When looking at the visible spectrum of light, brown and purple are on opposite ends of the spectrum. Brown is a low wavelength color, meaning it has more red tones. Purple is a high wavelength color with more blue tones. So when asking what color is in between brown and purple, we are looking for a color that falls somewhere in the middle of the red/orange/yellow and blue/indigo/violet range.
To find the in-between color, we first need to understand the colors that make up the visible light spectrum. The visible light spectrum is the range of electromagnetic radiation that is visible to the human eye. It runs from violet with the shortest wavelengths to red with the longest wavelengths. The order of colors from shortest to longest wavelength is:
Violet
Indigo
Blue
Green
Yellow
Orange
Red
So if we start with brown, which is made up of primarily red and orange wavelengths, and look towards purple, made up of violet and blue wavelengths, the color in between would fall in the green to blue-green range.
Understanding Brown and Purple
Brown is a tertiary color made by combining the primary colors red and yellow, or by combining the secondary colors orange and green. Brown sits next to red in the visible color spectrum. It has a low wavelength of between 620-750 nm and low color temperature.
Some examples of different shades of brown include:
| Taupe | Dark brown | Mocha |
| Bronze | Beige | Tan |
On the other end of the visible spectrum is purple. Purple is a secondary color made by combining the primary colors red and blue. It has a high wavelength of around 380-450 nm and high color temperature.
Some examples of shades of purple include:
| Lavender | Plum | Lilac |
| Mauve | Orchid | Amethyst |
Looking at where brown and purple fall on the color wheel, we can see brown between red and orange, while purple falls between blue and red. The colors between them include yellow, green, and blue-green.
Determining the In-Between Color
So what specific color falls between brown and purple? There are a few possibilities:
Green – Green sits between yellow and blue on the color wheel. Adding more yellow takes it toward olive green, while adding more blue takes it toward blue-green. A true green, with balanced yellow and blue, falls in the middle.
Blue-green – More specifically teal or turquoise. These shades have a slightly higher wavelength than pure green, with a bit more blue added to the mix.
Yellow-green – With more yellow than blue, this is close to green but skews a bit toward the brown end of the spectrum.
The best single color that represents the midpoint between brown and purple is a true green. This color has a wavelength of about 510 nm, placing it midway between the two.
To visualize this, we can look at a color gradient that transitions from brown to green to purple:
| Brown | Green | Purple |
The hex code #808000 represents the true green that falls in the middle.
We can also look at an RBH color wheel, which stands for red, blue, and hue. The hue refers to colors from yellow to purple. On this color wheel, we can see green as the color halfway between reddish-brown and purple:
So in summary, the best single color that represents the midpoint between brown and purple is pure green. But looking at the transition of colors, you also see yellow-greens and blue-greens blending the two ends of the spectrum.
Mixing Brown and Purple
What happens when you physically mix brown and purple paints or pigments? Since brown contains red and purple contains blue, mixing them neutralizes the reddish and bluish tones.
The result is a more muted, earthy color like taupe or grayish brown. It loses the vibrancy of pure brown or pure purple.
Here is an example mixing scale that transitions from brown to purple:
As you add increasing amounts of purple to brown, it slowly transforms into a brownish mauve, then a taupe, then a purple-gray. The midway point is a brownish taupe gray color.
This demonstrates that sometimes mixing opposite colors on the color wheel can create a more muted, neutral transitional color rather than a vivid blend.
Uses of In-Between Colors
These in-between colors from brown to purple have many uses. Here are some examples:
Interior design – Earthy greens, olive greens, taupes and grays work well for paints and textiles. They provide a soothing, neutral backdrop that works with many other colors.
Fashion – Green and purple pair nicely as complementary colors. Muted shades like mauve, gray-brown, and olive flatter many skin tones and work for multiple seasons.
Art – Blending from brown to green to purple is visually pleasing. Using a split complementary color scheme brings out the nuances.
Print design – For documents or websites, grayish-browns have a professional, subtle look. Light greens provide a soft backdrop that’s easy on the eyes.
Cosmetics – Eye shadows, lipsticks, or nail polishes in taupe, olive green, lavender, or slate gray work for everyday wear. They aren’t overpowering.
Nature – Rare minerals, reptiles, birds, and plants display these muted natural hues. They provide camouflage and visual allure.
So in-between shades can be utilized in any field where aesthetics and color quality matter. They generally have a soothing, mellowing effect.
Alternative Approaches
Up until now we’ve looked at the transition from brown to purple as a continuous gradient. Another approach is to pick two contrasting shades from opposite sides of the color wheel and find colors that go well with both.
For example, pair a warm medium brown with a cool vivid purple. Colors that fit aesthetically with each will likely have some yellow/green or blue/green tones.
Here are some palette ideas that include shades that work with both brown and purple:
Rather than a single in-between color, these palettes use an intermediary green to complement the brown and purple. The effect is vibrant, yet harmonious.
This approach shows that color relationships rely on more than just positions on the color wheel. Psychological factors, color contrasts, and aesthetic appeal all play a role too.
The Special Case of Magenta
Most color wheels show purple blending into red. But there is a special purple-red hue known as magenta. Magenta has no wavelength on the visible spectrum – it is a non-spectral color created by mixing red and violet light.
On a traditional RYB color wheel, magenta appears between purple and red:
Since magenta is halfway between purple and a reddish color, some may consider it the perfect blend between purple and brown. However, magenta is much more vibrant than a typical in-between color.
Magenta has a very strong color presence. It exhibits color effects such as simultaneous contrast more than intermediate colors. Using magenta as a bridge between brown and purple can be stunning, but jarring if not done carefully.
Conclusion
Finding the color in between brown and purple depends on how you visualize the color spectrum. In terms of continuous wavelength, green is the color halfway between. But shades like teal, taupe, mauve and olive also blend the two spectral extremes.
An alternate approach is identifying colors that aesthetically complement both brown and purple through color harmony principles. And magenta provides a vivid complement while contrasting with both.
So in summary, the in-between color could be a green, a grayish-brown, a muted pastel, or even a bold fuchsia depending on the intended effect. Context and color relationships matter just as much as pure wavelength when selecting the perfect intermediate hue.
There is no single correct halfway point from brown and purple that satisfies all purposes. Subjectively choosing colors that strike the right balance for your needs gives the best and most visually pleasing results.