The title of this article poses an interesting question – what colors combine to make the color green? Green is a secondary color on the color wheel, meaning it is created by combining two primary colors. The three primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. When blue and yellow mix together, they make the secondary color green. So the “green combination of blue and” is blue and yellow.
The Color Wheel
The color wheel is a useful tool for understanding how colors mix together. The three primary colors – red, blue, and yellow – make up the corners or main sections of the wheel. The secondary colors – green, orange, and purple – are made by mixing adjacent primary colors. For example:
| Red + Yellow = Orange |
| Yellow + Blue = Green |
| Blue + Red = Purple |
So according to the color wheel, green is made by combining blue and yellow. When blue pigment is mixed with yellow pigment, the result is green. On the light spectrum, combining the wavelengths of blue light and yellow light makes the eye perceive the color green.
Mixing Paint and Light
When working with pigments like paint, dyes, or inks, the primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. Combining blue and yellow paint will make green paint. This is known as subtractive color mixing, because the pigments absorb or subtract some wavelengths of light.
However, when working with light such as on televisions or computer screens, the primary colors are red, green, and blue. Combining green and red light will produce yellow light. This is known as additive color mixing, because the light waves add together to make different hues.
So the blue/yellow combination only directly makes green when mixing pigments. With light, green is its own primary color.
The Science of Green
The specific wavelengths of light corresponding to blue and yellow mix together to create the perception of green. Here are the details:
| Blue light wavelength range: 450-495 nm |
| Yellow light wavelength range: 570-590 nm |
| Green light wavelength range: 495-570 nm |
As shown on the electromagnetic spectrum, blue light occupies wavelengths between about 450-495 nanometers (nm). Yellow wavelengths are longer, roughly 570-590 nm. Right between these ranges is the band of wavelengths we see as green, from 495-570 nm.
So mathematically, combining shorter blue wavelengths and longer yellow wavelengths results in an additive mix right in the green part of the visible light spectrum. Our eyes see this mix as the color green.
Green Pigment Science
Similar principles apply when mixing blue and yellow pigments. The pigments selectively absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light.
Blue pigments like ultramarine or phthalocyanine blue reflect light in the 450-495 nm range but absorb other wavelengths. Yellow pigments like cadmium yellow or Hansa yellow reflect light in the 570-590 nm range.
When these pigments are blended, the resulting mix reflects both blue and yellow wavelengths. The combination of reflected blue and yellow light appears green to our eyes.
Shades of Green
Combining pure blue and yellow will make a bright lime green. But green has many shades and varieties, depending on the exact pigments used.
| Blue-green | More blue, less yellow |
| Yellow-green | More yellow, less blue |
| Forest green | Duller, with black mixed in |
| Olive green | Grayish green with touches of brown |
Blue-green hues have more blue vs. yellow. Adding white makes mint greens. Dark evergreen shades come from adding black. Olive greens involve browns and grays. By varying the pigment ratios and adding shades of black, white, or brown, all sorts of rich green tones can be created.
Green in Nature
In the natural world, green is everywhere. It defines lush grass, tree leaves, shrubs, vines. Green signifies life, growth, renewal.
But how does nature make green without tubes of blue and yellow paint? The main green pigment found in plants is chlorophyll. It absorbs mainly blue and red light, reflecting green wavelengths.
Chlorophyll appears green because it absorbs energies at the blue and red ends of the visible spectrum due to its chemical structure. The green wavelengths have just the right energy to be reflected back to our eyes.
A World Without Green
Given how vital the color green is in nature, it’s hard to imagine a world without it. Green truly colors our world. If plants and trees were not green, but shades of gray, what a drab world that would be!
And green foods like lettuce, herbs, broccoli, grapes – they enliven any meal. Green brings a feeling of balance, peace, and harmony. It represents renewal, growth, health, environmentalism.
Green is restful to the eyes in ways other colors are not. Picture green meadows, forests, or lush gardens. Green speaks of tranquility and rejuvenation.
Conclusion
So in summary, the green combination of blue and yellow makes both visual sense and scientific sense. On the color wheel and in nature, blending blue and yellow creates the many wondrous shades of green that color our world. Green results from combining the wavelengths of blue and yellow light or reflecting those hues with pigments.
Blue and yellow paint make green paint. Blue and yellow light mix to green light. The science agrees with the color theory. Green is an amalgam of blue and yellow – a visually and symbolically rich secondary color essential to nature’s palette.
