What color with pink makes blue?
Pink and blue are both primary colors that are commonly combined to create other shades. When mixed together, pink and blue make purple. The specific shade of purple depends on the ratio of pink to blue used.
How Do Pink and Blue Mix?
Pink and blue are located opposite each other on the color wheel. Pink contains more red pigments while blue contains more blue pigments. When colors opposite each other on the color wheel are combined, they neutralize each other to create a tertiary color between them.
In the case of pink and blue, they blend together to make purple. Purple sits between red and blue on the color wheel, meaning it contains both red and blue pigments. The more pink used, the more red-leaning the purple will appear. The more blue used, the more blue-leaning the purple will look.
Color Mixing Ratios
Here are some common ratios for mixing pink and blue paint or dye and the resulting purple shades:
| 1 part pink + 1 part blue | Produces a lavender purple |
| 2 parts pink + 1 part blue | Makes a pinkish purple |
| 1 part pink + 2 parts blue | Creates a bluish purple |
| 3 parts pink + 1 part blue | Gives a reddish-purple |
| 1 part pink + 3 parts blue | Results in a blue-leaning purple |
As you can see, adjusting the proportions of pink and blue changes the purple’s hue and intensity. Using more pink shifts it towards red/magenta while more blue moves it towards an indigo shade. Equal parts create a balanced lavender or lilac purple.
Which Pink and Blue Shades to Mix
Keep in mind that both pink and blue have a wide range of shades. Mixing a light pink with a dark navy blue will yield different results than combining a hot pink and a light blue. Here are some guidelines:
– Light pink + light blue = soft, pale purple
– Hot pink + navy blue = bold, jewel tone purple
– Dusty pink + periwinkle blue = muted, lavender purple
– Fuchsia pink + royal blue = vivid, magenta purple
Lighter shades of pink and blue, like baby pink and powder blue, will mix to make pastel purples. Bolder shades like magenta pink and cobalt blue will create bright, saturated purples. Matching the tones results in more natural purple colors.
Mixing Paint Colors
When mixing pink and blue paint, start with small amounts and gradually add more until you achieve your desired purple. Be sure to thoroughly mix the two colors together. Some tips:
– Use a palette or disposable surface for mixing
– Add lighter colors to darker colors for even mixing
– Clean your brush between mixing different ratios
– Allow your mixed color to dry on a test paper to ensure accurate hue
Acrylic, oil, and watercolor paints all mix in a similar way. Just remember oil and acrylic paints will shift slightly in tone as they dry.
Dyeing and Tinting Fabric
For dyeing fabric or tinting hair pastel purple shades, liquid dyes provide the easiest mixing. Mix the pink and blue dyes in your desired proportions before applying to the fabric or hair.
Start with equal ratios, then adjust as needed to achieve a customized purple. For a light pastel purple, dilute the dyes with water or conditioner before applying. Mix dye ratios in disposable containers for easier clean-up.
Mixing Pink and Blue Food Coloring
When cooking or baking, liquid food coloring is ideal for mixing custom purple shades.
– For light purple use equal drops pink + blue in 1-2 tsp water or extract
– Increase pink for mauve tones and blue for lavender
– Add more food coloring for richer purple shades
– Mix into icing, candy melts, cake batter, etc.
Test a drop of the mixed food coloring on white paper to see the finished tone before adding to your full recipe. Adjust the ratio as needed for your perfect purple.
Color Theory Concepts
Here are some color theory concepts that explain why pink and blue combined make purple:
Complementary Colors – Colors opposite each other on the color wheel are complementary colors. Pink and blue are complements. Mixing complements neutralizes the colors, resulting in a shade between them like purple.
Tertiary Colors – Purple is a tertiary color made by mixing the primary colors on either side of it on the color wheel, pink and blue. Tertiary colors contain attributes of the two primary colors used to make them.
Value – The lightness or darkness of a color is its value. Mixing a light and dark shade like pale pink and navy blue produces a medium-value purple. Keeping values similar creates more natural color mixtures.
Saturation – The intensity or richness of a color is its saturation. Using two highly saturated shades like hot pink and royal blue makes vivid purples. Mixing soft, muted shades creates subtler purples.
