When blue and orange paint colors are mixed together, the resulting color is a brown shade. This is because blue and orange are complementary colors on the color wheel. Complementary colors are color pairs that sit opposite each other on the color wheel. When complementary colors are mixed, they neutralize each other to create a muted, brownish color.
The Color Wheel
The color wheel is a visual representation of color theory that shows the relationship between colors. The color wheel contains primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These are called primary colors because all other colors can be created by mixing primary colors together. Secondary colors are created by mixing two primary colors and include orange, green, and purple. Tertiary colors are created by mixing primary and secondary colors together.
On the color wheel, complementary colors sit directly across from each other. Some examples of complementary color pairs include:
- Red and green
- Yellow and purple
- Blue and orange
When complementary colors are mixed together, they neutralize each other and create a brownish, muted shade. This is because complements contain no hues in common. For example, orange contains red and yellow, while blue contains no red or yellow. When mixed, the red and yellow of the orange neutralizes the blue, resulting in a brown tone.
Mixing Blue and Orange Paint
When blue and orange paint pigments are mixed together, they create a range of earthy, brown colors. The exact resulting shade depends on the ratio of blue to orange paint used.
Here is an example of different shades created by mixing blue and orange paint:
| Blue Paint | Orange Paint | Resulting Color |
|---|---|---|
| 2 parts blue | 1 part orange | Deep brown with blue undertone |
| 1 part blue | 1 part orange | Balanced medium brown |
| 1 part blue | 2 parts orange | Rich brown with orange undertone |
As you can see, increasing the amount of orange paint results in browns that take on more of an orange tint. Increasing the blue creates browns with a bluer tone. Combining the paints in equal parts creates a balanced, medium shade of brown.
Color Theory
The muddy brown colors created when mixing complements like blue and orange can be explained by color theory. In the color wheel, primary colors are balanced by containing an equal mixture of two color properties:
- Warmth – how close the color is to red/orange
- Coolness – how close the color is to blue/green
When primary colors are mixed together, the amount of warmth and coolness stays balanced, creating a vibrant secondary color. For example, red and yellow contain equal parts warmth and coolness, mixing to make orange.
Complementary colors, on the other hand, contain opposite proportions of warmth and coolness. Blue is high in coolness, while orange is high in warmth. When mixed, the opposing warm and cool properties cancel each other out, leaving behind a neutral brown.
Light vs. Paint Pigments
It’s important to note that the color theory principles described apply to paint pigments. Light works differently than pigments when colors mix.
With light, such as on a computer screen, red and green light blended together makes yellow. This is known as additive color mixing, where all the wavelengths of light mix to create white.
Paint pigments, on the other hand, use subtractive color mixing. The pigments absorb certain wavelengths and reflect others back to our eyes. As more pigments are mixed together, less light is reflected back, eventually creating black when all colors are combined.
Uses of Complementary Colors
While muddy brown colors may seem unappealing, combining complementary colors actually has many useful applications in color theory and design.
Some examples include:
- Shading and Toning: Adding a small amount of a color’s complement can be used to shade or tone it down. This allows artists to subtly adjust a color without dulling it too much.
- Neutral Backgrounds: Complementary browns make excellent neutral background colors that don’t compete with other brighter colors in a design.
- Color Pop: Complementary color pairs placed side-by-side make each other appear brighter, creating exciting color pops.
- Natural Colors: Earthy browns complement nature-inspired color palettes well.
- Vintage Effects: Muted, weathered looks can be created by blending complementary colors.
So while blue and orange mixed together may not seem very appealing at first, the neutral browns have many clever uses in color theory and design.
Conclusion
In summary, mixing the complementary colors blue and orange results in different shades of brown. This muddying effect occurs because complements contain opposite properties that cancel each other out when blended. The exact shade of brown depends on the ratio of blue to orange pigment used. While these earthy browns may seem dull, they have many useful applications in color theory, shading, background colors, creating color pop, and more. Complementary colors are a vital part of the color wheel and color mixing.
