How to mix paints to make pink. Mixing colors. How to get dark orange color

When you need to mix primary colors and get your favorite purple, green, orange shades, the method of obtaining them depends on many factors. The question is, are you mixing pigments or light? We'll tell you how to work with any materials and share ways to get all the colors of the rainbow!

Steps

Mixing colors: subtractive colors

    Take paints. Any kind of paint will do - even those used on furniture or walls - but it's best (and cleanest) to practice with a few small tubes of oil or acrylic paint. First, let's see what happens if we mix just two colors - red and blue.

    • Note: Black can be obtained by mixing existing colors. Black pigment, of course, exists, but its use is too conspicuous. It is better to obtain dark colors by mixing transparent primary colors: shadows also have shades, depending on the time of day and other factors.
    • Read the "Other Tips" section below for guidance on choosing the best magenta and cyan.
  1. Mix red and blue. Everyone knows that red and blue when mixed make purple, right? Indeed, but it's not that bright, vibrant purple. Instead they form something like this:

    • Not very pleasing to the eye? This is because red and blue absorb more and reflect less of the spectrum, producing a dark, dirty purple instead of a vibrant and bright one.
  2. Now try this: mix magenta with a little cyan and you will see the difference. This time you will get something like this:

    • Magenta is a shade of purple, cyan is a blue-green shade, often called royal blue or turquoise. Along with yellow, they are the primary colors in the CMYK model, which is based on a subtractive color scheme (producing color by subtracting individual components from white). This scheme is used in printing, including color printers.
    • You can see that using true primary colors - magenta and cyan - results in a much brighter, more vibrant hue. If you want a deeper purple, add more blue. For a deep purple, add black.
  3. Mix pigments to create primary and secondary colors. There are 3 main color pigments: cyan, magenta and yellow. There are also 3 secondary colors obtained by mixing two primary colors:

    • Cyan + yellow = green
    • Cyan + magenta = blue
    • Magenta + yellow = red
    • Cyan + magenta + yellow = black
    • In subtractive color mixing, the combination of all colors produces black.
  4. "Read the information below. The Mixing Paints section provides more detailed advice on how to achieve a wide variety of shades, including light, dark and grayish. The Tips section provides an extensive list of colors and combinations you can use to get those colors on your palette.

    Light mixing: additive colors

    1. Take a look at your monitor. Look at the white areas on this page and get as close as possible. Even better if you have a magnifying glass. When you bring your eyes closer to the screen, you will see not white, but red, green and blue dots. Unlike pigments, which work by absorbing color, light is additive, meaning it works by adding up light streams. Cinema screens and displays, whether it's a 60-inch plasma TV or the 3.5-inch Retina display in your iPhone, use an additive method of mixing colors.

      Mix light to create primary and secondary colors. As with subtractive colors, there are 3 primary and 3 secondary colors obtained by mixing the primary colors. The result may surprise you:

      • Mixing red + blue = magenta
      • Mixing blue + green = cyan
      • Mixing green + red = yellow
      • In additive color mixing, the combination of all colors produces white.
      • Please note that primary additive colors are secondary subtractive colors, and vice versa. How can it be? Know that the effect of subtractive color is a combined process: it absorbs some colors, and we perceive what remains, that is, reflected light. Reflected color is the color of the luminous flux that remains when all other colors have been absorbed.

    Modern color theory

    1. Understand the subjective nature of color perception. Human perception and identification of color depend on both objective and subjective factors. While scientists can detect and measure light down to the nanometer, our eyes perceive a complex combination of not only hue, but also color saturation and brightness. This circumstance is further complicated by the way we see the same color on different backgrounds.

      Hue, saturation and lightness are the three dimensions of color. We can say that any color has three dimensions: hue, saturation and lightness.

