Yellow is a bright, sunny color that is often associated with happiness, optimism, and energy. In art and design, yellow can create a warm, cheerful mood and draw attention in a composition. To understand yellow, it helps to know which colors are mixed together to create this vibrant secondary color. There are two primary colors that combine to make yellow – red and green. By mixing varying ratios of red and green pigments or light, all shades of yellow can be formed. Understanding the color theory behind yellow gives artists, designers, and anyone who uses color more control over the diverse palette of yellows at their disposal.
Primary Colors
In color theory, primary colors are sets of colors that can be combined to create all other colors. The primary colors are different depending on whether we’re talking about pigments (subtractive color), or light (additive color).
For pigments, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. By mixing together pigments like paints or dyes, these three primaries can create any other hue. Red and yellow pigments mixed together make orange. Blue and red make purple. Yellow and blue make green. All other pigment colors are derived from different combinations of red, yellow, and blue.
For light, the primary colors are red, green, and blue (RGB). Televisions and computer monitors create color by mixing red, green, and blue light. When red and green light mix, they create yellow light. Other hues are made by blending red, green, and blue light in different proportions.
So in summary:
Pigment primaries: Red, yellow, blue
Light primaries: Red, green, blue
Making Yellow
Since yellow is a primary color in the world of pigments, no other paint colors need to be mixed to create yellow paint. But yellow is a secondary color when it comes to light. This means it’s made by combining two light primaries.
The two colors that mix together to create yellow are red and green.
Red and green are positioned opposite each other on the color wheel. These complementary colors combine to form vibrant secondary mixtures. Red and green light blended together in equal proportions produces a pure, bright yellow.
| Mixing Ratio | Resulting Color |
|---|---|
| 100% red + 100% green | Yellow |
| More red + less green | Orange-yellow |
| Less red + more green | Chartreuse-yellow |
By changing the ratio of red to green, different shades of yellow can be made. Adding more red shifts the color toward orange-yellows, while adding more green creates chartreuse-yellows.
Computer and TV screens mix bursts of pure red and green light to display yellow. The additive light primaries (red, green, and blue) are used in pixels to create all the colors we see on digital screens.
Properties of Red, Green, and Yellow Light
The specific properties of red, green, and blue light explain how they combine to form other colors:
Red light has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625-740 nm. Red is at the long end of the visible light spectrum. When red light strikes an object, it gets absorbed if the object appears red, while the other wavelengths get reflected.
Green light has a wavelength of around 500-565 nm, in the middle of the visible spectrum. An object that absorbs other light wavelengths while reflecting green wavelengths looks green.
Yellow light, with a wavelength of 565-590 nm, stimulates both the red and green color receptors in our eyes. An object illuminated with yellow light containing roughly equal red and green wavelengths appears yellow because it reflects both red and green to our eyes.
Our eyes have three types of cone cells that detect red, green, and blue wavelengths. Yellow activates both the red and green cones almost equally, which our visual system interprets as the color yellow.
Pigment vs. Light Primaries
To summarize the difference between pigment and light primaries:
Pigment primaries work by absorbing and reflecting specific wavelengths. Yellow pigment absorbs blue light while reflecting red and green. When all wavelengths are reflected, we see white, while absorbing all wavelengths results in black.
Light primaries create a range of colors by emitting different combinations of red, green, and blue wavelengths. Yellow light appears yellow because it stimulates both the red and green cones in our retinas.
So while yellow is a primary color in pigments, it’s a secondary color in light, created from mixing red and green wavelengths.
Color Mixing: Subtractive vs. Additive
The mixing of pigments is subtractive color mixing, while the mixing of light is additive color mixing.
Subtractive mixing with paints, inks, dyes or pigments starts with a white surface. As more colors are applied, they absorb and subtract wavelengths from the white light that bounces off the surface, creating a darker and more muted color mixture. Combining all pigment primaries produces black.
Additive mixing starts with a black screen. As more colored light is emitted, more wavelengths are added, combining to create brighter and purer hues. Combining all light primaries produces white.
So even though red and green pigments mix to a darker brown, red and green light mix to form bright yellow. The mechanics of mixing light vs. pigments are very different.
Properties of Yellow
Now that we know red and green light combine to create yellow, what are some key properties of the yellow color this produces?
– Brightness: Yellow is one of the brightest colors on the spectrum. It has high luminance because of how our eyes perceive the specific wavelengths within the yellow part of the spectrum.
– Warmth: Yellow is considered a warm color, associated with fire, sunlight, and heat. Visually, warm colors seem to advance toward the viewer.
– Cheerfulness: The brightness and warmth of yellow give it an upbeat, cheerful feeling. Yellow is associated with joy and optimism.
– Attention-grabbing: Yellow has the highest visibility factor of any color, catching people’s attention. Traffic signs and hazard warnings are yellow for this reason.
– Energy: In design, yellow can convey excitement, fun, and energy. However, it’s also overstimulating if overused.
– Earthiness: Dull or muddy yellows evoke earthiness and antiquity, like an old parchment.
Key Facts About Mixing Red and Green to Create Yellow
To summarize the key facts:
– Red and green are complementary colors, located opposite each other on the color wheel.
– Red and green are primary colors in the RGB color model used for light and digital displays.
– When red and green light mix, they form the secondary color yellow.
– Varying the ratio of red to green creates different shades of yellow.
– Equal amounts of red and green light combine to make a pure, bright yellow.
– Red light has long wavelengths around 625-740 nm. Green is 500-565 nm.
– Yellow is approximately 565-590 nm, stimulating red and green cone cells in the eyes.
– Yellow pigment is a primary color that reflects red and green light. Yellow light mixes red and green wavelengths.
– Mixing light is additive (starts with black, builds to white). Mixing pigments is subtractive (starts with white, builds to black).
Conclusion
In summary, the two colors that combine to create yellow are red and green. By understanding primary colors and how they mix, we gain deeper insight into the nature of color itself. Specifically, yellow arises from blending two complementary colors of light, red and green. Mastering color relationships leads to more effective and intentional color choices, whether in art, design, or simply analyzing the vivid yellows found in nature. Unlocking the interactions between fundamental colors is key to creating, manipulating, and perceiving the full spectrum of hues.