What colours do I mix to make olive green?

What colours do I mix to make olive green?

Olive green is a popular shade for painting the interior and exterior of homes. It can also be used in art and fashion design. Knowing how to mix the right colours to create the perfect olive green can help designers and DIYers get the specific look they want. This guide will cover everything you need to know to mix the ideal olive green colour.

Primary Colours Needed

The primary colours needed to mix olive green are yellow and blue. Combining these two primary colours will allow you to create the rich, earthy olive green tone. The specific yellow and blue hues used will impact the warmth, depth and brightness of the final mixed colour.

Ideal Yellows for Mixing Olive Green

When mixing olive green, it’s best to use a lemon or golden shade of yellow rather than a bright primary yellow. Some ideal yellow colours to mix into olive green include:

– Cadmium yellow
– Goldenrod yellow
– Lemon yellow
– Yellow ochre

These hues have touches of orange or gold that will give a natural, muted quality to the mixed olive colour. Stay away from bright, light yellows like cadmium lemon or neon yellow when trying to mix an olive shade.

Best Blues for Olive Green

The blue pigment you use is just as important as the yellow when mixing an olive green. Deep, dull blues work best to create an earthy olive tone. Good options include:

– Cobalt blue
– Prussian blue
– Phthalo blue
– Ultramarine blue

These darker blues have some subtle grey or green undertones that compliment the golden yellows. Brighter blues like cerulean or manganese blue will make the mixed colour too bright and teal-tinged. Stick to deep blue hues for the most natural olive green.

Mixing Ratios

The specific ratio of yellow to blue will determine the tone of the mixed olive green. A greater portion of yellow will create a lighter, warmer green. More blue will make a darker, cooler olive tone. Some common ratios to try are:

– 1 part yellow to 3 parts blue – for a deep, cooler olive green
– 1 part yellow to 2 parts blue – for a balanced, natural olive
– 2 parts yellow to 3 parts blue – for a light, warm olive
– Equal parts yellow and blue – for a teal-leaning bright olive

Test different ratios by incrementally adding more yellow or blue to find your perfect olive green colour. Adjust the ratio as needed to get the exact tone, warmth and saturation you want.

Best Mixing Methods

You can mix custom olive green using either artist paints or digital colour tools. Here are some options:

Mixing Paint

Oil or acrylic paint is a great option for manually mixing an olive colour. Squeeze out a dollop of yellow and blue paint onto your palette. Use a palette knife or brush to thoroughly incorporate the two colours. Adjust the paint ratios as needed to tweak the olive tone. Mixing artist paints allows you to easily control the colour but requires more clean up.

Mixing Colour Digitally

Modern colour mixing programs and apps make it easy to blend custom colours digitally. Adobe Colour CC, Pantone Studio and ColorSnap are some good digital tools. You can input different yellow and blue colour values and adjust the sliders to mix the perfect olive. This option saves effort but lacks the tactile feedback of physical paint mixing.

Mixing Dyes or Pigments

For larger DIY projects like painting walls or fabrics, mix olive green using colour concentrates or dyes. Add measured amounts of yellow and blue liquid dyes or colourants to water or oil. Test the mixed colour on a swatch until you achieve the ideal olive green for your project. Mixing dyes is practical but you’ll need to accurately measure proportions.

Tips for Mixing Olive Green

Follow these tips when blending custom olive green to get the best results:

– Use warm yellows and cool blues for balance.
– Start with more blue for a deeper olive tone.
– Add white to lighten the colour evenly.
– Mix a large enough sample to correctly gauge the tone.
– Check the colour in natural light to see the true hue.
– Adjust in small increments for subtle colour tweaking.
– Use green or grey paper to better judge the undertone.
– Take notes on successful colour ratios for consistency.

What to Avoid When Mixing Olive Green

Some common mistakes to avoid when mixing olive green include:

– Using pure primary yellow and blue, which will look unnaturally bright.
– Adding too much yellow, resulting in a lime green.
– Adding too much blue, which creates a teal or dark greenish-grey.
– Failing to mix thoroughly leaving streaks of yellow and blue.
– Mixing without outputting a large enough sample to properly test the colour.
– Judging the tone under coloured artificial light rather than natural daylight.
– Not keeping notes on successful colour ratios to recreate the perfect olive green.

Uses for Custom Mixed Olive Green

A tailored olive green colour has many uses including:

Interior Paint and D??cor

Custom mixed olive green paint is perfect for achieving a specific wall colour. You can match furniture, art and accessories to your custom olive paint for a cohesive look. Mix sample pots to test olive greens before painting entire rooms.

DIY Crafts

Hand mix an olive colour to use for dyeing fabrics, tinting clay, painting pottery, making candles or soap and other DIY crafts. Match your homemade items to your interior design schemes.

Art Painting

Mixing a custom olive green with artist paints allows painters to capture precisely the olive tone they envision in their artwork. Mix just enough to complete monotone olive green paintings.

Graphic Design

Finding the right olive to use in logos, fonts, illustrations, icons and other graphics can be a challenge. Mixing custom olive greens enables designers to sample and specify the exact shade needed digitally.

Fashion and Textiles

Olive green is a popular colour in clothing, accessories and home textiles. Mixing dyes to get a signature olive allows brands to achieve unique hues that stand out while staying on trend.

Print Design

Mixing printable olive inks or pigments allows control over the green tone used in marketing, packaging, publications and other professional print projects requiring colour accuracy.

Attractive Colour Schemes Using Olive Green

Mixed olive greens look great paired with other colours to create appealing and inviting colour combinations. Here are some attractive schemes:

Olive Green and Terracotta

Rich terracotta orange is a warm, energizing accent colour that complements earthy olive greens. Use it in furniture, art or decorative accents.

Olive Green and Navy Blue

The classic pairing of navy blue with olive green adds sophisticated contrast. Use navy in big pieces like sofas or sectionals to anchor the scheme.

Olive Green and Slate Grey

Cool grey nicely balances the warmth of olive green. Use grey tones in flooring, large walls or cabinetry paired with olive green upholstery or accent walls.

Olive Green and Cream

Soft cream has a timeless look alongside olive green. Use this combo in formal living spaces and bedrooms for a relaxed feel.

Olive Green and Rustic Woods

Natural wood finishes like oak, walnut and pine complement the earthiness of olive green. Use wood furniture, floors and beams with olive painted walls.

Olive Green Colour Combinations	Sample Uses
Olive green and terracotta	Wall paint + decorative objects
Olive green and navy blue	Sofa + accent chairs
Olive green and slate grey	Cabinets + upholstered headboard
Olive green and cream	Curtains + area rug
Olive green and rustic woods	Wall paint + wood beams

Conclusion

Mixing the perfect olive green colour for your needs is easy when you use the right primary colour pigments in ideal ratios. Keep yellows warm and golden and blues deep and cool. Test your custom mixes and make adjustments as needed to achieve the exact olive green tone you want. With a little practice, you can create beautiful olive greens for any project need using simple colour mixing techniques.