      • Tone characterizes the position of a color on the color wheel - red, orange, yellow, and so on, including all intermediate colors, such as red-orange or orange-yellow. Here are some examples: Pink refers to a magenta or red tone (or anything in between). Brown refers to the orange tone because brown is dark orange.
      • Saturation- This is what produces rich, vibrant color, like on a rainbow or color wheel. Pale, dark and muted colors (shades) are less saturated.
      • Lightness shows how close a color is to white or black, regardless of color. If you take a black and white photograph of flowers, you can tell which ones are lighter and which ones are darker.
        • For example, bright yellow is a relatively light color. You can lighten it up even more by adding white and making it a pale yellow.
        • Bright blue is naturally dark and low on the light scale, while dark blue is even lower.

    Mixing paints

    1. Follow these instructions to get any color you want. Magenta, yellow and cyan are primary subtractive colors, which means that they can be mixed to create any other color, but they themselves cannot be obtained from other colors. Primary subtractive colors are used when mixing pigments such as inks, dyes and paints.

      Low saturation colors (soft colors) come in three main types: light, dark and muted.

      Add white to get lighter colors. Any color can be lightened by adding white to it. To achieve a very light color, it is better to add the base color to the white a little at a time so as not to waste excess paint.

      Add black to get dark colors. Any color can be darkened by adding black to it. Some artists prefer to add a complementary color that is opposite a given color on the exact CMY/RGB color wheel. For example, green can be used to darken magenta and magenta can be used to darken green because they are opposite each other on the color wheel. Add black or complementary color a little at a time so as not to overdo it.

      Add white and black (or white and a complementary color to the original) to create muted, grayish colors.

      • By varying the relative amounts of black and white added, you can achieve any desired level of lightness and saturation. For example: add white and black to yellow to get light olive. Black will darken yellow, turning it into olive green, and white will lighten that olive green. Different shades of olive green can be achieved by adjusting the amount of color added.
    2. To achieve a desaturated color such as brown (deep orange), you can adjust the hue in the same way as to achieve bright orange - by adding small amounts of nearby colors on the color wheel: magenta, yellow, red or orange. They will make the brown brighter while changing its shade. But since brown is not a bright color, you can also use colors on the other sides of the triangle, such as green or blue, which will darken the brown while changing its hue. Get black.

      This can be done by mixing any two colors that are mutually complementary, as well as three or more colors that are equidistant from each other on the color wheel. Just don't add white or any color containing white unless you want a shade of gray. If the resulting black leans too much toward a particular color, neutralize it by adding a little complementary color to that color. Don't try to get white.

      White cannot be obtained by mixing other colors. Like the three primary colors - magenta, yellow and cyan - you will have to buy them, unless, of course, you are working with materials like watercolor, for which paper itself is used instead of white if necessary. Develop an action plan.

      • Think about the hue, lightness, and saturation of the color you have and the color you want, and make adjustments accordingly.
      • One more example. You mixed red and white to make pink, but the pink came out too bright and warm (yellowish). To correct the warm shade, you will have to add a little magenta. To tone down hot pink, add white, a complementary color (or black), or both. Decide if you want a darker pink (add only the complementary color), a grayish pink (add white and the complementary color), or just a lighter pink (add only the white). If you plan to adjust the hue with magenta and tone down the pink with green or cyan (complementary to magenta and red), you can try combining the two by using a color between magenta and cyan, such as blue.
    3. Mix paints and start creating a masterpiece! If all of this seems overwhelming, you just need a little practice. Creating a color guide for your own use is a good way to practice using color theory principles. Even by printing it from your computer, you will provide yourself with useful information at a time when you do not yet have practice and cannot work on an intuitive level.

