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What Color Is Navy Blue? How To Work With It, Shades, and Related Colors
It’s time to channel your inner-Picasso and embrace your blue period! We’re giving you the lowdown on all things navy blue color, so that you can create designs and images using one of the world’s most versatile colors. Whether you’re using it as an accent color in your entryway or living room, or designing a cool album cover, this strong color works well in many creative contexts.
From the navy blue hex code and navy blue RGB, all the way to complementary colors, color variations, and how to use them, we’re sharing everything you need to know about this deep, enigmatic color.
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What Color Is Navy Blue?
This color is derived from indigo dyes and gained popularity in the mid-1700s when it was first used as a uniform color by the Royal British Navy. That’s right – navy blue literally has its roots in the navy. It became so popular that navies around the world started using it as their color of choice, too. Nowadays, a dark navy is commonly seen in school uniforms, brand color palettes, home paint colors, and more. It was even one of the color trends in 2020.
Let’s get technical. A quick refresher on color theory: the RGB color code is made from three colors (Red, Green, and Blue). The navy blue RGB color space is composed of 0% red, 0% green, and 50.2% blue. That’s a lot of blue.
If we looked at the CMYK color space (commonly used in color printing), you’ll find that that navy blue color is composed of 100% cyan, 100% magenta, 0% yellow, and 49.8% black. This combination creates the rich, deep tones associated with the color. The navy blue hex code is #000080.
How Do You Work With Navy Blue Color?
Navy blue is so versatile that it is often used as a neutral color. It pairs well with a variety of colors and creates a dark base background so that more vibrant colors can be accentuated. Because it is so bold and dynamic, it works great with other neutrals, too.
Due to its military origins, this color tends to be considered as a serious and austere color, evoking feelings of understated elegance and structure. Those characteristics are preserved when it is paired both with other neutrals as well as stark tones and bright colors.
Hues like dark purple, maroon, and hunter green are just as intense as dark blue. And, when paired together, the colors tend to compete with each other and lose their impact. Instead, try to pick contrasting colors that will pop against the neutrality of navy blue.
What Colors Make Navy Blue Icing? (Navy Blue Buttercream)
What is the secret that will help you create that ideal navy blue icing? How to make navy blue buttercream frosting? If you feel like the color of your icing is not quite right, try adding a tiny drop of black to the mixture to make the blue more ‘navy’. To be completely honest, navy blue is a color that is challenging to mix up. It is just extremely easy to go too light or dark. So, what colors make Navy blue icing? to make navy blue royal icing you need to mix 3 drops of royal blue, 3 drops of violet, and 1 drop of black with royal icing together to achieve the perfect navy blue. What is the secret that will help you create that ideal navy blue icing? Here are a few tips that are going to change your life (or at least make it a bit more colorful).
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What Colors Make Navy Blue Icing?
If you are using color icing, you are going to need 3 colors – royal blue, violet, and black. Tip: don’t have royal blue? Simply mix primary blue with a bit of purple. If you need to make the color darker, add a tiny amount of black. A great idea is to always start with a base color. In our case, you are going to need half a cup of royal icing. Add 3 drops of royal blue, 3 drops of violet, and 1 tiny drop of black. Don’t worry if, at first, your icing won’t look perfect. In fact, navy blue is going to develop over time, so leaving the mixture overnight or at least for a few hours is incredibly important. Also, do make the icing a little lighter than you think you will need, as the mix is going to darken. We do understand that everyone’s drops can be different. But as long as the colors’ ratio stays the same, your navy blue icing is going to turn out beautifully. Hint: feel like the result is a bit too dark? Just add some white icing.
The colors that you are going to need are pretty much the same as with liquid food coloring. However, you would have to do your best to try and measure equal parts of royal blue and violet. So, to make navy blue royal icing begin with approximately half a cup of royal icing and add 1 part (3 drops) of royal blue gel food coloring or paste and 1 part (3 drops) of violet gel or paste. Use a toothpick to carefully mix the two colors together. Now, you should add a tiny amount of black (1 drop). Some people find it incredibly hard to add the right amount of paste. You can, once again, use a toothpick to get a tiny amount of black from the tube. It is always better to add very small parts at a time, as you’ll have more control over the result. How to make navy blue buttercream >> Check out the video below:
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How to Make Navy Blue Paint with Light Blue
To make a shade like navy blue using light blue paint, you can give it a try with a combination of light blue, dark blue, and black. You may not get the exact shade you are looking for but it will be a fun experiment and you will get a darker blue color.
Achieving the perfect shade of navy blue may not be possible here because you are using a combination of black and dark blue which may cause the color to look dull and lifeless.
Anyway, first you need to put a tiny amount of light blue. Then you need to use the dark blue in a large amount; this is to cancel out the brightness of the light blue. Additionally, you need to use some black color to give its final look.
If the combination of light and dark blue looks satisfactory, don’t add black paint. But if you suppose the color needs a little blackish look, proceed with black paint. Like before, add the colors in a little amount at a time and mix properly. Try to play with the amount of paint colors until you get a result close to what you are looking for.
Uses of Navy Blue Color
- Interior Design: Navy blue can be a great choice for interiors. Since navy blue is a dark color, you need to choose other colors and decors wisely to highlight the overall tone of your house.
- Automotive Painting: Navy blue simply takes the look of automobiles to a new level. From cars to motorcycles, navy blue is an awesome choice for all.
- Clothing: When hearing about navy blue clothes, probably the first thing that will cross your mind is a gentleman wearing a navy blue suit! This color can be a very common one in the textile industry. You will also find navy blue outfits for both men and women in a significant number.
- Beauty Industry: You may find a number of beauty products like nail polish, hair dye, etc to be navy blue in color.
- Other Designs: Navy blue can be a great choice for home decors like flower pots, vessels, dinner plates, etc.
The usage of navy blue is not limited to these fields we just mentioned above. There are more uses of navy blue. You just need to have the eye of a detective to find this color around you!
Final Thoughts
Navy blue is a great choice for many purposes. If you are thinking of using navy blue color, don’t buy a can of paint unless you try the methods we discussed earlier.
The same thing applies when you are painting with navy blue and all of a sudden you run out of it. You don’t need to stop the work, grab the keys, and drive to the paint shop. Just use your artsy hands and give it a try with the methods we discussed in the article.
