Color mixing chart
What colors make what: every pair of 11 common paint colors with the result and a hex code, plus the rules behind them. For the answer to one color, start with what colors make brown or pick a color below.
Primary, secondary and tertiary colors
In the traditional painter’s model the primary colors are red, yellow and blue. They cannot be mixed from other paints. Mixing two primaries makes a secondary color:
Mixing a primary with a neighboring secondary makes a tertiary color: red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet and red-violet. Read more about primary colors and the color wheel.
Color mixing chart
Each result is mixed with a spectral paint model (Kubelka-Munk) at the ratio shown: the ratio that best gives the named color. Click a mix for more ratios, the digital blend and why it works.
| Mix | Makes | Ratio | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red + orange | red-orange (vermilion) | equal parts | #E74627 |
| Red + yellow | orange | 2 red : 3 yellow | #FA7A30 |
| Red + green | brown | equal parts | #60463A |
| Red + blue | purple | equal parts | #483A4B |
| Red + purple | red-violet (plum) | equal parts | #8A2E48 |
| Red + pink | rose red | equal parts | #EC4F5C |
| Red + brown | reddish brown (rust) | 2 red : 3 brown | #8B3C29 |
| Red + black | dark red (maroon) | 4 red : 1 black | #602B30 |
| Red + white | pink | 2 red : 3 white | #FF8793 |
| Red + gray | dusty red (muted rose) | equal parts | #A4464D |
| Orange + yellow | yellow-orange (amber) | equal parts | #F8A221 |
| Orange + green | olive green | equal parts | #638431 |
| Orange + blue | dull gray-green (neutral) | 1 orange : 2 blue | #276155 |
| Orange + purple | russet (red-brown) | 2 orange : 3 purple | #874847 |
| Orange + pink | coral (salmon) | 1 orange : 2 pink | #F3976A |
| Orange + brown | burnt orange | equal parts | #A76427 |
| Orange + black | dark brown | 3 orange : 2 black | #383627 |
| Orange + white | peach | 1 orange : 2 white | #FDD086 |
| Orange + gray | tan (muted orange) | equal parts | #AC843A |
| Yellow + green | yellow-green (chartreuse) | 2 yellow : 1 green | #9DC930 |
| Yellow + blue | green | equal parts | #4D954A |
| Yellow + purple | brown (muddy gray-brown) | 1 yellow : 2 purple | #885056 |
| Yellow + pink | peach (light orange) | equal parts | #F8B646 |
| Yellow + brown | golden brown (ochre) | equal parts | #B8872F |
| Yellow + black | olive green | 2 yellow : 1 black | #5B5D36 |
| Yellow + white | pale yellow (cream) | 1 yellow : 3 white | #FDF59A |
| Yellow + gray | khaki (muted yellow) | equal parts | #B6B240 |
| Green + blue | blue-green (teal) | equal parts | #1B6C56 |
| Green + purple | slate gray (dark gray-brown) | equal parts | #4A4F54 |
| Green + pink | grayish taupe | 1 green : 2 pink | #949E8F |
| Green + brown | olive (dark olive green) | 2 green : 3 brown | #58582D |
| Green + black | dark green (hunter green) | 2 green : 1 black | #2A372C |
| Green + white | mint (pastel green) | 1 green : 2 white | #A4E0AE |
| Green + gray | sage (gray-green) | 1 green : 2 gray | #688C6E |
| Blue + purple | blue-violet (indigo) | equal parts | #3B3A9F |
| Blue + pink | lavender (light purple) | 1 blue : 2 pink | #808EC2 |
| Blue + brown | near black (dark slate) | equal parts | #38503D |
| Blue + black | blue-black (dark navy) | 2 blue : 1 black | #212D33 |
| Blue + white | light blue (sky blue) | 2 blue : 3 white | #7CB7EB |
| Blue + gray | slate blue (blue-gray) | 1 blue : 2 gray | #5A7D8F |
| Purple + pink | orchid (light magenta-purple) | 2 purple : 3 pink | #B86CB9 |
| Purple + brown | plum brown (aubergine) | 2 purple : 1 brown | #6F3856 |
| Purple + black | deep purple (eggplant) | 2 purple : 1 black | #312632 |
| Purple + white | lavender (lilac) | 1 purple : 2 white | #D7A7E6 |
| Purple + gray | mauve (gray-purple) | 1 purple : 3 gray | #89768C |
| Pink + brown | rosy brown | equal parts | #AE734E |
| Pink + black | dusky gray-mauve | 2 pink : 1 black | #504C4F |
| Pink + white | pale pink (baby pink) | 2 pink : 3 white | #FCCEE3 |
