When it comes to mixing paint colors, the combination of red and green makes an earthy, muted shade known as brown. This is because red, green and blue are the three primary colors in the additive color model. Combining two primary colors such as red and green creates a secondary color – in this case brown.
The Basics of Color Mixing
To understand how red and green make brown, it’s helpful to first review some color theory basics. There are three main color models that are used to understand color mixing:
- RGB (red, green, blue) – the additive color model used for light, computer screens, etc.
- RYB (red, yellow, blue) – the subtractive color model used for mixing paint pigments
- CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, black) – the subtractive color model used for printing inks
When mixing light in the RGB model, the primary colors are red, green and blue. Combining all three makes white light. When mixing paint pigments using RYB or CMYK, the primary colors are different but the concept is the same – combining all the primaries makes a neutral color like black, gray or brown.
So to recap, the key thing to understand is that:
- Red, green and blue are primary colors in light mixing (RGB model)
- Red, yellow and blue are primary colors in paint mixing (RYB model)
Knowing this basic fact about primary colors holds the key for how red and green make brown when mixed together.
Why Red and Green Make Brown
Red and green are two of the primary colors in the RGB additive color model. When you combine two primary colors, you get a secondary color as a result.
Here’s a simple table showing the secondary colors that result from mixing the RGB primaries:
| Primary Colors | Secondary Color |
|---|---|
| Red + Blue | Magenta |
| Green + Blue | Cyan |
| Red + Green | Brown |
As you can see, when you specifically mix red and green, the resulting secondary color is brown.
This applies whether you are mixing colored lights, digital colors on a computer screen, or paint pigments. The same color theory principles apply. Red and green are primary colors, so they mix to create the earthy brown secondary shade.
The Science Behind Red, Green and Brown
On a deeper scientific level, here is why combining red and green light creates brown:
- Red light has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625-740 nm
- Green light has a dominant wavelength of approximately 495-570 nm
When you overlay these wavelengths of red and green light, the resulting dominant wavelength is in the range of yellow-orange to brown. Our eyes perceive this combination of wavelengths as a brownish color.
In the RYB subtractive color model, red paint pigment absorbs green and blue light, while reflecting back mainly red. Green pigment absorbs red and blue, reflecting back mostly green. When you mix the two paints, the resulting pigment absorbs some red, some green, and a lot of blue light. This subtractive mixing of the pigments creates a brown color that we see as the blended result.
So in summary, the science confirms that combining wavelengths of red and green light creates shades in the brown color range. Mixing red and green pigments subtractively causes a brown reflection. The physics and biology of how we perceive color backs up why red and green make brown when combined.
Brown Color Shades from Red and Green
It’s worth noting that the exact brown shade that results from mixing red and green depends on the respective intensities of the two colors.
Here are some examples of different shades of brown that you can make by mixing red and green paint pigments or colored lights:
- Deep red + dark green = very dark brown
- Bright red + lime green = medium tan brown
- Maroon + forest green = classic brown
- Scarlet + olive green = reddish-brown
In general, the more intense the red compared to the green, the more reddish-brown the resulting color will appear. The more intense the green compared to the red, the more greenish-olive the brown shade will look.
By varying the proportions and intensities, you can mix different hues of brown from red and green primary colors.
Examples of Red and Green Mixing to Brown
Here are some real-world examples that demonstrate red and green combining to make various shades of brown:
- Painting/Art – Artists mix red and green paints together to make earthy browns for landscapes, still-lifes, portraits, etc. The brown adds natural, muted tones to contrast with more saturated colors.
- Digital Design – Web designers use red and green RGB values to create brown color schemes for websites. Combining the two primaries results in tan, beige and other brownish tones.
- Printing – In the CMYK printing process, layering inks of cyan (greenish), magenta (reddish) and yellow creates different neutral browns on the paper.
- Stage Lighting – Lighting technicians overlay red and green colored gels to produce warm, brownish spotlights on stage sets and performances.
- Textiles – Clothing, upholstery and other fabrics are often dyed using a layered combination of red and green dyes to achieve rich earthy brown hues.
As you can see from these examples, combining red and green is a reliable way to produce natural browns across many different color media and applications.
The Opposite of Red and Green Mixing
It’s also useful to note that the opposite of red and green making brown occurs in RGB light mixing. That is, combining red, green and blue light together makes white.
This is because red, green and blue are the primary additive colors. Mixing all three primaries results in a complete spectrum of visible light waves, which our eyes see as white light.
So while red and green combine to make secondary brown, adding blue as the third primary makes trichromatic white in the RGB model.
Conclusion
In summary, when you mix the colors red and green, the resulting secondary color is some shade of brown. This applies to both the additive RGB color model, as well as the subtractive RYB model for paints.
The reason red and green make brown has to do with these colors being primary. Mixing two primaries results in a secondary color as demonstrated in the color wheel. The shades of brown range from dark brown with more red, to olive-green browns with more green.
Understanding that combining red and green makes brown is useful for any situations involving color mixing, whether with light sources, digital screens, paints, dyes, inks or other colored media. Brown is an essential natural color, and mixing reds and greens provides an easy way to achieve different earthy brown tones.
So in your artwork, designs or decor, don’t be afraid to experiment with blending red and green to make the perfect brown shades for your needs.
