What does Red and Green make
It may not be as simple as what you see on the color wheel when it comes to color mixing. The colors produced by different methods of color mixing, such as overlapping colored lights versus combining pigment, are vastly different.
If you’ve ever wondered what color red and green make, we’ll look at the two different color combining methods to find out.
Two of the most popular colors are green and red. They’re vibrant upbeat, and many people associate them with Christmas. However, you might be surprised to learn what color red and green make when combined. After all, the outcome can vary depending on the medium used and the types of red and green used.
What Color Do Green and Red Make When Mixed in Paint?
When you mix green and red color, you usually get an unappealing shade of brown. Because green is a mixture of blue and yellow, combining it with red is equivalent to combining all three primary colors, resulting in brown.
Red and green are complementary colors, which means they are opposite each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors work very well together in designs, but they clash when combined. So, unless you’re looking for a specific type of brown shade, you should probably avoid mixing red and green.
Color mixing
Color mixing can be divided into two types: additive and subtractive. Depending on the method you use, you might get a different color than you expected.
Additive mixing
It is not the traditional method for combining colors. However, in today’s technologically driven society, it’s a fairly common method that we see almost every day without even realizing it.
Colors are mixed using varying combinations of spectral light in additive mixing. This method is commonly used in the media, most notably in producing colors on television screens and computer monitors.
Colors can be combined in two ways using additive mixing:
For example, the electron guns in television and computer monitors use two colors and fire two different colors rapidly, causing our eyes to see them as they morph together into a completely different color.
When two or more solid spectral-colored lights are placed close together, our eyes optically mix them into a different color.
The RGB Color Wheel
What color do red and green make?
When it comes to mixing light or screen colors, this method employs the RGB color wheel. The primary colors of light used in the revolution in this form are red, blue, and green. Secondary colors are created by combining two primary colors, resulting in cyan, magenta, and yellow.
According to their position and placement on the RGB color wheel, when red and green are mixed, they produce the color yellow.
The RGB color wheel, which is commonly used to produce colors using light spectrums, is nearly the same as the CMYK color wheel, which has traditionally been used to mix colors in art and print processing, a method known as subtractive mixing.
Subtractive Mixing
It is a more intuitive method of color mixing. It is often associated with color mixing in the traditional sense. We see subtractive colors when pigments within an object or liquid absorb white light while reflecting the rest of the pigments that make up its color.
For example, red reflects all wavelengths of white light except the red pigments, which are how we perceive the color.
This is the most common technique of color mixing, as it can be found in everyday objects. It is also employed in the printing process.
In contrast to additive mixing, subtractive mixing employs the CMYK color wheel, commonly used in art and print processing.
CMYK Color Wheel
CMYK color chart: Red and Green Mixed
Unlike the RGB color wheel, which combines colors across the light spectrum, the primary colors for the CMYK color wheel are cyan, magenta, and yellow. In art production, these colors are frequently associated with the traditional primary colors of the art color wheel (blue, red, and yellow).
However, the secondary colors on the RGB wheel are the same as the primary colors (red, blue, and green).
Color combinations in print processing are created by overlapping layers of the primary CMY colors with varying percentages of transparency. Light passes through the ink when the colors overlap and reflect off the surface below, known as the substrate.
The CMY ink is applied as halftone dots. The inverse percentages of RBG are subtracted from the reflected light to give our eyes the intended color.
Complementary colors
Complementary colors are two colors opposite each other on their respective color wheels. When two polar opposite colors are combined, they frequently become grey.
Red and green are presented as complementary colors in the CMYK model. However, when red and green are combined, the colors can range from brown to grey, depending on the shades used.
Because it uses primarily cool tones, blue-green and red may combine pigments that appear grey. However, because the yellow stains in the green contribute to warmer tones in the combined color mixture, a saccharine green and red mix make more of a brown color.
As you can see, there are a few different answers to your question, “What do red and green make when combined?” Depending on how you mix the colors, you may see a beautiful yellow glow on your screen or a shade of brown or grey in your print.
Knowing the media or method in which you intend to mix colors will help you make the best decision for your intended outcome when deciding which colors to use.
Experiment with different colored lights and paint by combining red and green to see what happens. Now that you know what red and green produce, you can start making things and sharing them with your friends.
Conclusion
Mixing two colors does not always produce the desired results. For example, while the paint has a dull brown color, it lights yellow. So it all depends on the type of coloring you use and the specific colors you choose.
The more you experiment with various types of color mixing, the more you’ll learn about different colors. However, regardless of the mixing, you are interested in, the way these colors interact is fascinating and beautiful.
