Yellow is a primary color on the color wheel, which means that pure yellow pigments cannot be created by mixing other colors. However, yellow can be combined with other pigments to produce a wide range of greens.
Combining Yellow and Blue Makes Green
The most straightforward way to make green is by mixing yellow with its complementary color blue. Blue is located directly across from yellow on the color wheel. When complementary colors are combined, they neutralize each other’s intensity and produce a grayed-down color.
Adding just a small amount of blue to yellow produces a lively light green. The more blue you add, the darker the green becomes. With equal parts yellow and blue, you get a balanced middle green. With more blue than yellow, the mix leans toward a deep forest green.
Some examples of blue pigments that can be blended with yellow to create different greens include:
- Phthalo Blue
- Ultramarine Blue
- Cobalt Blue
- Cerulean Blue
- Prussian Blue
The intensity of the blue makes a difference in the resulting green. Phthalo blue is very intense, so only a dab mixed into yellow produces a bright lime green. On the other hand, ultramarine blue is low intensity, so it takes more mixing to achieve a rich green.
Combining Yellow with Earth Colors
In addition to blue, earth pigments can be blended with yellow to create natural, muted greens with subtle variation. Earth pigments that work well include:
- Raw Umber
- Burnt Umber
- Raw Sienna
- Burnt Sienna
- Yellow Ochre
The umbers produce forest greens, while the siennas make olive greens. Because earth pigments have inherently lower chroma than primary colors, you need to use more of the earth tone in the mix to significantly affect the yellow.
For example, adding just a small amount of umber to yellow produces a bright chartreuse. Using equal parts yellow and umber makes a nice leafy green. And adding more umber than yellow results in a dark hunter green.
Mixing Yellow with White Makes Lighter Greens
Adding white to a yellow and blue green mixture lightens the color. This pushes the green toward spring greens with increased brightness and intensity.
Titanium white is the brightest, most opaque white that has the strongest tinting power. Mixing in just a touch creates a crisp pastel green. The more white added, the lighter and brighter the green becomes.
Other white pigments, like zinc white or mixing white, have less tinting strength. So you need to use more to lighten the green to the same degree.
Combining Yellow with Black Darkens the Green
On the other end of the spectrum, mixing yellow-based greens with black pigments darkens the color for deep, richer greens.
Ivory black and mars black are intense, neutral blacks that darken the green evenly. Paynes gray also darkens, but adds a touch of blue undertone.
Here again, the amount of black used changes the shade. A small amount of black deepens the green a little. Using more black than yellow creates a very dark green that approaches black.
Mixing Yellow with Red-Orange Makes Olives and Khakis
Blending yellow and red-orange together on the color wheel results in earthy, olive greens and khaki colors. Red-orange pigments that work well include:
- Cadmium Red Light
- Naphthol Red
- Burnt Sienna
- Raw Sienna
- Yellow Ochre
The cadmium red light mixes with yellow to make bright, lemony greens. Naphthol red makes olive greens, similar to the siennas. Again, increasing the proportion of the red-orange deepens the tone.
Because color mixing is fluid, having a selection of different yellow, blue, red, white, and black pigments on hand provides the most flexibility for mixing a wide range of natural greens.
Paints for Mixing Greens
Here is a quick reference table of recommended paint colors for mixing greens:
| Yellows | Blues | Earth Colors | Reds | Whites | Blacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmium Yellow Light | Ultramarine Blue | Yellow Ochre | Cadmium Red Light | Titanium White | Ivory Black |
| Hansa Yellow Light | Cobalt Blue | Raw Sienna | Naphthol Red | Zinc White | Mars Black |
| Lemon Yellow | Phthalo Blue | Raw Umber | Burnt Sienna | Mixing White | Paynes Gray |
This provides a good all-purpose selection for mixing a wide spectrum of greens.
Best Pigment Combinations for Specific Greens
Here are some suggested pigment combinations for achieving specific green colors:
- Lime green – Lemon yellow + phthalo blue
- Chartreuse – Cadmium yellow light + viridian green
- Light spring green – Cadmium yellow light + ultramarine blue + titanium white
- Leaf green – Hansa yellow + raw umber
- Pastel green – Lemon yellow + viridian green + zinc white
- Olive green – Cadmium yellow light + burnt sienna
- Forest green – Cadmium yellow light + ultramarine blue + burnt umber
- Dark emerald green – Lemon yellow + phthalo blue + mars black
The amounts can be adjusted to make lighter or darker versions of any of these greens.
Green Mixing Tips
Here are a few helpful tips for mixing greens successfully:
- Use a transparent mixing palette to monitor the transition and avoid muddiness.
- Mix a larger quantity than needed to allow for adjustments in hue and chroma.
- Add yellow in increments to prevent overshooting into olive tones.
- Brighten up dark greens by touching in a wisp of lemon yellow.
- Neutralize overly bright greens with a bit of red to reduce intensity.
- Green mixes can get muddy quickly. Add contrasting colors like purple or orange if needed.
With practice and an understanding of color theory, you’ll become proficient at mixing beautiful greens through different color combinations.
Conclusion
Yellow is a foundational color for mixing a diverse palette of greens. By blending yellow with its complement blue, earth tones, white, black, and red-orange colors, you can create any natural green imaginable.
Use blue pigments to produce clean primary greens. Earth pigments create subtle olive and forest greens. White makes brighter spring greens, while black deepens the shades. Red-oranges mix with yellow for khaki tones.
Having a selection of paints from each of these categories makes it easy to mix the exact green you need. Follow the color mixing principles and suggested combinations to mix greens like a pro.
With a little practice, you’ll be expertly blending beautiful greens to use in all your painting projects.