| Pink + gray | dusty pink (dusty rose) | 3 pink : 2 gray | #C398AF |
| Brown + black | dark brown (espresso) | 2 brown : 1 black | #312C22 |
| Brown + white | light brown (beige, tan) | 2 brown : 3 white | #D3AF82 |
| Brown + gray | taupe | 1 brown : 2 gray | #89795D |
| Black + white | gray | 1 black : 3 white | #888888 |
| Black + gray | dark gray (charcoal) | 1 black : 2 gray | #3C3C3C |
| White + gray | light gray (silver) | 4 white : 3 gray | #CBCBCB |
Complementary colors make brown and gray
Colors opposite each other on the wheel (red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple) are complementary. Together they contain all three primaries, so they cancel into brown or gray. A touch of a complement is the cleanest way to dull a color that is too bright.
Tints, shades and tones
- A tint is a color plus white: lighter and paler (red and white make pink).
- A shade is a color plus black: darker (blue and black make navy).
- A tone is a color plus gray: less saturated (pink and gray make dusty pink).
Mixing light and print colors
Screens mix light, which adds up: red and green light make yellow, green and blue make cyan, red and blue make magenta, and all three make white. Printers mix inks, which subtract: cyan and magenta make blue, magenta and yellow make red, cyan and yellow make green, and all three make a near-black.
| Mix | Light (RGB) | Ink (CMY) |
|---|---|---|
| Two primaries | Red + green = yellow | Magenta + yellow = red |
| Two primaries | Green + blue = cyan | Cyan + yellow = green |
| Two primaries | Red + blue = magenta | Cyan + magenta = blue |
| All three | White | Near black |
What colors make…
- What colors make brown?Mix any two complementary colors: red and green, blue and orange, or yellow and purple. All three primaries together also make brown.
- What colors make purple?Red and blue make purple. For a brighter violet, mix magenta with blue or cyan; add white for lavender.
- What colors make green?Blue and yellow make green. Cyan and yellow give the brightest green; yellow and black give olive green.
- What colors make orange?Red and yellow make orange. More yellow gives amber; more red gives red-orange.
- What colors make red?In paint, red is a primary color and cannot be mixed from others. In print, magenta and yellow make red; on screens, red is a primary of light.
- What colors make blue?In paint, blue is a primary color and cannot be mixed. In print, cyan and magenta make blue; on screens, blue is a primary of light.
- What colors make yellow?Yellow is a primary color in paint and print and cannot be mixed. On screens, red and green light make yellow.
- What colors make pink?Red and white make pink. Magenta and white give a cooler, brighter pink; add a touch of yellow for coral or salmon.
- What colors make black?Mix the three primaries, or two dark complementary colors such as ultramarine blue and burnt umber, to make a near-black.
- What colors make gray?Black and white make gray. For a richer gray, mix two complementary colors (blue and orange) and add white.
- What colors make teal?Blue and green make teal. Add a touch of black for dark teal or white for light teal.
- What colors make gold?Mix yellow with a little orange or red, then a touch of brown. Metallic gold needs a metallic or pearlescent medium.
- What colors make tan?Brown and white make tan. A little yellow keeps it warm; a touch of black makes it darker.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three primary colors?
In paint: red, yellow and blue. In print: cyan, magenta and yellow. In light: red, green and blue.
What do all colors mixed together make?
In paint, a dark brown or near black. In light, white.
Why do my paint mixes turn muddy?
Usually because the two paints together contain all three primaries, often from a hidden bias: a red with yellow in it mixed with blue gives a dull purple. Choose paints that lean toward each other, and mix in small steps.
Can I mix colors online?
Yes. The color mixer blends colors by weight in a spectral paint model, OKLab or linear light and gives the hex code of every step.