Adding white to a color does lighten the shade. This is because white reflects all wavelengths of visible light equally. When mixed with another color, the white dilutes the hue and reflects more light overall, creating a lighter and desaturated version of the original color. The more white is added, the lighter and closer to true white the mixed color becomes. This effect applies to any color on the color wheel and follows basic color theory principles.
How Colors Are Made of Light
To understand why adding white lightens a color, it helps to first understand how color is created by light. What we perceive as color is actually light at different wavelengths reflecting off objects and entering our eyes. Red, green, and blue are the primary colors of light. Different combinations of these three colors can create all the other colors we see.
White light contains a balanced mixture of all wavelengths of visible light. When white light shines on an object, some wavelengths are absorbed while others are reflected back to our eyes. The reflected wavelengths determine what color we see. For example, a red object absorbs all wavelengths except red, which is reflected back to our eyes.
Adding White Dilutes and Desaturates a Color
When white light is mixed with another color, it dilutes the saturation or purity of that color. Saturation refers to the intensity of a color. A highly saturated color is vivid and bright, while a less saturated color is muted and greyed out.
Adding white introduces additional wavelengths into the reflected light. This desaturates the original color because there is now a less dominant proportion of the original hue. The color becomes lighter and muted. Adding more white will continue lightening the shade until eventually all saturation is lost, and the color becomes true white.
Examples of White Lightening Colors
Here are some examples of how mixing white impacts different colors on the color wheel:
| Original Color | With Added White |
|---|---|
| Bright red | Pink |
| Deep purple | Lavender |
| Vivid orange | Peach |
As demonstrated, the red becomes a softer pink, the rich purple lightens to a delicate lavender, and the bold orange turns into a pale peach tone with the addition of white. All the mixed colors are lighter, softer, and less saturated versions of the original hues.
Lightening Colors with Tints
In color theory, mixing a pure chromatic color with white is called creating a tint. A tint is any hue lightened by the addition of white pigment or light wavelengths. Common examples are pink, baby blue, peach, mint green, and other pale pastel shades.
The more white pigment or light added, the higher the tint percentage. A 10% tint of a color has just a small amount of white mixed in. A 90% tint conversely has mostly white with just a hint of the original hue. Tints are defined by how much white they contain compared to the original chromatic color.
Colors Appear Lighter Against White Backgrounds
Another way white impacts the appearance of color is through simultaneous contrast. This term refers to how surrounding colors influence the perception of an adjacent color. Colors tend to look most vivid and saturated when bordered by their complement on the color wheel.
But when a color is surrounded by white, it can often appear washed out and lighter in comparison. This is because white reflects the maximum amount of visible light to our eyes. So another color surrounded by all that brightness tends to seem less saturated, especially if it is a darker shade. This optical effect is another way white causes colors to appear lighter in its presence.
Lightening Dark Paint Colors
The principles of how white lightens colors apply to paints and pigments too. With paints, white is usually not pure white light. Titanium white and zinc white are the closest approximations, however. Mixing white paint into another color creates a tint just like mixing wavelengths of white light.
This is useful for lightening very dark paint colors. Adding some white can soften an intense black to charcoal grey, mute navy blue to a sky blue, or turn chocolate brown into a warm tan. Monitor the changing saturation and lightness as you incrementally add white paint until achieving the desired shade.
Color Theory Concepts in Mixing White
There are a few fundamental color theory concepts at work when white is mixed with another color:
| Color Theory Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Hue | The dominant wavelength that distinguishes one color from another |
| Shade | A pure hue mixed with black, making it darker |
| Tint | A pure hue mixed with white, making it lighter |
| Saturation | The purity or intensity of a color |
Adding white lightens both the shade and saturation by diluting the hue. This transforms a deep saturated color into a pale muted pastel.
Lightening Colors with Grey Instead of White
Sometimes colors are lightened by adding grey rather than pure white. This creates a tone rather than a tint. Tones are more muted and subtle since grey is a neutral color, while white accentuates the brightness.
Mixing various ratios of a pure color with black and white produces a range of grey tones. A little more black results in dark grey tones. More white creates light grey tones. Combining color with mid range greys achieves medium desaturated tones.
Avoid Over-Diluting the Hue
When lightening a color with white or grey, it is generally best to avoid adding too much. Over-diluting will result in a very weak, washed out color. The original hue could be lost altogether, leaving an indistinct greyish shade.
Start by mixing just a small ratio of white or grey and incrementally adding more if needed. Observe when the color begins losing its vividness. That is the limit for retaining hue intensity while still lightening the shade.
Opacity and Lightening Colors
Paints and pigments also have an opacity or transparency property affecting the perception of color lightness. Opaque paints completely block any colors underneath them. But translucent paints allow lower layers to show through somewhat, optically altering the hue and tone above.
Thin washes, glazes, or sheer layers of paint end up lighter because the substrate partially reflects through. This transparency can mute and lighten the color as well. Opaque paints conversely cover completely, so their colors appear richer and brighter when applied heavily.
Using White for Tints in Painting
Here are some tips for successfully using white to mix tints when painting:
– Use thick applications of paint for more opaque and saturated results
– Try glazing or thinning paint to produce delicate translucent tints
– Mix just small amounts of white at a time to precisely control the tint
– Remember that zinc and titanium white have the least effect on the hue
– Don’t over-mix the white which can cause dull greyish tones
– For muted tones, mix white, black, and the original color
– Keep white paint very clean for clear bright tint mixtures
Lightening Colors in Photography and Design
The same theory applies when lightening colors digitally in software for photography, graphic design, and web design. Here white is added by increasing brightness or lowering saturation.
Other techniques like selectively lightening areas of an image with Dodge and Burn tools also make colors appear lighter against the white highlights. The key is diluting the intensity of a hue by blending it with white or brightening the surrounding background.
Conclusion
In summary, introducing white into a colored light or pigment reliably lightens and softens the original shade. This happens because white contains all wavelengths of visible light equally. When mixed together, the added white reflects more overall light intensity while diluting the purity of the original hue. This desaturation and brightening turns deep intense colors into softer pastel tints. Following basic color theory, the more white added, the lighter the tint becomes until reaching pure white itself with enough dilution. This useful color principle has infinite applications in the visual arts and design for subtly or dramatically altering the lightness of any chosen color.
