When it comes to mixing colors, adding red, blue, and green together results in a brownish-gray color. This is because red, blue, and green are the three primary colors in the RGB color model. By combining all three primary colors, you end up with a muddy, unsaturated color.
The Basics of Mixing Paint Colors
Paint mixing is based on color theory and understanding how colors interact with each other. Primary colors are colors that cannot be created by mixing other colors together. The primary colors in painting are red, blue and yellow. Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors together. For example, mixing red and yellow makes orange, blue and yellow makes green, and red and blue makes purple.
When you mix all three primary colors together, you theoretically get black. This is because the combination of red, blue and yellow light absorbs all wavelengths of visible light. However, most paint pigments do not create an ideal true black. Instead, mixing all three primaries usually results in a dark brown or charcoal gray color.
The RGB and RYB Color Models
There are two main color models used in color theory:
- RGB (red, green, blue) – Used for light, computer screens, photography
- RYB (red, yellow, blue) – Used for paint pigments, printing ink
In the RGB model, the primary colors are red, green and blue. In the RYB model, the primary colors are red, yellow and blue. Both models have different sets of primary and secondary colors.
This is why mixing red, blue and green paint together does not make white – the primaries are different between light and pigment. Red, green and blue light combines to make white light. But red, yellow and blue pigments combine to make black or brown paint.
Mixing Red, Blue and Green Paint
Because red, blue and green are not primary paint colors, mixing them together does not produce black. Red and blue make violet in the RYB model. Green and blue make a teal or aqua color. And red and green make a brownish-orange color.
So when you combine red, blue and green paint, you are essentially mixing a brownish-orange, a violet, and an aqua color together. This results in a dark, muddy, brownish-grey color.
Here is an example of mixing equal parts red, blue and green paint together:
| Red | Blue | Green |
|---|---|---|
| #FF0000 | #0000FF | #00FF00 |
Combined together this gives:
| Red + Blue + Green |
|---|
| #4C3B2A |
As you can see, #4C3B2A is a brownish-gray color, not black or white. The mixture desaturates each color and creates a flat, muddy hue.
Why Red, Blue and Green Don’t Make Black
There are a few key reasons why combining red, blue and green paint does not produce a black color:
- Red, blue and green are not primary colors in the RYB color model used for paints and pigments.
- Each color pigment reflects and absorbs different wavelengths of light. This affects how they mix together.
- Most paint pigments are not perfectly saturated versions of their pure color.
- The mixture of three secondary colors desaturates the resulting color into a brownish-gray.
Paint is based on subtractive color mixing, while light and computer screens use additive color mixing. Red, blue and green combine to make white light, but combine to make a muddy brown paint color.
Tips for Mixing Red, Blue and Green Paint
Here are some tips if you want to intentionally mix red, blue and green paint together:
- Use a higher ratio of one color to retain some of its vibrance.
- Start with saturated, pure hues of each color.
- Add white paint to lighten the mixed color.
- Add black paint to darken and desaturate the mixed color.
- Mix in yellow paint to create more of a greenish hue.
With the right paint ratios and color combinations, you can create various shades of gray, brown, and teal from red, blue and green primary paints.
Key Takeaways
Mixing together red, blue and green paint produces a brownish-gray color. This is unlike light where combining red, blue and green makes white. The primary colors are different for pigments (RYB model) versus light (RGB model). Combining secondary paint colors desaturates the resulting mixture into a muddy hue. But you can control the ratios to create nice shades from the three colors.
Conclusion
In summary, mixing red, blue and green paint does not make black because these colors are not primary in the RYB color model used for pigments. The combination results in a dark, muddy brown/gray due to the inherent properties of paints and color theory. With an understanding of the color basics, you can intentionally mix red, blue and green to create a wide variety of new colors for painting.
