When painting, red and green aren’t the perfect match as they create a muddish dark green – close to dark olive. You might be wondering, “Why such a murky outcome from two such vibrant colors?” Here’s where the magic of color theory comes into play. Red and green are complementary colors, sitting opposite each other on the color wheel. When combined, instead of creating a bright new hue, they neutralize each other, resulting in a more subdued shade. It’s like a dance, where each color steps on the other’s toes, creating a clumsy but fascinating result.
Best Red Pigments for Painting
Red unfailingly provides focal points to a painting, particularly when placed alongside a cool color such as green. But red can appear garish if overdone. Yet even within the most subtle hues, red is present. What are the best red pigments to include in the artist palette?
Which Red for Art
My youtube clip explaining why red is not a primary colour
Splashes of red will create eye catching art, but in excess can appear gaudy. Just a touch will often suffice. In its purest form, red can be found within lots of subject matter from birds, butterflies and beetles to flowers, ripe fruit and toys. But with so much that bears this color, what are the best pigments to use in oils or acrylics? Well the answer is simpler than one might think. Types of Red Pigments
The notion that red is a primary color firstly needs to be dispelled. Red is in fact a secondary color (orange is a tertiary color.) True primary red is one that resembles the ‘red’ of printing ink which is in fact magenta. In terms of oils or acrylics, it is the tube labeled ‘permanent rose’ that most resembles the magenta of printing ink, and therefore would be a vital inclusion in the artist’s palette. Mix permanent rose with yellow and red will result.
Color Temperature of Red
How to Use Red in Paint Mixing
Permanent rose is the ideal red counterpart to any purple color mixture which might be blueberries, petunias or the violet tint of a clear sky near sunset. On the other hand, cadmium red can be used for warm reds, such as poppies, ladybirds, tomatoes or robins’ breasts. Add a little burnt sienna (and white if necessary) into this red and a warm, rustic red will result. This can be used for bricks or terracotta pots.
Subtle Use of Reds
As with any other color, there are two chromatic directions this ‘primary red’ can go, and that is warm or cool. Permanent rose is a sharp, almost acidic hue, and which therefore is the ideal component for mixing violet colors. Ultramarine blue, being biased towards red, would result in a clean violet color. Permanent rose, therefore is a good hue to use for cool reds.
A useful warm red can be found in a few oil pigments which might be cadmium red, scarlet lake or cadmium scarlet. I use cadmium red. This red being biased towards yellow is the ideal component for mixing orange or gold colors.
Great Reds for Art
Other red pigments are worth exploring such as alizarin crimson, carmine red and quinacridone. These reds have high tinting strength and are ideal for use in oil painting glazes, to increase color saturation of the color beneath. Alizarin is almost blood-like in appearance and adds depth to any color mixture. Carmine has incredible tinting strength and requires the smallest amount in color mixtures.
But there are a lot of red pigments that are either superfluous (as the aforementioned provide color mixes they provide) or are redundant. Flesh tint, Winsor orange and permanent magenta to name but three.
Articles on Colour Mixing
Reds can be tempered with a little earth color. Burnt umber is ideal for cooling down and tempering cadmium red to express (with a little white) shadows in sand dunes. A little green or green-blue will nudge the red into the realms of neutral colors which can be seen on misty horizons or in stone.
Colors to Darken Red
Shaded areas in poppies, for example can be expressed by introducing a little cool color into the red. This might be burnt umber, a little ultramarine or viridian. Cool shadows in the red object can be created by mixing permanent rose and a little pthalo blue into the red mixture. Warm shades in red objects can be brought about by adding a little burnt sienna or ultramarine into the red mixture.
Ideal Red Pigments for Painting
There are a lot of red pigments which are not really necessary to the artist. On the most basic level, I include just two reds in my palette, between them, producing cool reds and warm reds. These are permanent rose and cadmium red. Other red pigments are worth exploring, such as alizarin and carmine. With these few reds, a multitude of different reds can be achieved by the introduction of other colors which might tip the color bias a little more or temper the red. Ultramarine, burnt sienna or viridian will create interesting color mixes when introduced to red.
What Color Does Red and Green Make With Paints?
When painting, red and green aren’t the perfect match as they create a muddish dark green – close to dark olive. You might be wondering, “Why such a murky outcome from two such vibrant colors?” Here’s where the magic of color theory comes into play. Red and green are complementary colors, sitting opposite each other on the color wheel. When combined, instead of creating a bright new hue, they neutralize each other, resulting in a more subdued shade. It’s like a dance, where each color steps on the other’s toes, creating a clumsy but fascinating result.
To visualize, imagine the fresh green of a spring leaf bathed in the warm glow of a sunset. The green isn’t replaced by the red light; instead, they merge to create a darker, more muted green. That’s precisely the effect when mixing red and green paint. But don’t let this deter you from experimenting! Adjusting the ratio of red to green can create a range of hues, from warm browns to cool blacks. The subtlety of these mixtures can bring depth and complexity to your artwork, making your paintings come alive.
Remember, painting is not just about color but how you harness it. The key is understanding how colors interact, how they influence each other, and how they can be manipulated to create the desired effect. So, next time you pick up your paintbrush, dare to mix red and green, and let your canvas tell a story in shades of dark olive.
What Color Does Red and Green Make With Lights?
With the RGB lights, red and green make yellow. This might sound strange if you’re used to mixing paints or pigments, where red and green yield a very different result.
In the realm of additive color, where light is the medium, red and green light beams merge to create a beautiful, sunny yellow. This might seem like sorcery, but it’s all about the science of light and our perception of color. Red, green, and blue (RGB) are the primary colors of light. When you mix them at full intensity, they create white. But when red and green light combine, they form yellow. This is because our eyes contain color receptors, called cones, that respond to red, green, and blue light. When red and green light hit our eyes, our brain interprets it as yellow. 
So next time you’re at a concert, or playing with a light show app on your phone, or even marveling at a rainbow, remember the magic of additive color mixing. And just think, with just red and green lights, you can create your own slice of sunshine.
Names of Red and Green Colors Mixed Together
Mixing red and green can open up a whole spectrum of fascinating shades, each with its own unique name and character. Here are some of the most popular green colors:
Olive Green
A mixture of red and green often results in a variant of Olive Green. It’s a darker, muddier shade that echoes the ripe fruit from the olive tree. Depending on the ratios of red and green, it can range from a warm, earthy hue to a darker, almost-black shade.
Brunswick Green
When you mix a good deal of green with a touch of red, you might end up with Brunswick Green. This shade is a deep, dark green that can sometimes appear black. It’s named after Brunswick, Germany, where it was first used in the 18th century.
Dark Sienna
When there’s more red than green in the mix, you may create a color similar to Dark Sienna. This shade is a rich, reddish-brown hue that’s slightly darker than its cousin, Burnt Sienna. It’s named after the clay from Siena, Italy, where the color was first produced.
Seaweed
If your mixture leans towards green with a hint of red, you might create a hue similar to Seaweed. This color is a dark, grayish-green, much like the color of deep ocean vegetation. It’s a great choice for adding depth and a touch of nature to your design.
