When mixing colors, the resulting shade depends on the ratio of colors used and how they interact with each other. Adding more of one color to a mix will make the end result closer to that color’s own shade. However, colors can also desaturate or dull each other, creating shades that are muted rather than vibrant. Understanding these effects allows artists to mix colors purposefully to achieve desired hues and shades.
Primary Color Mixing
The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. Mixing two primaries results in the secondary colors – orange, green, and purple. The shade of the secondary color depends on the ratio of the two primaries. For example:
| More Red | Even Mix | More Yellow |
|---|---|---|
| Orange with red undertones | Bright orange | Orange with yellow undertones |
Adding more red makes the orange shadier and deeper. Adding more yellow makes it lighter and brighter. The same applies when mixing blue and yellow to make different shades of green, or red and blue to make different shades of purple.
Tertiary Color Mixing
Mixing a primary and secondary color results in a tertiary color. These include shades like red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple. The tertiary takes on aspects of both colors used in the mix. For example:
| More Red | Even Mix | More Orange |
|---|---|---|
| Reddy orange | True orange | Yellower orange |
Adding more red makes the orange shadier and closer to a true red. Adding more orange brings in more yellow for a lighter, warmer shade. This applies for all the tertiary mixes.
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are located opposite each other on the color wheel. Common pairs are red/green, yellow/purple, and blue/orange. When mixed, they desaturate each other, creating more neutral and muted shades. For example:
| More Red | Even Mix | More Green |
|---|---|---|
| Maroon | Brown | Olive Green |
With more red the mix stays closer to a shady maroon. Even amounts produce a neutral brown. More green shifts it toward an olive shade. All are more muted than the pure hues.
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color wheel, like yellow, yellow-orange, and orange. They create harmonious, subtle variations when mixed. For example:
| More Yellow | Even Mix | More Orange |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon Yellow | Golden Yellow | Amber |
The middle even mix creates a shade between the two hues. Skewing toward one color brings that hue forward in the mix. The shades are more nuanced than mixing complementary colors.
Warm and Cool Colors
Warm colors like red, orange, and yellow appear energetic and intense. Cool colors like blue, green, and purple seem more soothing and calm. Mixing warm and cool colors together creates shades that are less intense than the pure hues. For example:
| More Red | Even Mix | More Blue |
|---|---|---|
| Maroon | Dark Mauve | Navy Blue |
The even mix creates a more neutral purple than either pure hue. The shade shifts warmer with more red or cooler with more blue.
Saturated and Desaturated Colors
Saturated colors are pure hues at their most intense. Desaturated colors have gray mixed in to mute them down. Mixing a saturated color with a desaturated version creates subtler, paler shades. For example:
| Saturated Red | Even Mix | Desaturated Pink |
|---|---|---|
| True Red | Light Red | Pale Pink |
The saturated red makes a bright shade when mixed evenly with the grayish pink. Using more desaturated color washes the mix out into a pale, subtle pink.
Tones of a Color
Adding black, white, or gray to a pure hue creates different tones of that color. Mixing in white makes tints, black makes shades, and gray makes tones. For example:
| Pure Yellow | Yellow Tint | Yellow Tone | Yellow Shade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Yellow | Cream | Mustard | Olive |
The tint lightens yellow to cream. The tone mutes it to mustard. The shade deepens it to olive. Mixing different tones together blends their effects.
Key Takeaways
– The shade created when mixing colors depends on the ratio used. More of one color makes the mix shift toward its shade.
– Complementary colors desaturate each other, creating muted, neutral shades. Analogous colors mix subtly.
– Warm and cool color mixes create less intense shades than the pure hues.
– Saturating a desaturated color intensifies it. Desaturating a saturated color mutes it.
– Tints lighten a shade. Tones mute it. Shades deepen it.
Conclusion
Understanding color theory allows artists to mix shades purposefully. Considering ratios, color relationships, saturation, and tones gives control over the end result. Mixing colors is a useful skill for painters, designers, photographers, and more. With practice, intuition develops for blending hues to create the perfect shade.
