Simplifying What Colors Make Green for Artists

Understanding what colors make green is a valuable skill to have in your toolkit. In fact, if you are an artist−it is an essential skill.

However, whether you’re an artist or simply need to understand what colors make green, this article will answer just that. So, let’s dive in and uncover what you need to know first!

What Colors Make Green

Green is considered a secondary color formed by the combination of the primary colors blue and yellow.

Now, depending on the color of green you’re trying to make, how you mix these two colors will matter. So, let’s take a closer look at what the two colors do when you change the ratio of the two!

What Two Colors Make Green

At the very heart of it, blue and yellow make green when mixed together.

However, there are many other greens you can create with different color combinations. The trick is learning what colors those are and how to adjust the amounts of one color or the other. In the next section, you’ll see what green you can make by adjusting the amount of color you use!

Using More Blue than Yellow to Make it Darker

Depending on how much you use of a color will effect what color of green you can make. If you mix more blue with yellow to make green, then the green will be more of a darker bluish-green.

Using More Yellow than Blue to Make it Light

Where mixing more blue than yellow will produce dark blue-green, the reverse is true if you use more yellow. So, if you mix more yellow with blue to make green, then the green will be a lighter, yellow-green.

How to Make Different Shades of Green

Now that you know the foundation of what color makes green, it’s time to tell you that this is just the beginning…

There are countless variations of green that you can create, that make use of many other colors such as orange, red and even other greens. Once you learn how to make the color green using the different types, tints and shades that can affect it. You’ll be able to create any shade of green you desire!

Examples of Colors That Make Green (Found in Art)

Here are some real life examples of what green colors were mixed together for use in actual paintings. Each painting is an example of the various colors you can use to make green for different situations.

Colors that Make Green Warm and Cool in Temperature

Here is an example of a painting that has a mix of warm and cool and light and dark greens. In the painting, each color that is mixed is done so by using quite a few different colors! Interesting and complex greens require mixing numerous colors together.