    Samples of colors and methods for obtaining them

    • Select the color you want and follow the instructions below. Each sample provides a range of possibilities; you can adjust the amount of paint you use to get exactly the color you want. For example, any light color can be lightened or darkened by adding more or less white. Complementary, or complementary, colors are colors that are opposite each other on the RGB/CMY color wheel.
    • Red: Add a little yellow or orange to the magenta.
      • Light red (salmon pink, coral): Add white to red. Use less white and more red to get coral.
      • Dark red: Add a little black (or cyan) to the red. Cyan is complementary to red.
      • Muted red: Add white and black (or cyan) to red.
    • Yellow: Yellow cannot be obtained by mixing other colors. You'll have to buy it.
      • Light yellow: Add white to yellow.
      • Dark yellow (olive green): Add a little black (or purple-blue) to the yellow. Violet-blue is complementary to yellow.
      • Muted yellow (light olive): Add white or black (or violet-blue) to yellow.
    • Green: Mix cyan and yellow.
      • Light green: Add white to green.
      • Dark green: Add a little black (or magenta) to the green. Magenta is complementary to green.
      • Grey-green: Add white and black (or magenta) to green.
    • Cyan (turquoise blue): Cyan cannot be obtained by mixing other colors. You'll have to buy it.
      • Light cyan: Add white to cyan.
      • Dark cyan: Add a little black (or red) to the cyan. Red is complementary to cyan.
      • Grey-blue: Add white and black (or red) to the cyan.
    • Purple Blue: Mix magenta with cyan or blue.
      • Light violet blue (lavender): Add white to the purple-blue.
      • Dark violet blue: Add a little black (or yellow) to the purple-blue. Yellow is complementary to violet.
      • Grayish-violet-blue: Add white and black (or yellow) to the purple-blue.
    • Violet: Mix magenta with a little cyan, blue or violet blue.
      • Light purple: Add white to purple.
      • Dark purple: Add some black (or lime green) to the purple. Lime green is complementary to purple.
      • Muted purple: Add white and black (or lime green) to the purple.
    • Black: Black can be created by mixing any two complementary colors or three equidistant colors on the precise CMY/RGB color wheel, such as red, green and blue. If you end up with a dark color instead of pure black, correct it by adding a color that is complementary to it.
    • White: White cannot be obtained by mixing other colors. You'll have to buy it. For a warm white (such as cream), add a little yellow. To get a cool white, add a little cyan.
    • Grey: Gray is a mixture of black and white.
    • When mixing paints, add a little at a time to adjust the color. You can always add more. This is especially true when working with black and blue, which tend to dominate other colors. Add a little at a time until you achieve the desired result.
    • To find out if a color is complementary, use your own eyes. It's an old trick: look closely at a color, then look away at a white surface. Due to “color fatigue” in the eyes, you will see the opposite color.
    • Choosing primary colors when purchasing can be difficult. Look for magenta that does not contain white or blue pigments (PW and PB). The best pigments are violet and red pigments such as PV19 and PR122. Good cyan PB15:3. PB15 and PG7 are also good. If you need artist paints or glazes, you can try using a printer to match the colors. Print a sample from your computer to take with you to the store, or look for primary colors on the sides of a cereal or cookie package.
    • You need one color triangle of colors that provide visual balance to the painting, and another color triangle to identify pairs of colors that neutralize each other, since the complementary colors for these tasks are slightly different. So, ultramarine goes well with lemon yellow and other beautiful yellows, but to darken those yellows, use purple. More information on this subject can be found online.
    • How many tubes of different paints do you actually need to paint a picture? Jean-Louis Morell's book on watercolor painting shows how, using the cyan-yellow-magenta color triangle, you can get almost any color you want from just four or five, but it can also be done using these three plus white (as white in watercolor). painting is paper)!
      • The best range of shades can be obtained by mixing colors close to the CMY primary colors, but to get a darker shade, one - or better yet, two - must be darker than these primary colors, for example, Persian blue or cobalt blue, alizarin crimson.
    • What are you writing? The colors you need depend entirely on what you're writing. For example, ultramarine, Neapolitan yellow, burnt sienna and whitewash are useful for distant landscapes if bright greens and yellows are not needed.

    What you will need

    • Palette - a disposable paper palette works well.
    • Palette knife (any size)
    • Watercolor paper or primed canvas (you can buy these from your local art store; ready-made primed canvas works well)
    • Containers with water or solvent for washing brushes
    • Synthetic brush of your choice (#8 round or #6 flat works well)
    • Spray bottle to keep water-based paints from drying out
    • Paper towels for removing dirt and cleaning brushes
    • Color circle
    • Paints
    • A robe or an old shirt that you don’t mind getting dirty
    • Gloves

Let's consider the color wheel we already know

All colors are divided into:

The main ones (yellow, red, blue) - the inner part of the circle - from these colors we get the rest.