Hue – Hue refers to the position of a color on the color wheel. Purple sits between the pink and blue hues, taking on red and blue attributes based on the mixing ratios. More pink pulls the hue towards red, while more blue shifts it closer to blue.
How the Eye Perceives Mixed Colors
When pink and blue light mix, our eyes see the combined wavelengths as purple. Here is how this works:
– Pink light contains red and purple waves of ~ 450-495 nm.
– Blue light has wavelengths of ~ 475-495 nm.
– Where the wavelengths overlap from 475-495 nm, our eyes perceive purple light.
– More pink light shifts the range towards red, while more blue moves it closer to blue.
– The ratios determine what shade of purple is produced by the overlapping wavelengths.
This principle applies to mixing pink and blue pigments as well. The combined pigments absorb and reflect blended light waves that create the color purple.
Subtractive vs. Additive Mixing
Pink and blue mix through subtractive mixing by absorbing wavelengths and reflecting the purple shade that remains:
Pink pigment – Absorbs green and blue light, reflects red and purple
Blue pigment – Absorbs red and green light, reflects blue and purple
Combined – Absorbs green light, reflects overlapping purple
Additive mixing with light has the opposite effect. Combining pink and blue light rather than pigments makes purple by transmitting the overlapping wavelengths:
Pink light – 450-495 nm wavelengths
Blue light – 475-495 nm wavelengths
Overlapping light – Transmits 475-495 nm wavelengths perceived as purple
So whether through subtractive pigment mixing or additive light mixing, combining pink and blue produces purple.
Real World Examples
We can see examples of mixing pink and blue to make purple all around us:
– Sunrises and sunsets – The pink and blue sky blending creates purple hues. More pink leads to magenta sunrises, while blue-leaning makes indigo sunsets.
– Flowers – Hydrangeas, iris, and roses display purple shades from fuchsia and periwinkle mixing.
– Butterflies – Wing scales reflect mixed pink and blue light waves that our eyes see as purple.
– Food – Purple yams, plums, grapes, and eggplant get their rich, vivid purple hue from pink and blue plant pigments.
– Dyes – Combining pink and blue dyes makes a spectrum of purple fabric shades like lilac, mauve and violet.
– Cosmetics – Make-up and hair products blend pink and blue pigments into lavender, orchid and amethyst tones.
Wherever you see purple in nature or man-made objects, it comes from mixing shades of pink and blue light or pigment. Adjusting the proportions results in every beautiful purple imaginable!
Frequently Asked Questions
What two colors make purple?
Pink and blue are the two colors that mix together to make purple. Pink contains more red pigments while blue has more blue pigments. Combining these complementary colors produces the blend of red and blue light waves that we see as purple.
What color results from pink and blue?
Blending any shades of pink and blue makes a purple color. The specific purple hue that results depends on the ratio of pink to blue used. More pink makes reddish purples while more blue creates bluish purples. Equal amounts produces a balanced lavender.
What colors make up purple?
Purple contains attributes of both pink and blue since it sits between those colors on the color wheel. Pink contributes red tones while blue contributes, well, blue tones. Varying the ratios of the two primary colors shifts purple along the color spectrum.
Why do pink and blue make purple?
On a color wheel, pink and blue are complementary colors located opposite each other. Mixing complements cancel out the colors and create a blend, which with pink and blue makes purple. This works through subtractive pigment mixing, where the combined pink and blue absorbs wavelengths and reflects back purple. Additive light mixing overlaps the pink and blue wavelengths to transmit the color purple.
Can you mix pink and blue to make different colors?
While pink and blue combine to make purple shades, adjusting the ratios can shift the tone along the spectrum. Using more pink pushes the color towards red and fuchsia. Increasing the blue ratio results in more bluish lavender and indigo tones. So pink and blue can mix to make a wide range of purple hues.
Conclusion
In summary, the two colors that blend together to make purple are pink and blue. This results from pink’s red pigments mixing with the blue pigments of blue. Varying the ratio of the two primary colors changes the exact purple tone made. Understanding color theory helps explain how complementary pink and blue can create purple through additive and subtractive color mixing. We see examples of pink and blue combining to make purple hues everywhere in nature, art, decor and more. So the next time you see the color purple, you’ll know it takes two colors – pink and blue!
