Mixing paint is much easier when you start from a proven combination instead of guessing. This color mixing chart is the Paint Logics quick-reference page: it shows what two paints make together, a sensible starting ratio to test, and the adjustments that push the result lighter, darker, warmer, or duller. Bookmark it, test on a sample board first, and use the linked guides when you need the full step-by-step for a pair.
How to Read This Chart
Ratios are written as parts, so 1:1 means equal amounts of each paint, and 2:1 means two parts of the first color to one part of the second. Always add the stronger, darker color to the lighter color a little at a time — you can deepen a mix in seconds, but lightening an over-dark mix uses a lot of paint. Remember that most paints dry slightly darker than they look when wet, so judge your test patch only after it has dried.
Primary and Secondary Color Mixing Chart
| Mix These | Starting Ratio | You Get | Useful Adjustment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red + Yellow | 1:1 | Orange | More yellow = warmer, lighter orange; more red = deeper orange |
| Yellow + Blue | 1:1 | Green | More yellow = lime-leaning green; more blue = deep forest green |
| Blue + Red | 1:1 | Purple / Violet | More red = warm plum; more blue = cool violet |
| Red + White | 1:2 | Pink | Add red slowly to deepen; a touch of yellow makes peachy pink |
| Blue + White | 1:2 | Light Blue | More white = powder blue; a drop of blue deepens to sky blue |
| Black + White | 1:3 | Gray | Ratio controls the depth — equal parts give a true mid-gray |
| Red + Green | 1:1 | Brown | Complementary pair — adjust red for warmth, green to cool it down |
| Blue + Orange | 1:1 | Brown / Muted Tone | Use small amounts of orange to dull an over-bright blue |
| Yellow + Purple | 1:1 | Brown / Olive-Brown | More yellow keeps it olive; more purple makes it deep and warm |
| Red + Blue + Yellow | 1:1:1 | Brown | The three-primary route — balance the warmest color last |
| Green + Red (small) | 4:1 | Deep Forest / Near-Black Green | A classic way to darken green without flattening it with black |
| Blue + Green | 1:1 | Teal | More green = turquoise-leaning; more blue = deep teal |
| Yellow + Green | 2:1 | Lime / Chartreuse | More green moves it toward a balanced leaf green |
| Red + Orange | 1:1 | Vermilion / Red-Orange | A touch of white turns it coral |
| Pink + Blue | 1:1 | Lavender-Purple | More pink = soft mauve; more blue = periwinkle |
| Brown + White | 1:1 | Tan / Beige | A drop of yellow warms it; a drop of gray cools it to greige |
| Purple + White | 1:2 | Lavender | Add white slowly — lavender washes out quickly |
| Green + White | 1:2 | Mint / Light Green | A tiny drop of yellow makes it fresh; blue makes it seafoam |
| Orange + White | 1:2 | Peach | A touch of pink makes apricot; more white makes cream-peach |
| Black + Yellow | 1:3 | Olive Green | A surprising mix — add black very slowly |
How to Make Browns and Neutrals
Brown is not a tube you have to buy — it is what complementary colors make when they neutralise each other. Red with green, blue with orange, and yellow with purple all produce browns, and all three primaries mixed together do the same. Gray works the same way: black and white is the simplest route, but a complementary pair plus white gives a softer, more natural gray that sits better on walls. Our individual guides for each brown and gray pairing explain the undertones in detail.
Lightening, Darkening, and Dulling — the Three Adjustments
To lighten a color (a tint)
Add white a little at a time. White also cools and slightly desaturates a color, which is why a lightened red becomes pink rather than “light red”. For a lighter but still rich result, try adding a lighter version of a neighbouring color first, then white.
To darken a color (a shade)
Black works but can flatten and dirty a mix, especially yellows and greens. For cleaner darkening, add the color’s complement in a small amount, or a naturally dark neighbour — ultramarine to darken a sky blue, for example, keeps it clean.
To dull a color (a tone)
Add a small amount of the complementary color, or a touch of gray. This is the secret behind most sophisticated wall colors: nearly every popular “greige”, sage, and dusty blue is a bright color that has been carefully dulled.
Five Rules That Save Paint
- Mix more than you think you need — matching a custom color twice is very hard.
- Keep a written note of every ratio you test; memory is unreliable once paint is dry.
- Judge colors dry, in the room’s real light, morning and evening.
- Add dark to light, never the other way round.
- Mix in a clean container with a clean stick — leftover color in the pot contaminates subtle mixes.
Go Deeper
Every row of this chart has a full Paint Logics guide behind it. Start with our most-read mixing guides: what colors make red, pink, purple, orange, green, blue, black, and gray, our step-by-step brown mixing guide, and our letter-by-letter color lists with hex, RGB, and CMYK codes for digital work. If a mix on this chart behaves differently with your paints, brand and pigment differences are usually why — and our guides explain the common causes pair by pair.