Secondary colors (purple, orange, green) - the middle part of the circle.

Tertiary (complex) colors - the outer circle and combinations of shades from different parts of the circle.

The components will be indicated on the sectors within the required color.

When mixing colors opposite each other in equal proportions, we get a dirty dark gray color. Such pairs of colors are called complementary.

This effect is used when it is necessary to “mute” a shade by “dirtying” it.

For example, to make blue darker, drop a little orange into it; brown is “muffled” by light green. The main thing is to understand the principle of working with the color wheel, and finding a more complex and convenient version of it on the Internet and downloading it is not difficult.

Here are some recipes for mixing colors:

yellow + brown = ocher

red + yellow = orange
red + ocher + white = apricot
red + green = brown
red + blue = violet
red + blue + green = black
yellow + white + green = citric
yellow + cyan or blue = green
yellow + green + white + red = tobacco
blue + green = sea ​​wave
orange + brown = terracotta
red + white = coffee with milk
brown + white + yellow = beige

light green=(green+yellow, more yellow)+white= light green

lilac=(blue+red+white, more red and white) +white= light lilac
lilac= red and blue, with red predominating

black= brown+blue+red in equal proportions
black= brown+blue.
gray and black= blue, green, red and yellow are mixed in equal proportions, and then one or the other is added by eye. it turns out we need more blue and red
black= it turns out if you mix red, blue and brown
black=red, green and blue. You can additionally add brown.
bodily= red and yellow paint... just a little bit. After kneading, if it turns yellow, add a little red, if a little yellow paint turns pink. If the color turns out to be very saturated, add a piece of white mastic and mix again
dark cherry= red + brown + a little blue (cyan)
strawberry= 3 parts pink + 1 part red
Turkiz= 6 parts sky blue + 1 part yellow
silver gray= 1 hour black + 1 hour blue
dark red= 1 part red + a little black
rust color= 8 hours orange + 2 hours red + 1 hour brown
greenish= 9 hours sky blue + a little yellow
dark green= green+a little black
lavender=5 parts pink + 1 part purple
nautical=5h. blue+1 hour green
peach=2h. orange + 1 tsp. dark yellow
dark pink=2h. red+1 hour brown
Navy blue=1h. blue+1h. Serenevy
avocado= 4h. yellow + 1 part green + a little black
coral= 3 hours pink + 2 hours yellow
gold= 10 hours yellow + 3 hours orange + 1 hour red
plum = 1 part purple + a little red
light green= 2 hours purple + 3 hours yellow

And this table contains classic flower recipes

Pink White + add a little red
Chestnut Red + add black or brown
Royal red Red + add blue
Red Red + White to brighten, yellow to get orange-red
Orange Yellow + add red
Gold Yellow + a drop of red or brown
Yellow Yellow + white for lightening, red or brown for a dark shade
Pale green Yellow + add blue/black for depth
Grass green Yellow + add blue and green
Olive Green + add yellow
Light green Green + add white/yellow
Turquoise green Green + add blue
Bottle green Yellow + add blue
Coniferous Green + add yellow and black
Turquoise blue Blue + add a little green
White-blue White + add blue
Wedgwood blue White + add blue and a drop of black
Royal blue
Dark blue Blue + add black and a drop of green
Grey White + Add a little black
Pearl gray White + Add black, a little blue
Medium brown Yellow + Add red and blue, white for lightening, black for dark.
Red-brown Red & yellow + Add blue and white to brighten
Golden brown Yellow + Add red, blue, white. More yellow for contrast
Mustard Yellow + Add red, black and a little green
Beige Take brown and gradually add white until you get a beige color. Add yellow for brightness.
Off white White + Add brown or black
Pink gray White + Drop of red or black
Gray-blue White + Add light gray plus a drop of blue
Green-gray White + Add light gray plus a drop of green
Gray coal White + add black
Lemon yellow Yellow + add white, a little green
Light brown Yellow + add white, black, brown
Fern green color White + add green, black and white
Forest green color Green + add black
Emerald green Yellow + add green and white
Light green Yellow + add white and green
Aquamarine White + add green and black
Avocado Yellow + add brown and black
Royal purple Red + add blue and yellow
Dark purple Red + add blue and black
Tomato red Red + add yellow and brown
Mandarin, orange Yellow + add red and brown
Reddish chestnut Red + add brown and black
Orange White + add orange and brown
Burgundy red color Red + add brown, black and yellow
Crimson Blue + add white, red and brown
Plum Red + add white, blue and black
Chestnut
Honey color White, yellow and dark brown
Dark brown Yellow + red, black and white
Copper gray Black + add white and red
Eggshell color White + yellow, a little brown

