes to the different shades of blue and yellow and how they combine to make different hues and tones of green. Keep reading to learn more about what blues and yellows make what greens.
Primary vs. Secondary Colors
In the color wheel there are 3 primary colors – red, yellow, and blue. These are called primary colors because they cannot be created by mixing other colors. Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors. The 3 secondary colors are green, orange, and purple.
Green sits between blue and yellow on the color wheel. It’s made by mixing some amount of blue and yellow. However, the specific shades of blue and yellow and the proportions used make a difference in the resulting green color.
Light vs. Pigment
When working with color, there are two main categories – light and pigment. Light colors are colors made with light, like the colors you see on a computer screen or TV. Pigment refers to materials like paint, ink, pastels, etc.
While the same general color theory applies, mixing colors of light works a bit differently than mixing colors of pigments. With light, mixing different colors makes an additive effect, resulting in lighter and brighter colors. When pigments mix, some colors in the spectrum are absorbed or muted, causing a subtractive effect.
So the same blue and yellow can combine to make a somewhat different green depending on whether it’s light mixing or pigments mixing.
Cyan and Yellow Make Green
Specifically, cyan blue and yellow make green.
Cyan is one of the primary colors for light (along with magenta and yellow). When cyan light and yellow light mix, the result is the color green. On a computer screen or digital display, green is made by combining cyan and yellow RGB values.
In pigment, cyan is a bright blue-green color. It sits between green and blue on the color wheel. When cyan pigment is mixed with yellow pigment, the resulting color is also green. Cyan has less red in it than ultramarine blue. The red-free cyan mixing with yellow creates pure greens.
Ultramarine Blue and Yellow Make Green
Ultramarine is a deep blue pigment made from the mineral lapis lazuli. It has a slightly purplish tone compared to cyan. When ultramarine blue paint or ink is mixed with yellow, it still makes green but with a little more natural variation than cyan and yellow mixing.
The resulting greens may be muted, grayish, olive, or earthy depending on how much of each color is used. Mixing ultramarine and yellow makes more neutral greens. Adding more yellow brings vibrancy while adding more blue makes the greens darker.
Light Green vs. Dark Green
As the examples above illustrate, the shade of blue and the proportions used affect the type of green produced.
More yellow and less blue make lighter, brighter, yellow-tinged greens. Think mint green, lime green, chartreuse.
More blue and less yellow result in darker, deeper forest greens and hunter greens.
Near equal parts blue and yellow make the true green in the center of the color spectrum. This is the green most people associate with the generic color name “green”.
| More Yellow | Balanced Blue & Yellow | More Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Lime Green | True Green | Forest Green |
| Chartreuse | Green | Hunter Green |
| Mint Green | Mid Green | Pine Green |
Warm and Cool Greens
In color theory, warm colors are hues that contain more red, orange, and yellow. Cool colors are hues with more blue, green, and purple.
When creating greens, warm yellows and oranges leaning yellows mix with blue to make warm greens. Think citrus greens, olive greens, avocado green.
Mixing cool blues with cooler yellows results in cool greens like mint, seafoam, or sage green.
| Warm Greens | Cool Greens |
|---|---|
| Citrus greens | Mint green |
| Avocado green | Seafoam |
| Olive green | Jade |
Tone and Shade Variations
In addition to hue, the tone and shade of green can vary based on the mixture.
Tone refers to how light or dark a color is. Shade also refers to darkness but specifically darker than the root color.
Mixing a larger ratio of yellow to blue makes lighter, brighter greens. Using more blue makes mid-tone true greens. Adding even more blue results in darker, richer greens.
Black or white can be mixed into the base green to make darker and lighter shades. Dark forest greens turn blackish. Lightening to mint greens adds white/lightness.
| Lighter Tone | Mid-Tone | Darker Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Chartreuse | Green | Hunter Green |
| Seafoam Green | Shamrock Green | Pine Green |
Blue and Yellow Paint Mixing Tips
When mixing blue and yellow paint to make green, keep these tips in mind:
– Use a cyan or phthalo blue for bright greens
– Use ultramarine blue for muted, natural greens
– Add more yellow for lighter greens
– Add more blue for darker greens
– Use cadmium or lemon yellow for pure greens
– Add orange-yellows for olive tones
– Mix in white for softer, pastel greens
– Mix in black for deeper forest and pine greens
Test your mixes on a palette first before applying to your painting surface. Adjust the ratio of blue to yellow and experiment with different shades until you achieve your desired green.
Green and Color Psychology
Green has cultural associations with nature, renewal, harmony, and the environment. It’s considered a restful color. Lighter greens can represent growth while darker greens can symbolize stability.
More specifically:
– Yellow-greens like chartreuse are energetic and uplifting
– Mid-range greens are balancing and reassuring
– Cool greens like sage are soothing and reserved
– Dark greens like pine are traditional and steadfast
So choosing a particular shade of green can evoke certain moods and emotions in color psychology. Keep these cultural color meanings in mind as you mix blues and yellows to create your perfect green.
Conclusion
When asking “what blue makes green?”, the basic answer is combining cyan/ultramarine blue with yellow. But the specific hue, tone, and shade of green depends on the type and amount of blue and yellow used. Mixing color is an art and a science. Experiment with different blues and yellows to see all the possibilities of greens you can make. Understand how the ratios and types of pigments or light combine to achieve warm, cool, light, dark, bright, and muted greens. Use these blending techniques and knowledge of color theory to mix your preferred greens.