Caroline
Many times your paint collection will not quite have the exact color you’re looking for. This is a minor setback, as you can always make the color you need yourself!
Sometimes you can wonder what certain color combinations may result in. You may have wondered what color does yellow and green make, for example.
If you have wondered about this then you’re in the right place! Here we will examine not only what colors you can expect but also cover tips on how to mix them as well as certain usage examples.
So let’s begin as we look at this color combination!
How you can mix yellow and green?
Before we cover some of the methods and uses of the yellow and green combination, we will first see how it can be done. When it comes to color mixing, the basic concept is deceptively simple.
You need a color you don’t have so you mix colors you do have to get that color. The problem with colors like yellow and green is that they are relatively similar colors.
This means that if you’re not careful one can end up swallowing the other. You will need to play around with different tones and quantities in order to get the color you have in mind.
So what color does yellow and green make when mixed? Unlike some combinations that result in something new, the combo of yellow and green gives us what is known as a tertiary color.
In more basic words, we get what is known as yellow-green. It’s exactly what it sounds like, as it is a green with a yellow undertone (or a yellow with a green undertone.)
It may not be as fancy as some color combinations, but you can really get some beautiful results. We will cover some of the practical aspects of mixing the colors later on.
For now, you should definitely have something to try out paint combinations on. This can be a piece of paper, block of wood, art palette or even your hand in a pinch.
Your color experiments should not be on the final canvas or page, though. Once you have found the formula for the color you need, you can then apply it to the picture you are creating.
Yellow and green can also be used near to one another in certain circumstances, and that way they can really complement one another.
Next, we will cover whether the combination of yellow and green is even a good idea in the first place.
Are yellow and green a good combination to mix together?
We’ve spoken a bit about the yellow and green combination, but are they even a good combination to use? Absolutely, under the right circumstances!
On the color spectrum, yellow is seen as a warm or hot color whereas green is a cool or cold color. Despite this, they are fairly similar colors in the grand scheme of things.
In fact, they are direct neighbors on the color wheel and serve as one of the two borders between hot and cold colors.
This means that they can work really nicely together, as they can gradually form into one another.
We will cover some of the specific uses of this combination shortly, but you can take it from us that there are many.
Green and yellow may remind each different person of something unique, but it will probably be something nature-related. Yellow might make you think of some fruits or the sun.
Green, on the other hand, may make you think of grass and leaves. Therefore, this color combination will probably be of great use to you if you are painting an outdoor nature scene.
That is far from the only use, but natural things will probably be your main go-to for this combination. There are so many ways you can use these colors, as it’s a really versatile combo.
Whether you are creating a painting landscape or making a bright and eye-catching design, you can bet that the yellow-green combination will come in handy.
Now that we have determined that it’s a good combination, let’s look over some of the results you can hope for when mixing yellow and green in the next step.
What results you can expect?
When trying to anticipate the results of a color mixture, one of the best ways is to just dive in and try it (on your practice surface at least).
Even so, we can still prepare ourselves by having a basic idea of the possible results. So let’s begin with the basics of combining yellow and green.
As we mentioned, you will land up with the tertiary color of yellow and green. This is basically a color that is somewhere between a primary and secondary color.
The definition isn’t as important as the result, and it basically means that you will have something between yellow and green.
You will be able to tip the mixture closer to whatever color you need it to be more like.
That’s something we will cover in much greater detail in one of the following steps. Here’s something you can try.
Grab your paint set (or whichever medium you are working in). Unless some colors are missing, we can guarantee that you will have yellow and green in the set.
If you don’t have green for some reason, you can make it by mixing blue and yellow. Chances are, you will have some green though.
Mix an equal amount of yellow and green and see what happens. Depending on how dark either the yellow and green is will determine the color greatly.
If you used a rich, dark green with a light yellow then it will probably be more green than yellow. In the same way, using a light green with a rich, bright yellow will make it more yellow in hue.
Even though one color may dominate, you will still see a hint of the weaker color in the mix. If both colors are of equal intensity then the results may be a bit more unpredictable.
If you have a giant blob of green and mix in a smaller bit of yellow then that may swallow up the yellow entirely. Don’t worry, however, as we will talk about how to mix colors shortly.
Now that you know the basics of the color combination you will be mixing, you may be wondering what exactly you could use the combination for.
If that is exactly what you were wondering then you’re in luck! In the very next step, we will have a look at some of the many uses you may have for the yellow and green mixture.
Best uses for yellow and green mixes
When it comes to determining the uses of the yellow and green mixture, there is no simple answer. Earlier in the guide, we spoke about how these colors will usually make one think of nature.
This is true of both colors, but it is especially true of green. Green has even become a descriptive word for anything involving nature and the environment.
Yellow is found frequently in nature, but it is also used in many man-made things as well. It is regarded as a bright and happy color, so it is common in advertisements.
It really catches the eye, so it’s easy to see why it would be effective for this purpose. However, the uses for these colors (or the color they make when combined) depends entirely on you.
The yellow-green color would be perfect for painting things like apples, grass, leaves or other natural things.
That is just a tiny fraction of some of the things we find in nature that you can use these colors on.
As we mentioned, it could also be used in many other more man-made features as well. Maybe you’re painting a house, fence or wall that has been painted yellow-green.
There are many products and items of clothing that utilize this color combo as well. It all depends on what exactly you’re trying to create.
Different colors bring out different emotions and feelings as well. When mixing yellow and green, you will be unlikely to land up with a sad or boring color.
Even if it’s a bit darker in tone, it will likely make the viewer feel happiness or comfort. Therefore, if you’re going for a sad tone to your picture then this is a combination that should be used sparingly.
So as you can see, there is no quick and easy answer to what you can use yellow and green for. The only answer would be whatever you need it for!
Whether you’re making a beautiful nature scene or something more synthetic, you will possibly be able to find a use for yellow-green.
Next, let’s look at how you can use some tips and tricks to get the exact colors you want.
Lighter and darker yellow and green mixes
When it comes to creating art, observation is the key to everything. If you’re going just by feeling, then you’ll know you have the right color when it feels right.
However, if you’re looking to paint something realistically then you will need to study the thing carefully.
Let’s use one of the examples from the previous step and assume you’re painting an apple.
First, hold the apple in your hand and look carefully at the colors. Is the color dark or light? Does it lean more towards yellow or green?
These are some of the questions you should ask yourself before mixing.
If you have a good selection of colors in your paint set then try your best to choose a yellow and green that would be most likely to create the apple color.
If it is more green than yellow, then start with a bigger proportion of green than yellow. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time!
If it’s too green, add small increments of yellow and mix it in. try to put the apple (or whatever it is you’re drawing) close to the swatch of paint to see how close it is.
If that is not feasible, try to take a photo of the object and then zoom into a smaller section. Adding more yellow and green is not all you can do, though.
If the tone is right but the brightness isn’t, you can start incorporating white or black. As you can probably guess, white will make it lighter whereas black will make it darker.
Try to incorporate these sparingly as it can be easy to go too far. You can also add any colors like blue, red or whatever else you need to get the tone you need.
It can take a lot of trial and error but it’s a fun process as well. Once you have the color you need or want, you’re ready to start your picture!
Just remember that observation and experimentation are the two keys to getting an image exactly as you want it.
In summary
You set out to find out what color does yellow and green make and now you know the answer! We hope it was helpful for you to learn more about what to expect along with what you can use it for.
The examples we gave are just a few, though, and we know you can find many more things to use it for. Try out some different combinations and you may be surprised by what you can end up with!
Whether you are mixing colors for a nature scene or a bright and funky design we know that it will look incredible if you apply everything you have learned.