We use

As you understand from the tables, the darker and dirtier the color, the more recipe options there are. Perhaps not everything will work out right away, you need a certain skill, but it is developed very quickly and you yourself will develop your favorite and least favorite combinations and recipes. It seems to me that the most economical way to get acquainted with mixing colors without fear of ruining something is to practice with ordinary watercolor paints.

As you gain confidence in what the end result will be, you can try enamel with acrylic. In any case, if you are not sure of the result, try it first with watercolors or gouache.

I recommend starting small - using store-bought shades and using simple additions, learn how to make gradients of camouflage shades for color modulation, for example, for panel highlighting.

As your skill grows, you can, by purchasing a ready-made color and painting it, prepare the colors yourself as you use it up.

Always prepare the color with a small reserve - if necessary, repeating it will not be an easy task.

I don’t argue that buying ready-made shades is often easier and faster, but I prepare the color myself when:

1. The color I need is not available in the store - I don’t have the desire or time to wait for supplies.

2. It often happens that I do not agree with a particular interpretation of a shade by a paint manufacturer.

3. Manufacturers do not produce the required color (as an example - Polish khaki; moreover, paint of 4 shades was used during the pre-war years of 1938-1939)

4. It is assumed that the prototype, due to operating conditions, greatly changed its color.

5. So that my collection of models does not look like one green-blue spot, I try to paint each subsequent model with a slightly different shade. The difference will only be visible if you put two models in the same color next to each other.

This knowledge is applicable and will be useful in everyday life - for example, you cannot wash colored items of additional colors at the same time - they will gradually acquire gray shades :))

Now, having studied the basics, you can return to model technologies and practice.

Whatever you say, this color is magical, but it evokes dual feelings: on the one hand, it is a kind of sadness, and on the other, peace and tranquility. In this article we will look at how to get blue by mixing paints. Let's find out what shades exist and what they are called. Let's consider what percentage is needed to solve the problem set before us: how to get blue?

Blue color. Psychological perception

It is this shade that has attracted humanity since ancient times. He was always given special attention. So in Ancient Egypt, the process of sacrifice to the Gods was depicted in this color. In astrology it corresponds to the planet Venus. In esotericism it is used for meditation, concentration, and also for the process of self-knowledge. In the modern world, psychologists have an ambiguous attitude towards this tone: on the one hand, it promotes concentration to achieve a set goal, and on the other hand, it can separate a person from reality and introduces emotional coldness into the worldview.

In psychology, various color tests are used, and one of the most effective is the Luscher test, according to which the tone we describe symbolizes calmness and self-satisfaction. This test can determine a person’s stress tolerance and communication abilities. Each time the test amazes with its accuracy; like a faithful friend, it can give answers to questions that have been brewing inside for a long time.

