What colors make what colors?

Answer 1

Mixing pigments as described below assumes that all of the pigments are either inert or chemically compatible powders millled to the same particle size, or, chemically compatible dyes. You may encounter different, unexpected, results using specific pigments because of particle size differences (one may surround the other), mixed dye/pigment combinations, and chemical interactions between pigments or dyes that alter the components.

When mixing pigment, the three primary colors are: Red, Yellow, and Blue.

Mixing the primary colors together in different combination will give you the secondary and trtiary colours (see chart below). Mixing all three together in different combination will result in browns and greys. Adding white or black will lighten or darken the shade of the colors.

Red = primary color

Red + white = shade of primary color (pastel red - pink)

Red + black = shade of primary color (darkened red)

2 parts Red + 1 part Yellow = tertiary color Red-orange

Red-orange + white = a shade of tertiary color (pastel red-orange)

Red-orange + black = a shade of tertiary color (darkened red-orange)

Equal parts Red & Yellow = secondary color Orange

Orange + white = a shade of secondary color (pastel orange - peach)

Orange + black = a shade of secondary color (darkened orange)

2 parts Yellow + 1 part Red = tertiary color Yellow-orange

Yellow-orange + white = a shade of tertiary color (pastel yellow-orange)

Yellow-orange + black = a shade of tertiary color (darkened yellow-orange)

Yellow = primary color

Yellow + white = shade of primary color (pastel yellow)

Yellow + black = shade of primary color (darkened yellow)

2 parts Yellow + 1 part Blue = tertiary color yellow-green

Yellow-green + white = a shade of tertiary color (pastel yellow-green)

Yellow-green + black = a shade of tertiary color (darkened yellow-green)

Equal parts Yellow & Blue = secondary color Green

Green + white = a shade of secondary color (pastel green)

Green + black = a shade of secondary color (darkened green)

2 parts Blue + 1 part Yellow = tertiary color Blue-green

Blue-green + white = a shade of tertiary color (pastel blue-green)

Blue-green + black = a shade of tertiary color (darkened blue-green)

Blue = primary color

Blue + white = shade of primary color (pastel blue)

Blue + black = shade of primary color (darkened blue - navy)

2 parts Blue + 1 part Red = tertiary color Blue-purple

Blue-purple + white = a shade of tertiary color (pastel blue-purple)

Blue-purple + black = a shade of tertiary color (darkened blue-purple)

Equal parts Blue & Red = secondary color Purple

Purple + white = a shade of secondary color (pastel purple - lilac)

Purple + black = a shade of secondary colour (darkened purple)

2 parts Red + 1 part Blue = tertiary color Red-purple

Red-purple + white = a shade of tertiary color (pastel red-purple)

Red-purple + black = a shade of tertiary color (darkened red-purple)

Equal parts Red, Yellow, Blue = Brown

Varying the amounts of the primary colors will result in different colors of brown.

Brown + white = a shade of pastel brown

Brown + black = a shade of darkened brown

When working on paintings, many artists prefer to mix complimentary colors together to achieve a "warmer" or more "natural" shadow (gray). Black is uncommon in nature and therefore artists tend not to use it in paintings as a color of its own, but more commonly in conjunction with light to indicate extremely deep shadow in the subject creating contrast, texture, or shape (tree trunk, rock crevice, etc).

The complimentary colors are:

Red & Green

Red-orange & Blue-green

Orange & Blue

Yellow-orange & Blue-purple

Yellow & Purple

Yellow-green & Red-purple

Green & Red

Blue-green & Red-orange

Blue & Orange

Blue-purple & Yellow-orange

Purple & Yellow

Red-purple & Yellow-green

Answer 2

violet

Answer 3

violet