When it comes to color mixing, most people are familiar with combining primary colors to make secondary ones, like mixing blue and yellow to get green. But what if you wanted to go the other way—what colors make red? While red is traditionally considered a primary color and cannot be created by mixing other colors in traditional pigment-based color theory, there’s more nuance when we dive into different types of color systems.
Understanding Color Theory
Before answering what colors make red, it’s essential to understand the difference between additive and subtractive color models:
- Subtractive color mixing (used in painting and printing) involves mixing pigments like cyan, magenta, and yellow.
- Additive color mixing (used in screens and digital media) involves mixing light in red, green, and blue (RGB).
This distinction is key in understanding if and how red can be made.
Can You Create Red Using Paint or Pigment?
In traditional art classes, red is often labeled a primary color, meaning it cannot be made by mixing other colors. However, in more modern or advanced color systems, particularly CMYK (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black) used in printing, red can be made by mixing magenta and yellow.
Here’s how it works:
- Magenta + Yellow = Red
This happens because magenta cancels out green light, and yellow cancels out blue. The only wavelength left from white light is red, which is reflected and seen by our eyes.
So if you’ve ever wondered what colors make red, the surprising answer in CMYK or advanced pigment theory is magenta and yellow.
Creating Red in Digital Media
In the additive RGB color model, red is a primary color, along with green and blue. This means red light itself is used rather than being created by combining others.
However, if you manipulate light, you can sometimes simulate red by:
- Removing green and blue light, which leaves only red light visible.
In practice, red light isn’t created by mixing green and blue—it’s isolated. This reaffirms the idea that in the digital world, red is a foundational building block, not a product of mixture.
Why Does This Matter?
Understanding what colors make red isn’t just for artists or designers. This knowledge is useful for:
- Printers and publishers choosing the right inks.
- Digital designers selecting color values.
- Educators teaching color theory with accuracy.
Knowing that magenta and yellow make red allows for more precise color mixing, especially in printing where achieving the exact shade is crucial.
Variations of Red: Mixing for Tones and Shades
Now that we know what colors make red, what about adjusting it? Once red is created or selected, you can modify it by:
- Adding white to make pink or lighter red tones.
- Adding black or a bit of green (its complementary color) to create darker or muted reds.
- Adding blue or purple for a more burgundy or wine color.
Understanding how to mix and balance red hues gives you full creative control over your palette.
Common Misconceptions
A common mistake is trying to mix orange and purple or brown and pink in hopes of creating red. These combinations typically result in muddy or brownish colors, not a true red. This is because the colors involved already have a mix of all three primaries (red, yellow, blue), which muddies the result.
If you’re aiming for a clear, vibrant red, stick to magenta and yellow when mixing pigments.
Final Thoughts
So, what colors make red? In pigment-based models like CMYK, magenta and yellow are the key components. In light-based models like RGB, red is a primary color on its own. The ability to mix or isolate red depends entirely on the medium you’re working in—whether it’s pigment, print, or digital.
Next time you’re mixing colors, you’ll not only know how red is made but why it works that way. Understanding color theory at this level helps you become a more informed creator, designer, or educator.