Shades of blue

Our described tone is noble and stylish. It hides the peace of the cold sky and the raging passion of the sea. How to get blue? Mixing colors will give a large number of related tones and halftones, the percentage recipe is varied. There are many shades of it. And how beautifully they are called! Based on the names alone, you can understand how much we love this shade, how it inspires and gives strength. So, as an example, we will give the following names of shades of blue: cornflower blue, dove blue, Niagara color, cyan, ultramarine, heavenly, sea wave, light blue, azure, Persian blue, royal blue, indigo, Prussian blue, sapphire, blue-black. Here are the main shades of the tone we are describing. In addition to them, many semi-shades can be distinguished, that’s how multifaceted this tone is.

Even any shade can have different characteristics: blue is frivolous and playful, because it is not for nothing that they say “blue dream”, in other words, unrealistic and unrealistic. But the shade “indigo” is identified with highly developed mental abilities. Children who are mentally gifted are often called “indigos.” It is also worth taking into account a person’s tendency in clothing and in choosing an interior in favor of the specified tone, and the first thing that can be said about him is that this person has an analytical mind. But let's return to the main question: how to get blue?

Mixing colors

After all, it is the primary color, but we can get a large number of its shades using different tones. So how do you get blue when mixing colors? Consider getting "Royal Blue". To do this, you need to use blue as the main tone, adding to it a small part of black and a drop of green. As a result of this mixing, the desired shade should be obtained. How to get blue, but a brighter shade than the previous one? To do this, we use the same colors that we described above, but in this case we need to halve the amount of black. The result of mixing should be a beautiful dark blue shade.

Now let's look at what colors to get the blue color of the sea, a shade of turquoise. To do this, it is also necessary to use the main shade of our tone, and the additional one will be a green tone, taken in a ratio of one to three. The result should be an unforgettable color of the sea, the color of a beautiful girl’s eyes, mysterious and deep, at the same time exciting and calming. Now I would like to figure out what tones are needed to get a Wedgwood blue. In this case, the peculiarity is that the main color will be used not blue, as was previously the case, but white. To the white original tone you need to add half of our described tone. Considering the amount of base color, and as a highlight or as a cherry on the cake, add a drop of black. The result should be a peaceful, calm shade of the same tone we adore.

Let's consider this option: how to get a blue color by mixing orange colors in a very small amount with our main tone, which in this recipe we define as the original one. The result of this operation should be a heavy shade, one might even say menacing. The result obtained is identified with a dirty and harsh sky during a wild storm, when the sea roars like a wild beast, and the wind howls and tears the sails of ships.

Blue in nature

What colors are needed to produce blue in nature, you ask? In our real world, at the level of physics, this tone is perceived by the human eye in the range of 440 - 485 nm. In other words, spectral blue color is felt under the influence of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength whose digital value is indicated above.

Blue paint

How to get blue color artificially, you ask? As you know, natural dyes of this shade are very rare and therefore valuable. One of the dyes of the aniline series is fuchsin. Its significant drawback is that it is far from the beautiful blue tint that one would so much like to achieve; in this case, magenta gives a bluish-red tone. The result of waiting will make you disappointed.

Conclusion

In conclusion, to summarize what has been said, I would like to note that the main question of our article is how to get blue. Mixing colors in different proportions will be the answer, but do not forget that today acrylic paint of the described shade can be classified as dark blue with a purple tone. This type of shade is called "ultramarine". Moreover, the issue of mixing paints is relevant for young artists, for whom, in addition to theoretical information, practice is important. The ability to form your own style, still based on theoretical knowledge, is one of the main tasks. I would like to believe that this material will be useful and interesting.

The paint mixing table allows you to create a huge palette of bright shades from 3 basic colors. It is very exciting! The main thing is to choose the right paints according to the color mixing table.

Artist's Workshop: Magic Lessons

1. The combination of two adjacent colors of the spectrum produces shades with different intensities of these colors. For example, yellow and orange when superimposed produce yellow-orange or orange-yellow, depending on which of these 2 colors predominates. If you mix in equal proportions 3 shades located next to each other on the color wheel, for example, yellow, red and orange, you will get the same orange, but dirtier.

