When two colors are combined, the result can either be a new mixed color or a neutralization to black, white, or gray. The latter case is known as colors “canceling each other out”. This occurs when complementary colors are mixed together. Complementary colors sit opposite each other on the color wheel and contain a similar amount of vibrancy.
What are complementary colors?
Complementary colors are any two colors opposite each other on the color wheel. For example, red and green are complements, as are blue and orange and purple and yellow. When complementary colors are mixed, they tend to neutralize each other to produce gray, white, or black. This is because they contain similar levels of vibrancy or saturation.
The key qualities of complementary colors are:
- They are opposite each other on the color wheel
- They contain similar levels of saturation or intensity
- When mixed, they neutralize each other to gray, white or black
Some examples of complementary color pairs include:
| Color 1 | Color 2 |
|---|---|
| Red | Green |
| Blue | Orange |
| Purple | Yellow |
How do complementary colors neutralize each other?
When complementary colors are mixed together, they cancel each other out by absorbing each other’s light wavelengths. This brings the mixture closer to black, white or gray.
For example, red and green are complements. When combined, the red absorbs the green wavelengths while the green absorbs the red wavelengths. This removes their vibrancy and saturation, bringing the mixture closer to a neutral dark or light gray.
The same effect happens for other complements like blue and orange or purple and yellow. The more saturated (intense) the starting colors, the closer to true gray the result will be.
What other color combinations cancel each other out?
While complementary colors are the main color pairs that cancel each other out, other combinations can also neutralize towards black, white or gray:
- Primary colors – Combining the three primary colors of red, blue and yellow will also cancel out saturation and vibrancy. This is because together they create a full spectrum of light.
- Near-complementary colors – Colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel like red and blue-violet will partially cancel out, muting saturation.
- Split-complementary colors – A color and the two on either side of its complement will cancel each other out to some degree. For example yellow, purple-red and blue.
- Analogous colors – Colors next to each other on the wheel like blue, blue-violet and purple will tend to muddy each other, de-saturating the mixture.
However, the complements counteract each other the most fully since they contain the highest degree of contrast while having similar saturation levels.
How does color cancelling work in paint and pigments?
The same color cancelling principles apply when mixing paints and pigments. When complementary paint colors are mixed, they will neutralize towards a gray or brown:
- Mixing blue and orange paint will create a neutral dark brown
- Combining red and green paint will make a muted brownish-gray
- Yellow paint mixed with purple will result in a medium gray
The mixing of near-complementary or split-complementary will also mute the chroma and intensity of the paint mixture. However, the result won’t be a true neutral color but rather a low-saturation version of the component colors.
One way artists use color cancellation is through glazing – painting a transparent layer of one color over its complement to subtly neutralize both hues. This can create subtle grays and earth tones.
Real world examples of color cancellation
Color cancellation through complementary colors occurs all around us. Here are some examples of color neutralization in nature and everyday objects:
- Plant leaves appear green because chlorophyll pigments absorb red and blue light while reflecting green.
- Red flowers contrast with green leaves and stems to create a vibrant interplay.
- Sunlight passing through the atmosphere scatters blue light, countering the yellow light of the sun itself to give a neutral daylight white balance.
- Gray paint on walls often combines undertones of complementary colors like yellow and purple to create a harmonious neutral background.
- Dark brown hair can appear muted and neutral because it contains a balance of red, blue and green pigments that cancel each other out.
Without the cancelling effect of complementary colors, the natural and human-made world would be filled with extremes of vivid color and light. Color neutralization creates balance, harmony and muted backgrounds for brighter colors to stand out against.
How color cancellation affects color mixing
Understanding how colors cancel each other out gives insight into how pigment and light mixing work. This allows artists, designers and scientists to use color principles more deliberately.
- Painters can mix complements to create subtle neutrals without dullness or shade variation
- Stage lighting designers can balance colored spotlights to prevent unnatural color casts
- Interior designers know that balancing warm and cool paint undertones gives a livable, neutral backdrop
- Landscape photographers can adjust white balance or filters to compensate for color casts from atmospheric scattering
- Clothing designers use muted neutrals like gray to let accent colors stand out more vibrantly
In any field that uses color, understanding complementary relationships allows more control over the final look.
Does black cancel out all colors equally?
It’s commonly believed that combining any color with black will result in black and “cancel out” the original hue. However, this is not completely the case.
When black paint/pigment is mixed with another color, it will darken and mute the chroma, but not fully cancel it out. For example:
- Red + black = very dark red or maroon
- Yellow + black = dark olive green
- Blue + black = dark midnight blue
The resulting dark shades still retain some of their original hue character, rather than becoming true black. Black mutes rather than cancels colors equally.
However, with light, black is the absence of all visible wavelengths. So when colored light and black are combined, the result is a full cancellation to darkness. For example, shining a red spotlight on black backdrop will produce black, effectively cancelling out the red.
Does white cancel out color in the same way as black?
White pigment or paint does lighten other colors, but not to the same neutralizing effect as black has for darkening.
When white is mixed into a color, it reduces chroma and vibrancy somewhat, but doesn’t fully counteract the original hue. It also significantly lightens the shade. For example:
- Red + white = light pink
- Yellow + white = cream
- Blue + white = very light sky blue
With light however, white contains all wavelengths, so it effectively washes out individual colored light beams to create an evenly lit white. This is why car headlights appear white rather than their underlying yellow hue.
So white pigment only partly counters other hues, while white light fully cancels out colored light. Black has a stronger cancelling effect on pigments than white.
How to deliberately use color cancellation
There are many ways artists and designers utilize the neutralizing effects of complementary colors:
- Muting bright tones – Add a small amount of the complement to soften and grey down intense hues
- Toning down shadows – Layering shadowed areas with the complement prevents unnatural color casts
- Subtle neutrals – Mixing complements creates greys and earth tones with natural variation
- Making colors pop – Surrounding a color with its complement makes it appear more vibrant by contrast
- Balancing color schemes – Using split complements creates a visually balanced, harmonious palette
However, don’t neutralize your colors completely. Subtle use of cancellation keeps a satisfying colorfulness and liveliness.
Conclusion
Complementary colors cancel each other out when mixed by absorbing each other’s light wavelengths. This neutralizes the pair to muted greys, browns and black. Complements have the highest contrast while containing similar saturation levels.
Painting, lighting, photography and many fields use complementary relationships to control color. Mixing complements creates natural, subtle neutrals. Complementary contrast makes colors appear more vibrant and saturated. A balanced use of color cancellation achieves lively palettes with harmony and visual interest.