Add black paint to the mixing container gradually to darken the royal blue paint and achieve a navy blue shade. Start with a small amount and adjust as needed.
What Colors Make Navy Blue? What Two Colors Make Navy Blue (Updated 2023)
In this article, we will finally go in-depth into the production of navy. In fact, you might be wondering what colors make navy blue.
When you think about navy blue, some of the first things that come to mind are your favorite pair of jeans, the depths of the ocean, and not surprisingly, the famous Doctor Who phone booth.
The color may even remind you of calm and peaceful days.
So, whether you are planning to dye your jeans the perfect shade of blue, painting your walls, or simply familiarizing yourself with the art of color mixing, knowing how to achieve a navy blue outcome is a must.
After all, this shade is something that we see in our everyday lives.
While we are already accustomed to the color, learning how to make it might be a little tricky. Because of this, experimenting with different colors and shades is essential. This way, you can recreate your favorite shade whenever you like!
Navy blue is similar to the primary color blue and all other shades within this family. This is because it’s base color is blue.
However, navy blue itself takes on a deeper and darker appearance compared to others. Since this is not a primary color, making navy blue requires the presence of two or more colors.
Want to find out which ones? Let’s get started…
A Brief Introduction to Color Theory
Before we delve into the nitty-gritty of what colors make navy blue, it is best to start with a more thorough grasp of color theory and the relationships between colors.
Back in primary or even middle school, we learned about the color wheel and color theory. The most common colors we learned were part of 3 major groups: primary, secondary, and tertiary colors.
Primary colors refer to blue, red, and yellow. Meanwhile, secondary colors are comprised of violet, green, and orange.
Tertiary colors, on the other hand, include blue-green, red-violet, red-orange, yellow-orange, blue-violet, and yellow-green.
Black and White Colors
Black and white don’t fall under any of these categories. This is because they are considered neutrals, otherwise known as special colors.
Black is considered the presence of all colors, in this case, the combination of all primary colors. To attain a darker hue, known as a shade, the color black is added to the base.
Meanwhile, white is the combination of two primary colors, namely red and blue, and the secondary color green (in additive color mixing).
To achieve a brighter and lighter outcome, also known as a tint, the color white is added to the base.
By getting acquainted with these basic combinations, you will be able to determine whether to add black or white to the mixture. As a matter of fact, you may now have an inkling as to how to achieve navy blue.
What Is Navy Blue, Anyway?
Navy blue is generally a darker hue of blue. As the name suggests, navy blue is often associated with the military.
However, it is quite versatile and can be used in many contexts. Navy blue paint offers a bold, more subdued look in clothing, cars, and home decor.
Navy Blue’s hex code is #000080, with a lightness value of about 25%. In other words, navy blue is a dark and highly saturated color.
It is a timeless color that will not go out of style. As you shall learn below, some ideas for navy blue include using it in virtual reality (VR) to design immersive environments.
Here is a guide on navy vs midnight blue color.
First Things First: How to Make Blue Color
You might need to arrive at a navy blue color, but you don’t have blue paint in your toolkit.
In that case, you should consider making a blue color first. It depends on the colors in your repository.
The best colors for creating true blue paint are cyan and magenta. Mix them in a ratio of 1:1.
If you don’t have the greenish-blue cyan and the purplish-red magenta, make a blue color using a blue pigment.
Mix blue pigments like cobalt blue, ultramarine blue, and cerulean blue. Each can be bound using gum Arabic in a ratio of 1:1 to obtain blue paint.
Note that it is easier to add pigments in bits than it is to remove excess pigment.
So, add small amounts of pigments. Also, test the blue color on a scrap piece of paper before using it on your navy blue paint project to ensure it is the shade you want.
Other ways of creating a blue color include using natural dyes that produce blue colors, such as lac, indigo, and woad.
You can also use food coloring to create your desired shade of blue.
Add the blue food coloring in little bits to water or milk and stir to achieve your desired intensity.
What Colors Make Navy Blue?
Navy blue results from various color combinations, including blue and black or blue and orange paint.
You can also make navy blue by mixing different colors of dye or ink.
The most simple and popular way is mixing blue and black paint. Cerulean blue or ultramarine blue are common base color choices.
Add the base color into a container and pour the black pigment a little bit at a time while stirring.
Black is a neutral color that will absorb most of the visible light in the blue paint until you reach the desired navy blue shade.
The second but less popular way to make navy blue paint is by mixing blue with orange paint.
Unlike black paint, orange paint may produce a more vibrant shade of navy blue.
Still, you should add the orange paint bit by bit to reach your desired navy blue hue.
Mix three parts ultramarine blue paint with 1 part black paint or three parts blue paint with 1 part orange paint.
It is also worth noting that you can make navy blue paint from indigo dye.
Here is a guide in navy vs indigo colors.
Indigo dye is a versatile dye that can achieve various shades of blue. One part of the dye mixed with 1 part of water produces a deep blue color.
Mix the resulting color with 1 part binder like gum Arabic to get navy blue.
Which Colors Make Brown?
When it comes to the color brown, there are countless shades, from light, sandy beige to dark mahogany. Mixing a specific shade of brown can be complex as some browns lean warmer and others cool, while some brown colors have a red, yellow, or green undertone. There are some basic color rules that you can follow, however. The fundamental answer for which colors make brown is the three primary colors—red, yellow, and blue.
In color theory, these three primary colors are hues that cannot be created from any other colors. Varying the amounts and ratio of each of the primary colors will alter the shade of brown that you get. Secondary colors are made by mixing together two primary colors. For example, if you mix blue and yellow together, you end up with the color green. In addition to primary and secondary colors, there are also complementary colors. These are two colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel.
Keeping these principles in mind when it comes to the color brown, you can also combine a secondary color with its complementary color. By looking at the color wheel, that would mean combining blue and orange will give you brown, as will purple and yellow. Each of these browns will look slightly different; brown mixed from blue and orange will give you a brown with a green base, while brown mixed from purple and yellow will be warmer with a yellow tint.
How to Make Light Brown Paint Colors
Light brown colors like tan and taupe are popular neutrals that work well as an overall paint color for your entire home. Professional home stager and stylist Barb Perez often recommends tan paint colors. “Many clients I work with are looking to paint their interiors with a main color that is classic and timeless, yet warm and inviting,” she says. “I often recommend a tan or greige (combo of brown and gray). These colors are the perfect backdrop for allowing clients’ artwork, personal collections, and/or furniture to be the star of the show.”
To create a light brown color, mix the three primary colors together, then add some white. The amount of white will depend on how light you want the brown to be. There are countless shades of light brown and the amount of each of the primary colors you add will alter the shade you end up with.
A popular light brown color is taupe, which has pinkish undertones. To make the color taupe, mix the three primary colors together, add in some white to get the desired lightness, then little by little mix in a bit more red. If you want to create a tan color, follow the same steps, but instead of adding in extra red, add in extra yellow.
How to Create Dark Brown Paint
Dark brown is a timeless, elegant wall color choice, whether you’re painting a formal dining room or updating a home office. It works with many different design styles from traditional to midcentury modern and as the main paint color or an accent color. This rich, neutral color packs a punch and adds sophisticated warmth while creating an intimate atmosphere.
The general rule for making dark brown paint is to add black. Just as you would add white for light brown, black can be used to darken it. There are countless shades of dark brown, from rich mahogany to warm caramel, and the specific tint of brown will depend how much red, yellow, or blue you use. To add warmth to your dark brown, add more yellow; to make it cooler, add more blue.