2. When white is added to any color, it produces pastel shades of varying intensities.

3. By mixing 2 primary colors in equal proportions, which are separated by 1 shade on the color wheel, we get exactly the intermediate color that separates them. For example, red + blue = purple.

4. An equal combination of 2 contrasting colors (located opposite each other on the color wheel) always produces gray with a tint of one of these colors. For example, red + green, blue + orange, etc. Interestingly, if you mix complementary colors in a 2/1 ratio, you get absolute gray (without additional shades).

5. 3 primary colors located next to each other, when applied in equal proportions, also form gray, for example, green + yellow + orange. Pay attention to the striking pattern: harmonious color combinations (which you can get using the color wheel) when mixing those included in them shades give a gray color - balancing, they absorb each other.

Creating new colors using a paint mixing table

As we already know, there are only 3 colors that cannot be obtained by mixing others. But from them you can create all other shades. These magical colors are red, yellow and blue. By the way, by mixing them with each other in equal proportions, you can get black. How to create all the other shades of the palette, see the table:

The color mixing table and color wheel are used not only in painting, they are simply irreplaceable when tinting and mixing decorative plaster in construction, in perfumery and soap making, when dyeing fabrics, batik, etc.

Color spectrum: revealing the secrets of the rainbow

Isaac Newton, passing light through a prism, received a multi-colored beam called a spectrum. For the convenience of combining colors, a continuous line of the spectrum with all its transitional tones was turned into a circle. As you know, in the color spectrum there are three primary shades (red, blue and yellow), and when they are mixed in pairs with each other, three more secondary shades are obtained (green, orange and purple). It is these 6 shades that form the color wheel, and each of them has complementary colors (blue and red-violet, yellow-green, purple, red and yellow-orange, blue and yellow-green). Newton, by the way, identified 7 colors, adding blue to the spectrum, which, along with the six main ones, is considered the color of the rainbow. By mixing these shades, making them darker or lighter to varying degrees, you can get a full range of colors.

I would like to immediately make a reservation that the division of the spectrum is arbitrary and depends on the characteristics of our perception. A person can identify up to 1000 tones in the color spectrum. It is interesting that reptiles and birds do not distinguish blue shades, and some fish see everything around them in red. It is believed that for cats the colorful world around us looks dimmer, but they can distinguish a huge variety of shades of gray.

Color spectrum table

The colors of the spectrum are called chromatic, as opposed to achromatic (from Latin, “without color”): white, black, gray. The order of shades in the spectrum is always the same, starting with red and ending with violet.

Shades on the color wheel from green-blue to blue-violet are considered cool, from yellow-green to red-violet - warm. This division is quite arbitrary and depends on what associations these colors evoke in us: red-orange fire, yellow sun, blue ice, blue ocean abyss. Did you notice that when we separated colors we didn't mention green? And this is no coincidence. Pure green (which, by the way, is extremely rare) is considered neutral. A drop of yellow makes it warmer, a drop of blue cools it down.

The color wheel is extremely important in a designer's work. With its help, you can not only determine harmonious color combinations, create the desired atmosphere in the room or an attractive image, but also influence perception by skillfully emphasizing the brightness, purity, beauty of color, enhance its intensity by adding complementary shades, balance cold tones with warm ones, etc. d. This magic is not difficult to learn even without being a designer, and it can be used not only in interior or clothing design. With the help of the color wheel, anyone can create harmony in the apartment, correctly combine colors in clothes, manicure, makeup, etc. For example, blue eyes will be emphasized by orange-coral lipstick or peach eyeshadow, and a scarlet dress will be refreshed by a green-turquoise scarf.

Every person who has ever held a brush and paint in his hand knows that you can get a lot of shades from two or three colors. The rules for mixing and matching colors are determined by the science of coloristics. Its basis is the color wheel known to many. There are only three primary colors: red, blue and yellow. Other shades are obtained by mixing and are called secondary shades.

What colors of paint should be mixed to get brown?

