When we think about the colors blue and green, the first thing that often comes to mind is the ocean or nature. The cool tones of blue and green blend together beautifully to create calming, tranquil environments. But what happens when we actually combine blue and green on the color wheel? Let’s take a closer look at the visual results of mixing these two cool primary colors.
The Basics of Blue and Green
First, it helps to understand where blue and green sit on the color wheel. Blue is considered a primary color in the RGB color model, along with red and green. In the RYB color model, blue is also a primary color, along with red and yellow.
Green is a secondary color made by combining the primary colors blue and yellow. On the RGB color wheel, green sits between blue and yellow. On the RYB wheel, yellow sits between blue and green.
| Color Wheel Model | Blue Position | Green Position |
|---|---|---|
| RGB | Primary color | Between blue and yellow |
| RYB | Primary color | Between yellow and blue |
When looking at a 12-part color wheel, blue and green are on opposite sides of the wheel from each other. This positioning will affect how they interact when combined.
Mixing Blue and Green Pigments
In art and design, blue and green pigments can be physically mixed together to create a new secondary color. When blue and green paints or inks are combined, they make a cool, desaturated bluish-green.
The exact hue that results from mixing blue and green depends on the specific shades used. Mixing a warmer, lighter green with a cooler, darker blue will get more of a blue-green teal. Combining a cooler green and brighter blue will result in more of a greenish-blue aqua shade.
Here are some examples of blue and green blended together in different pigments:
- Phthalo blue + Viridian green = Teal
- Ultramarine blue + Sap green = Aqua green
- Cobalt blue + Olive green = Blue-green
When evenly mixed, blue and green generally create a muted, grayish-blue green secondary color. The balance ends up desaturating both the blue and green components into a more neutral blue-green.
Combining Blue and Green Light
When it comes to light instead of pigments, blue and green combine differently. In additive color mixing with light, blue and green make a brighter, lighter, more saturated color than with paints.
This is because when red, green, and blue light mix together, they create white light. The blue and green light beams complement each other to form a vivid cyan secondary color.
On a computer screen or TV that uses RGB color, combining full blue and full green light creates that bright cyan you see in many digital interfaces. This is why cyan ends up being a common web color even though it doesn’t appear on the traditional RYB color wheel.
The Meaning of Blue-Green and Teal Colors
When blue and green mix to form bluish-green teal shades, what meaning and symbolism is associated with these colors?
Here are some of the key associations:
- Calming, relaxing, tranquil
- Balance of warm and cool
- Sense of equilibrium and harmony
- healing, restorative
- Feminine energy, nurturing
- Flow and movement like water
Teal shades are often described as bringing tranquility because they combine the relaxing properties of blue with the renewing qualities of green. Bluish greens connect us with the colors found in nature, like the ocean, lakes, and rivers.
At the same time, by blending a warm and a cool primary, teal provides visual balance. This makes it pleasing to the eye. Marketers sometimes use teal and aqua shades in advertising to promote products that promise renewal and rejuvenation.
Examples of Teal and Aqua in Design
Where do we commonly see blue and green combined in the colors teal, aqua, cyan, and other blue-greens? Here are some places you’ll likely spot these tranquil hues:
- Branding and logos – Many brands use shades of teal and aqua in their visual identity, including Twitter, Pepsi, Starbucks, and NBC.
- Interior design – Blue-greens work well as accent colors against white and gray backgrounds.
- Jewelry – Turquoise gemstones and jewelry feature a signature blue-green hue.
- Water products – Teal is used on bottles or packaging to evoke oceans and blue lagoons.
- Bath & beauty – Soaps, bath bombs, makeup, and other self-care items come in aqua as a calming, therapeutic color.
You’ll also see teal shades commonly used for bridesmaid dresses, as accents in kitchens or living rooms, and in artworks like paintings, ceramics, or textile arts.
Using Teal in Digital Designs
In digital or web design, shades of teal and cyan from combining blue and green light stand out brilliantly on screens. Here are some ways web and graphic designers utilize teal and aqua colors:
| Design Element | Example Usage |
|---|---|
| Backgrounds | As full backgrounds or gradients |
| Headings | For heading text |
| Borders | As border colors on images, boxes, etc |
| Buttons | As the color of call-to-action buttons |
Teal buttons stand out clearly against white backgrounds. Using teal for headings makes them pop on the page. The color is vibrant yet still easy on the eyes for large sections of websites.
Complementary Colors for Blue-Greens
Certain colors go especially well with teal, aqua, and other blue-green shades. Here are some effective color combinations:
- White – This neutral brightens up teal and enhances its cool tones.
- Gray – Like white, grays from dark to light complement teal’s vibrancy.
- Black – A classic pairing, the two colors really intensify each other.
- Yellow – Yellow creates bright contrast on the color wheel.
- Purple – Blend teal with light purples for a beachy, oceanic look.
Gold metallicpaired with teal can also give an elegant, upscale effect. Overall, cooler neutrals and accent colors tend to work best with blue-greens.
Important Figures in Blue-Green Color History
While blue, green, and teal shades develop in ancient times, a few key figures helped popularize various hues of blue-green.
