Mixing the primary colors red, blue, and green together results in different secondary colors depending on the proportions used. When mixed in equal parts, red, blue and green make brown. Mixing two primary colors together makes the secondary colors purple, green, and orange. The more interesting effects come from mixing uneven ratios of the primaries. These combinations can create tertiary colors with intriguing names like red-violet and yellow-green. Understanding color mixing helps artists choose hues and shade their work. It also aids designers in selecting color schemes. With some basic color theory, anyone can explore the possibilities that come from blending reds, blues, and greens.
Mixing Primary Colors
The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. These cannot be created by mixing other colors together. Secondary colors — purple, green, and orange — occur by combining two primary colors. For instance:
| Red + Blue = Purple |
| Blue + Yellow = Green |
| Yellow + Red = Orange |
Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color next to it on the color wheel. These include red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet.
When all three primary colors are mixed in equal proportions, the result is a brown or gray color. The muddy appearance comes from all the colors canceling each other out. Changing the ratios of the primaries creates lighter or darker browns and grays.
Uneven Color Mixing
More interesting effects occur when the primary colors are mixed unevenly. Adding a small amount of a secondary color to its primary colors shifts the hue. For example, a touch of green mixed into blue makes blue-green. Starting with yellow instead produces yellow-green. This allows artists to fine tune colors on their palettes.
Mixing complements is another way to mute colors. Combining a color with its complement — the color opposite it on the color wheel — tends to neutralize the hue. The complement of blue is orange, red’s complement is green, and yellow’s complement is purple. Adding a complementary color grays down the original color. This lets painters make soft, muted shades.
Using unequal ratios of primaries generates intriguing intermediate hues. A blend of two parts red, five parts blue, and three parts yellow will differ from a mix of four parts red, three parts blue, and two parts yellow. The combinations of primary color proportions are endless.
Color Mixing in Action
One way to observe primary color mixing is by swirling together paints. An artist’s palette provides a suitable surface for this. Squeeze out small amounts of red, blue, and yellow paint. Use a brush to thoroughly stir them together. Notice how the colors lose their intensity and become muddied. Try mixing just two primaries at a time to see the secondaries. Add white paint to lighten the blends.
Spinning color tops provide another way to watch primary colors blend. These simple toys are disks painted with segments of red, blue, and green. Pulling a string spins the disk rapidly. The colors merge in the eye due to persistence of vision, creating secondary hues. Varying the proportions of the primaries generates different intermediates. These color mixers vend for a few dollars and provide mesmerizing effects.
Digital Color Mixing
The principles of mixing color also apply to light. Televisions and computer monitors create images by blending red, green, and blue light. Like paint pigments, adjusting the luminance of the primaries generates different hues. Photo editing software includes tools to mix colors digitally.
The color picker allows selecting colors from a range of hues. Under the hood, it sets proportions of red, blue, and green light. Paint bucket and brush tools apply colors by mixing light. Designers use these to fill elements and paint digitally. Blend modes like “screen” and “overlay” mix colors using mathematical operations. This makes even complex color mixing simple.
Why Color Mixing Matters
Understanding color mixing allows greater control over hue, shade, and tone. Painters create varieties of browns for shading by adjusting primary proportions. Mixing secondaries into primaries provides nuanced intermediates. Using complements yields muted, natural tones. The painter can mix whatever color they envision.
Graphic designers apply the same concepts working digitally. Photo editors tweak hue and saturation with the color picker. Designers craft palettes by selecting intermediates. User interface elements employ muted hues for easy reading. Vibrant complements draw attention. Digital or traditional, mixing primary colors grants endless options.
Conclusion
Blending the primary colors red, blue, and green produces intriguing results. Equal parts make browns and grays. Uneven mixes yield secondary and intermediate hues. Adding complements neutralizes and softens colors. Physical paint mixing and digital tools follow the same principles. Understanding the effects that come from combining primaries allows artists and designers to fully utilize color. With reds, blues, and greens, the possibilities are endless.
