What color do black and white make?
Black and white make gray. Black and white make gray. More white gives light gray and silver; more black gives charcoal.
Black + white = gray
Why black and white make gray
Black and white are both neutrals, so the mix stays a neutral: it only moves along the scale from white to black.
Paint mixes subtractively: each pigment absorbs part of the light, and the mix reflects only what both let through. That is why paint mixes get darker and duller as you add colors, while light mixes get brighter.
Change the ratio
Equal parts are only the middle of a range. More black pulls the result toward black, more white toward white. Mix a small test batch, note the parts you used, and scale up once you like it.
All three are mixed with the same spectral paint model. Dark paints are strong, so a little of them changes a mix a lot; light paints such as white and yellow need more parts to show.
Black and white on a screen
Tips for mixing black and white
- Start with the white and add the black to it a little at a time. Darker colors overpower lighter ones quickly, so this way round wastes less paint.
- Mix thoroughly with a palette knife; streaks of unmixed black or white change how the color reads from a distance.
- Let a test swatch dry before judging it. Acrylics usually dry a little darker, while watercolors dry lighter.
- Write down the ratio that works (for example 2 parts to 1) so you can mix the same color again.
- To match a color on screen, compare the paint swatch against the hex code here on a calibrated display, and remember print and paint cannot reach every screen color.
More black color mixes
| Mix | Result | Ratio | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black + red | dark red (maroon) | 1 black : 4 red | #602B30 |
| Black + orange | dark brown | 2 black : 3 orange | #383627 |
| Black + yellow | olive green | 1 black : 2 yellow | #5B5D36 |
| Black + green | dark green (hunter green) | 1 black : 2 green | #2A372C |
| Black + blue | blue-black (dark navy) | 1 black : 2 blue | #212D33 |
| Black + purple | deep purple (eggplant) | 1 black : 2 purple | #312632 |
| Black + pink | dusky gray-mauve | 1 black : 2 pink | #504C4F |
| Black + brown | dark brown (espresso) | 1 black : 2 brown | #312C22 |
| Black + gray | dark gray (charcoal) | 1 black : 2 gray | #3C3C3C |
More white color mixes
| Mix | Result | Ratio | Hex |
|---|---|---|---|
| White + red | pink | 3 white : 2 red | #FF8793 |
| White + orange | peach | 2 white : 1 orange | #FDD086 |
| White + yellow | pale yellow (cream) | 3 white : 1 yellow | #FDF59A |
| White + green | mint (pastel green) | 2 white : 1 green | #A4E0AE |
| White + blue | light blue (sky blue) | 3 white : 2 blue | #7CB7EB |
| White + purple | lavender (lilac) | 2 white : 1 purple | #D7A7E6 |
| White + pink | pale pink (baby pink) | 3 white : 2 pink | #FCCEE3 |
| White + brown | light brown (beige, tan) | 3 white : 2 brown | #D3AF82 |
| White + gray | light gray (silver) | 4 white : 3 gray | #CBCBCB |
Frequently asked questions
What color do black and white make?
Black and white make gray in paint (about #888888, mixed 1 black : 3 white). Black and white make gray. More white gives light gray and silver; more black gives charcoal.
Is black and white the same in paint and on a screen?
Not exactly. Paint gives gray (about #888888 at 1 black : 3 white), while a 50/50 digital blend in a design tool gives #7F7F7F, because screens mix light rather than pigment.
How do I make the mix lighter or darker?
Add white to lighten it into a tint, black (a little at a time) to darken it into a shade, or gray to mute it. Changing the ratio of black to white shifts the hue itself.
What other colors make gray?
Black and white make gray. For a richer gray, mix two complementary colors (blue and orange) and add white. See what colors make gray.
Mix any two colors
The color mixer blends up to five colors by weight in a spectral paint model, OKLab or linear light, and exports the steps.