Impressionist artists – Impressionist painters like Monet often used teals, aquas, and blue-greens to depict water, skies, and nature in a new way.
Frank Lloyd Wright – The architect introduced teal and aqua accents into his building designs.
Tiffany Studios – Designers at this stained glass studio mastered a brilliant teal glass they called “Favrile.”
The development of cyan, teal, and aqua pigments as well as dyes expanded the use of blue-greens in art and design over the past couple centuries.
Creating Custom Blue-Greens
With today’s digital tools, we have so many options when it comes to custom mixing blue-green colors. Here are a few tips for coming up with your own teal, aqua, or cyan shades:
- Start with a base blue and green, then experiment with amounts.
- Add white or black to lighten or darken the hue.
- Mute with gray for more subtle tones.
- Go bold with brighter, saturated blues and greens.
- Consider shading and tinting the color for more depth.
Digital interfaces today provide endless ways to play with the balance of blue and green until you find just the right custom teal. Taking the time to create unique shades can make your design really stand out.
Blue-Green Colors in Nature
It’s no coincidence that many blue-green colors remind us of the natural world. Here are some places you can spot teals, turquoises, aquas, and other blue-greens in nature:
- Oceans – Variations in water depth and surface combine blue and green.
- Lakes and rivers – Aqua tones come from light through the water.
- Tropical lagoons – Bright turquoise results from white sand and blue water.
- Tree leaves – Mossy greens mixed with blues create soothing hues.
- Peacock feathers – Shimmering greens and blues make brilliant jewel tones.
- Butterfly wings – Striking patterns feature aqua, teal, cyan and more.
- Seashells – Mollusks produce rich shades of turquoise.
- Gemstones – Minerals like turquoise, aquamarine, and azurite are blue-green.
Nature provides endless inspiration for stunning shades of teal, aqua, cyan, and other blue-greens. Mimicking these colors in art and design helps capture the beauty of the natural world.
Psychology of Blue-Green Colors
How do aqua, teal, and other blue-green shades impact us psychologically? Here are some of the effects:
- Calming – These colors lower heart rate and blood pressure.
- Refreshing – Blue-greens are associated with cool water, evoking renewal.
- Balancing – Teals promote equilibrium of mind and body.
- Soothing – The colors help relieve stress and tension.
- Spiritual – Blue-green can symbolize openness, wisdom, and intuition.
- Feminine – Teals relate to feminine energy and the divine goddess.
However, aquas and teals can sometimes come across as “cold” colors since they fall on the cool end of the spectrum. This means they work best when balanced with warmer accents and textures.
Use of Blue-Greens Over Time
The use of various teal, aqua, and blue-green shades has evolved quite a bit over time. Here’s an overview:
| Era | Use of Blue-Greens |
|---|---|
| Ancient history | Used in ancient Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese pottery glazes |
| Renaissance | More extensive use in painting with new pigments |
| 18th & 19th Century | Teal becomes trendy accent color in architecture and decor |
| Mid 20th Century | Teal and aqua popularized by designers like Tiffany and Frank Lloyd Wright |
| Late 1900s | Cyan expands as a web color; teal used extensively in marketing |
| Today | Custom digital colors make shades of teal more nuanced than ever |
The range of blue-green hues available has expanded enormously thanks to modern chemistry and digital design capabilities.
Cultural and Symbolism of Teal Colors
Blue-green shades like teal have some cultural significance and symbolism associated with them:
- Represents balance of sky and sea in Polynesian culture
- Symbol of fertility and life energy in ancient Egypt
- Wisdom, intuition, and spiritual guidance in New Age belief
- Prosperity and growth in Indian spiritual traditions
- Calm communication in color psychology
Turquoise gemstones, which display a striking blue-green color, have extensive cultural meaning in Native American tribes. The stones represent life, healing, and protection.
More broadly, aqua shades symbolize water, flow, and femininity across many cultures. Marketers utilize these meanings when using teal branding.
Technical Explanations
On a technical level, what causes teal, aqua, and other blue-greens to occur?
Here are a few scientific explanations:
- Light interacting with water molecules scatters blue and green wavelengths.
- The mineral makeup and oxidation states of turquoise stones cause blue-green color.
- Combining “cool” blue with “warm” yellow on the color wheel makes green transition toward blue.
- Overlapping wavelengths around 490-510 nm are perceived as blue-green hues.
- Digital screens mix blue and green RGB values to create aqua and teal shades.
The interplay of light, physics, chemistry, and human vision produces the spectrum of teals, cyans, and aquas we see in the natural and digital worlds.
Conclusion
Blue and green combined make a versatile range of tranquil, refreshing hues. Teal, aqua, and other blue-greens blend the cool tones of blue with the natural vibrancy of green. These colors reminder us of soothing natural environments like the ocean, lakes, and the sky. At the same time, they provide pleasing visual balance as a mix of a primary and secondary color.
From ancient pottery to cutting-edge graphic design, different shades of blue-green have a long history in art, decor, architecture, and branding. With today’s digital tools, options are endless for exploring and creating the perfect teal, aqua, or blue-green shade.