Mixing the colors pink and green results in a new tertiary color that lies between pink and green on the color wheel. The exact hue of the resulting color depends on the shade and intensity of the original pink and green colors. However, in general, mixing a vibrant pink and green will produce a muted, earthy tone.
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Colors
Pink and green are considered secondary colors in color theory. Secondary colors are made by mixing equal parts of two primary colors. The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue.
Pink contains red and white. The red comes from the primary color red, while the white reduces the saturation of the color.
Green contains yellow and blue. The yellow comes from the primary color yellow and the blue comes from the primary color blue.
When you mix two secondary colors, you get a tertiary color. Tertiary colors have a more complex hue than primary and secondary colors. Since pink and green are secondary colors, mixing them results in a tertiary color.
The Color Wheel
The color wheel illustrates the relationships between different hues. Secondary and tertiary colors appear between the primary colors on the wheel.
Pink sits between red and white on the color wheel. Green is between yellow and blue. When you mix pink and green, the resulting color will be between pink and green on the wheel.
The exact hue depends on the particular shades of pink and green. A bright fuchsia pink and emerald green will produce a more vivid tertiary than pale pink and lime green. However, generally mixing pink and green makes a brownish, olive, or desaturated greyish color.
Mixing Pink and Green Paint
Mixing paint colors provides a tangible way to understand what happens when pink and green pigments are blended.
Take some pink paint and mix it with a equal amount of green paint. Stir the two together thoroughly. The resulting paint will be a murky, brownish-grey color.
Here is a table showing examples of different pink and green paints and the colors they make when combined:
| Pink Paint | Green Paint | Mixed Color |
|---|---|---|
| Hot pink | Lime green | Greyish tan |
| Pale pink | Forest green | Muted olive green |
| Fuchsia | Sea green | Greyish teal |
As you can see, the brightness and intensity of the starting pink and green impact the resulting mixed color. But all combine to make an earthy, brownish-grey tertiary shade.
Mixing Pink and Green Light
Pigments like paint absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others. This determines the color we see.
Light mixing works differently. With light, combining different hues adds wavelengths together to create a new color.
When red and green light mix, they make yellow. Red light has long wavelengths while green has short wavelengths. Together they combine to produce light in the middle yellow wavelengths.
Pink light contains red and some white light. Green light is a mix of yellow and blue. So mixing pink and green light should produce a light yellowish hue.
However, our eyes perceive the combination differently than the physics would suggest. We don’t see a vivid yellow. Instead, our eyes interpret the mixed pink and green light as a dull, brownish tone.
Mixing Pink and Green Dye
Dyes and inks work like pigments in paint. The dye absorbs some wavelengths and reflects others, which our eyes see as color.
When pink and green dye are blended, they also make a tertiary shade between the two colors on the wheel. Pink contains red and white dye, while green is mixed from yellow and blue.
The exact resulting color depends on the dye concentrations. But in general, mixing pink and green dye produces a muted olive or grey-brown tone.
Here is a table showing what happens when you combine different pink and green fabric dyes:
| Pink Dye | Green Dye | Mixed Color |
|---|---|---|
| Neon pink | Lime green | Dull tan |
| Dusty pink | Forest green | Olive green |
| Hot pink | Sea green | Grey teal |
The brightness of the pink and green dyes affects the darkness and saturation of the blended color. But the combination generally produces an earthy, olive, or brownish-green tertiary.
Mixing Pink and Green Pigment
Pigments are finely ground powders that provide color through absorption and scattering of light. Common pigments include cadmium red, ultramarine blue, and chromium oxide green.
When pink and green pigments are mixed, they also produce a tertiary color between them on the wheel. Pink pigments contain red and white. Green pigments contain yellow and blue.
Combining pink and green pigment makes a muddy, brownish-olive color. The exact hue depends on the pigments used and their concentrations. But the mixed shade won’t be vibrant due to the combination of different wavelengths.
Here is a table showing examples of mixed pink and green pigments:
| Pink Pigment | Green Pigment | Mixed Color |
|---|---|---|
| Naphthol red | Phthalo green | Taupe |
| Titanium white | Sap green | Dull olive |
| Red iron oxide | Viridian | Grey-brown |
The mutual absorption of light by the pink and green pigments results in a low-saturation tertiary shade.
Psychology of Pink, Green, and Brown
The muted, earthy tones made by mixing pink and green have their own psychological associations.
Pink is often considered feminine, carefree, and romantic. Green evokes nature, growth, and renewal.
In contrast, brown and olive hues are staple neutral colors. They represent groundedness, stability, and substance.
The tertiary color blending pink and green takes on these earthy qualities. It loses the frivolity of bright pink and vitality of fresh green by mixing them together.
This demonstrates how color psychology depends on hue, saturation, and brightness. A color can take on completely different meanings depending on how it’s shaded and mixed with other tones.
Examples of Pink and Green Mixes
There are many examples of pink and green mixing to make tertiary shades in art, fashion, design, and nature:
- Olive green is an extremely common tertiary neutral made from yellow-green and violet-pink.
- Some species of orchids and bromeliads have olive-brown or tan flowers from pink and green pigments.
- Desert camouflage patterns use a mix of pinkish-brown and greenish-grey to blend into the terrain.
- Overgrown architecture can have walls stained grey-green from pink plaster and green moss or vines.
- Some modern color palettes pair olive and pinkish-nude tones for an earthy feel.
- Neutral brownish pinks and greenish taupes are popular for filling large spaces.
- Artists often modulate pink and green together to portray shade and depth.
Looking closely, you can find pink and green blending to make muted tertiary colors everywhere. Always pay attention to the particular hues and shades used to get the variations.
Mixing Complementary Colors
Green and pink are considered complementary colors. They sit opposite each on the color wheel.
In color theory, complementary colors balance and intensify one another. But when mixed together directly, they end up canceling each other out to produce a neutralized brown, grey, or tan.
Some other examples of complementary color combinations that mix to make a tertiary neutral include:
- Red and green mixing makes brown
- Blue and orange mixing makes greyish tan
- Yellow and violet mixing makes a tan or olive
The muting effect comes from complements containing opposite wavelengths that absorb each other’s intensity. This demonstrates why color relationships are just as impactful as the colors themselves.
Mixing Analogous Colors
Analogous colors sit next to each other on the color wheel, like yellow and yellow-green.
Mixing adjacent analogous colors produces vivid secondary hues. There isn’t the same canceling effect as with complements.
For example, orange and red make a bright orange-red. Blue and blue-violet makes a rich royal purple.
However, the tertiary colors created tend to still be somewhat muted compared to the parent primaries. This shows the importance of color placement for combining hues.
Importance of Proportions
The exact proportions of the colors being mixed also impact the resulting hue.
Adding more pink or more green will shift the mixed tertiary toward that side of the wheel. Increased color concentrations also increase the chroma and brightness.
For example, adding just a small amount of green to pink makes a soft rose tone. But adding a lot of green starts shifting the balance toward an earthy light olive instead.
Likewise, a touch of pink into green gives a lush celadon, while too much pink muddies into a solid brownish olive. Pay attention to the quantities when blending.
Conclusion
When pink and green are mixed, they produce a tertiary color somewhere between the two on the color wheel. The exact hue depends on the particular shades of pink and green and their proportions in the blend.
In general, energetic pink and vital green mute each other and mix into earthy, subtle shades of olive, taupe, grey-brown, and tan. This demonstrates the sometimes unpredictable effects of combining colors.
So what color is pink and green mixed? The answer relies on color theory as well as the context of the specific pinks and greens coming together. Their relationship provides the most insight into the muted, grounded tertiary tone created by their blend.
