Colors can be mixed together to create new colors through the process of color mixing. When two colors are mixed, the resulting color is determined by the combination of wavelengths of light that each color reflects. Orange and blue are opposite colors on the color wheel, meaning they complement each other when placed side-by-side. But what happens when you physically mix orange and blue pigments or light together? The resulting color depends on the exact shades of orange and blue used and the proportions they are mixed in. Typically mixing orange and blue creates a brownish tone. But varying the ratio of each color can result in muted shades ranging from mustard yellow to olive green.
The Color Wheel
To understand what color orange and blue would make when mixed, it helps to visualize colors on the color wheel. The color wheel arranges colors by hue in a circular format to demonstrate color relationships. Complementary colors like orange and blue sit opposite each other on the wheel. When complementary colors are mixed, they mute or neutralize each other, creating more subdued, earthen tones.
Adjacent colors on the wheel, such as yellow and orange or blue and purple, contain more common wavelengths, so they blend together more easily when mixed. Opposite colors cancel out each others’ brightness.
Mixing Color Pigments
When working with physical paints, mixing two colors is straightforward. The pigments combine physically on the brush or palette. The more saturated (intense) the shades of orange and blue used, the more they will neutralize each other. Mixing equal parts of a true orange and true blue will typically result in a dark muddy brown.
Adjusting the ratio of orange to blue paint changes the mixed shade. Using more orange keeps the tone on the warm, yellow end of the spectrum. While increasing the blue ratio creates cooler, greener hues.
Mixing Colored Light
Mixing colored light works differently than pigments. With light, the wavelengths blend visually but don’t physically combine. Screening colors refers to overlapping projected lights. The colors blend additively, with both colors’ wavelengths reaching our eyes simultaneously.
When pure orange and blue light mix, the resulting color is a white or gray. This demonstrates how orange and blue are complements. Their wavelengths cancel each other out in additive mixing.
Notice thatprojYellow and blue light combines to make white light. This is why televisions and computer screens create all colors by mixing red, green, and blue (RGB) light. Overlapping orange and blue light could only make shades of brown and tan. The complementary colors fail to provide the full spectrum of hues needed for accurate color reproduction.
The Importance of Color Profile
The specific shades of blue and orange used have a big impact on what color they make when mixed. A red-based orange and green-based blue mix differently than a yellow-based orange and purple-based blue, for example. Most blues contain hints of green or purple that alter the mix.
| Orange Hue | Blue Hue | Mixed Color |
| Red | Green | Muddy Brown |
| Yellow | Purple | Dull Olive Green |
Even pale tints of orange and blue mix to make beiges and tans. Adding white to lighten the colors only dilutes the mixing effect rather than changing the hue.
The Psychology of Orange and Blue
Orange and blue have starkly contrasting psychological effects. Orange is energetic, vibrant, and social. The brightness of orange evokes fun, enthusiasm, and creativity. Blue has a calming, relaxing effect. Cool blues are associated with stability, wisdom, and confidence. Learning about the meaning behind these disparate colors gives further insight into why they neutralize each other.
In color psychology:
- Orange relates to social communication, warmth, and interaction
- Blue creates introspection, serenity, and focus
When you mix opposites like these colors, they counterbalance each other. Losing their unique energetic and tranquil associations in the process.
Uses of Mixed Orange and Blue
The muted tones created by mixing orange and blue have their purposes, even if they aren’t the most exciting. Grayish browns, olive greens, and desaturated neutrals have their place in design and art.
Camouflage
One common use of a blue/orange mix is in camouflage and military uniforms. The dull, earthy hues blend into natural environments. Grounds troops wearing olive drab and other subdued mixes of blue and orange can remain undetected more easily.
Nature Photography
Photographing nature relies on accurate color reproduction. Capturing the subtle, ombre gradients of blue light mixing with orange sunset light over landscapes results in soft taupe and brown tones. The camera sensor mixes the complementary wavelengths mathematically. A good example is in photographs of the blue hour (twilight) blending into golden hour at dusk.
Neutral Backgrounds
Muted blue-orange mixes work well as subtle backgrounds in design and artwork. They provide a breather between brighter colors in a composition. Olive green, taupe, gray, and khaki all evoke neutrality due to the balance of the warm and cool hues.
Conclusion
When combined through pigment or light mixing, the lively colors orange and blue become subdued. The complementarity causes them to cancel out each others’ saturating effects in different ways. Physical paint mixing produces brown hues containing the pigments of both colors. Overlapping projected light removes saturation, resulting in grayish or white light. But the exact shades used and ratios mixed cause variations in the tone from yellow-brown to greenish taupe. These earthy tones have purposes in camouflage, nature, and subtle backgrounds. But the joyful brightness of pure orange and soothing qualities of blue become lost through color mixing.
