Short answer: blue and yellow make green. Equal amounts give a medium green; more yellow makes it lighter and brighter, more blue makes it darker and cooler. With a few extra colors you can mix every green you see in nature, from lime to olive to deep forest green.
The basic mix
| Mix | Result |
|---|---|
| Blue + yellow (equal) | Medium green |
| More yellow than blue | Yellow-green, lime |
| More blue than yellow | Blue-green, teal-leaning |
| Green + white | Light green, mint |
| Green + a little red or black | Dark green, forest green |
| Green + a little red or brown | Olive green |
Start with yellow and add blue gradually. Blue is usually stronger, so a small amount changes the mix a lot.
Which blue and yellow to use
- For bright, fresh greens: a blue that leans toward green (like phthalo or cerulean) and a lemon yellow.
- For softer, natural greens: ultramarine blue and a warm yellow. The tiny bit of red in these makes the green slightly duller, which looks realistic for leaves and grass.
How to mix common green shades
- Lime green: lots of yellow, a little blue.
- Mint green: green + lots of white, with a touch of blue.
- Sage green: green + white + a small amount of gray or red.
- Olive green: green + a touch of red, or yellow + a little black.
- Forest green: green + a little blue + a tiny amount of red or black.
- Dark green: green + more blue, or a very small amount of black.
- Teal: green + blue, plus a little white for a lighter teal.
- Emerald: green with a little extra blue, kept bright (no black).
Making green darker without making it dull
Black can make green look flat. A small amount of red (green's complementary color) darkens green more naturally. You can also add more blue. Add a little at a time: too much red will turn the mix brown, which is how complementary colors behave.
Green with crayons, markers and colored pencils
- Colored pencils: layer yellow first, then blue lightly on top. More yellow layers make a brighter green. For shadows on leaves, add a light layer of dark blue or purple.
- Crayons: color yellow, then blue over it with gentle pressure.
- Markers: alcohol markers blend well; water-based markers can streak, so layer light colors first.
See how to color with colored pencils for more on layering.
Green on the color wheel
Green is a secondary color: it's made from two primaries, blue and yellow. Its opposite on the wheel is red, its complementary color. That's why red and green together look so bold, and why mixing them makes brown.
On screens, colors mix as light, and green is one of the three primary colors of light (red, green and blue). So you can't mix green from other colors of light the way you can with paint.
Try it
Green is perfect for practicing shading. Pick a page from our dinosaur coloring pages and try three greens: a light yellow-green on top, a medium green in the middle, and a dark blue-green underneath. Our flower coloring pages are great for leaf greens too.