Brown is considered complex; when creating it, you can use all the primary colors. There are several ways to get brown:

  • Classic: green + red in proportions 50:50.
  • The main trio: blue + yellow + red in equal quantities.
  • Mixing: blue + orange or gray + orange. You can vary the intensity of the hue by adding less or more gray.
  • Optional: green + purple + orange. This shade has a pleasant red or red tint. You can also mix yellow + purple - the color will have a yellowish tint.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get purple?

The easiest way to get purple is to mix equal proportions of red and blue. True, the shade will turn out a bit dirty, and it will need to be adjusted.

To make the tone cooler, take 2 parts blue and 1 part red and vice versa.

To achieve lavender and lilac, the resulting dirty purple needs to be diluted with white. The more white, the lighter and softer the shade will be.

Dark purple can be obtained by gradually adding black or green to the original color.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get red?

Red is considered a base color and is present in any artistic palette. However, you can get red by mixing violet (magenta) and yellow in a 1:1 ratio. You can also mix a carmine shade with yellow to create a more intense red. You can make it lighter by adding more yellow and vice versa. Shades of red can be obtained by adding orange, pink, yellow, and white to the base red.

What colors of paint should be mixed to get beige?

Beige is a neutral and independent color; it has many shades, which can be achieved by varying the amount of white and yellow shades added.

The easiest way to get beige is to mix brown and white.

To make the color more contrasting, you can add a little yellow.

Flesh beige can be obtained by mixing scarlet, blue, yellow and white. The ivory shade is created by mixing golden ocher and white paint.

Green color can be achieved by mixing yellow and blue in equal parts. The result will be a grassy green hue. If you add white color to it, the mixture will lighten. By mixing brown or black pigment, you can achieve emerald, marsh, olive, dark green shades.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get gray?

The classic tandem for getting gray is black + white. The more white, the lighter the finished shade.

  • You can also mix red, green and white. The color will have a slight yellow tint.
  • A blue-gray shade can be created by mixing orange with blue and white.
  • If you mix yellow with purple and white, you get a gray-beige shade.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get black?

Black is a basic monochrome color. It can be obtained by mixing magenta with yellow and cyan. Also, artists often mix green and red, but the resulting shade will not be jet black. Rich black color is produced by a mixture of orange and blue and yellow and violet. To get the shade of the night sky, you can add a little blue to the finished color, and a drop of white to lighten it.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get blue?

Blue is the main color in the palette and it is quite difficult to obtain it by mixing. It is believed that it can be obtained by adding a little yellow to green, but in practice the result is more of a blue-green tint. You can mix purple with blue, the shade will be deep but dark. You can lighten it by adding a drop of white.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get yellow?

The basic yellow color cannot be achieved by mixing other shades. Something similar happens if you add green to orange. Variations of yellow are obtained by adding other tones to the basic one. For example, lemon is a mixture of yellow, green and white. Sunny yellow is a mixture of basic yellow, a drop of white and red.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get pink?

The easiest option is to mix red and white. The more white, the lighter the shade. It is important to know that the tone depends on which red you choose:

  • Scarlet + white will give a pure pink color.
  • Brick red + white - peach pink.
  • Blood red + violet give a fuchsia shade.
  • Orange-pink can be obtained by adding yellow paint to scarlet and white.

What colors of paint need to be mixed to get orange?

Orange color can be obtained by mixing red and yellow.

  • A less saturated shade will be obtained if pink pigment is added to yellow paint.
  • Terracotta orange is the result of mixing base orange with blue or purple.
  • Dark shades are achieved by mixing red, yellow and black.
  • If you add brown instead of black, you get red orange.

We vary the intensity of the tone by adding more white or black.

Color mixing table

Primary colors (blue, yellow, red) are almost impossible to obtain by mixing other shades. But with their help you can create the entire color palette!

How to get a?

Proportions

Brown

Green + red

Violet

Red + blue

Magenta (violet) + yellow

Brown + white

Blue + yellow

White + black

Magenta + yellow + cyan

Yellow + green

Green + orange

Scarlet + white

Orange

Red + yellow

Knowing the basic rules of color, it will be easier to understand the decoration and get the desired shade!