Dark cyan is a rich, deep blue-green color that can add beautiful depth and contrast when used in designs. While it’s not one of the basic colors on the color wheel, it’s easy to mix your own version of dark cyan paint by combining primary colors. With a few simple steps, you can create the perfect dark cyan for your next painting or design project.
What is Dark Cyan?
Dark cyan is a dark, rich shade of the cyan color family. Cyan itself is a bright, vibrant bluish-green that falls between green and blue on the color spectrum. It’s considered one of the secondary colors, since it’s created by mixing two primary colors – green and blue.
Dark cyan retains the greenish-blue tone of cyan, but it has more blue added to deepen the shade. As a result, it appears deeper and richer than regular cyan. It’s often described as a teal or blue-green color.
On the RGB color model, dark cyan has the hex code #008b8b. This means it’s created by combining the following RGB values:
| Red | 0 |
| Green | 139 |
| Blue | 139 |
As you can see, dark cyan has no red value, with equal parts green and blue. This bold, saturated blend of blue and green gives dark cyan its signature color.
How to Mix Dark Cyan Paint
To mix your own custom dark cyan, you’ll need to use paints in the three primary colors:
– Red
– Yellow
– Blue
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Start with a base of blue
Since dark cyan leans more toward blue than green, start by squeezing some blue acrylic paint directly onto your palette. You’ll want quite a bit of blue paint to form the base.
Step 2: Add a small amount of green
Next, squeeze out a much smaller amount of yellow paint onto your palette. Yellow and blue make green when blended together. Mix the yellow into the blue paint with a few strokes of your brush.
You only need a small touch of yellow, since dark cyan has more blue tones than regular cyan. Mix slowly and check the color, adding more yellow if needed.
Step 3: Darken with more blue
Once your base greenish-blue color is blended, you can darken it to create the deep dark cyan shade.
Load more blue paint onto your brush and swirl it into the mixed color on your palette. Add blue gradually until you achieve the desired darkness.
Step 4: Adjust color as needed
If the color still seems too green or light, continue adding more blue paint. For a more vivid, intense dark cyan, try squeezing a small amount of purple onto your palette as well. Purple has a darkening effect.
If the color becomes too navy, add more yellow or green paint. Keep mixing until you get the perfect balance of rich, deep blue-green.
Alternate Ways to Mix Dark Cyan
In addition to combining blue, yellow, and green paints, there are a couple shortcut methods you can also use to mix up a custom dark cyan color:
Mix cyan and purple paint
Start with a premixed cyan (aqua or turquoise blue-green). Squeeze this directly onto your palette.
Then add a few drops of purple, swirl the two colors together. The purple will neutralize the brightness of cyan and darken the shade.
Adjust the purple amounts to reach your preferred darkness.
Mix cyan with black or white
Another option is to take a premixed cyan color and darken it by mixing in black paint. Black will deepen and mute cyan into a dark teal.
You can also blend white paint into cyan to soften the tone first. Then add black for a more subtle, evenly darkened version of cyan.
How to Use Dark Cyan in Design
Thanks to its bold, dramatic color, dark cyan has many applications in design and decor. Here are some ways to utilize this rich shade:
Textiles and home decor
Upholstery, pillows, rugs, and curtains are great ways to incorporate dark cyan into home decorating. Use it as an accent color against neutral tan, beige, or gray backgrounds. The vibrant blue-green pops against understated hues.
Painting
Artists can use dark cyan as a striking color for painting water scenes, adding depth and contrast. Mix it yourself or apply it straight from the tube as an eye-catching focal point.
Graphic design
Dark cyan works well paired with yellows, oranges, and reds in graphic design. It creates a bold, lively color scheme. Use it sparingly to make elements stand out on the page.
Logos and branding
Companies that want to project eco-friendly, outdoorsy, or tropical vibes often use shades like dark cyan in their brand colors. It’s an energetic splash of color that stands out in logos.
Dark Cyan Color Combinations
To use dark cyan successfully in your projects, it helps to pair it with colors that complement it well. Here are some combinations to try:
Dark cyan and yellow
This is a bright, zesty combo that pops. The warm yellow also helps balance out the cooler tone of dark cyan.
Dark cyan and red
For high-impact contrast, orange-red is the perfect accent to dark cyan. This scheme is bold yet sophisticated.
Dark cyan and purple
Blending two cooler tones, this palette has a moody, artistic vibe. The cyan keeps purple from getting too somber.
Dark cyan, light green and tan
Pairing dark cyan with muted neutrals like sand, beige and soft green creates a subtle, earthy palette.
Dark cyan and brown
Contrasting with rich chocolate or coffee browns, the blue-green cyan tone stands out in a natural, organic way.
How Lighting Affects Dark Cyan
The way you perceive dark cyan can shift slightly based on the lighting and surrounding colors. Here’s how different light sources impacts the shade:
Natural daylight
In natural lighting, dark cyan appears more blue than green. The warmth of sunlight brings out its primary blue undertone.
Indoor incandescent bulbs
Under incandescent bulbs that emit a yellowish light, dark cyan may take on a more greenish cast. The yellow tones mix with the blue in the eye.
Fluorescent lighting
Fluorescent lights have a blue/green spectrum, which make dark cyan retain its true blue-green balance. This is the most accurate light for viewing the color.
Candlelight or firelight
In very warm, low light the blue tones in dark cyan get muted, making it pull more green. The dim lighting also makes the color appear lighter.
Conclusion
Dark cyan is a sophisticated, flexible shade that can add striking contrast and visual interest to all types of projects. With a tube of blue, some green and yellow paint, and a few mixing techniques, you can easily achieve the perfect rich, teal tone of dark cyan for your needs.
Whether you’re painting a canvas, redecorating your home, designing a logo, or creating an illustration, this multifaceted hue is sure to be a stand-out addition. So grab your paints and get mixing your own signature version of vivid, moody dark cyan.
