What Colors Make Yellow: Yes You Can!

As an artist, I'm sure you know how useful yellow paint and watercolor are, as they allow you to draw elements, portray emotions and dimensions, and create other colors. But what colors make yellow? What colors change yellow's temperature, shade, and vividness?

This is exactly what we'll talk about today. With this knowledge I'm about to share with you, you can develop a skill to help you save money from buying different shades of yellow all the time.

What Colors Make Yellow?

In the world of paints and watercolors, the traditional color wheel is the basic principle to follow in terms of different color categories and mixing of colors. This subtractive color model categorizes yellow as one of the primary colors, making most think there is no way to mix two or more colors to create a yellow color.

But with a bit of experimentation, it's actually possible. So, what colors make yellow paint and watercolor?

The colors that can make yellow paint or watercolor are cadmium orange, white, and green.

YELLOW = CADMIUM ORANGE + WHITE + GREEN

Cadmium Orange, White, and Green

Cadmium orange is a color that combines cadmium red and cadmium yellow, and green is a blend of blue and yellow. Blending them together increases the amount of yellow in the mixture, while the white helps lighten the resulting color.

However, to ensure you get the right brownish-yellow hue from blending these three colors, you have to play around with the ratio. If not, you will end up with a different color, like purple or brown.

Ideally, the amount of cadmium orange used should be more than that of green and white.

How To Make Yellow Using These Three 

To ensure the resulting color is yellow when you mix the said colors, here's what you need to do:

1. Place a good amount of cadmium orange on your mixing palette.
2. Add a drop or dollop of green.
3. Blend the colors using a palette knife or the back of your paintbrush.
4. Test your paint or watercolor with your paintbrush on a white sheet of paper.
5. If you still don't have a color that resembles brownish-light-yellow, repeat steps 2 to 4 until you have the right color or shade.
6. Add a small amount of white and blend using your palette knife or the back of your paintbrush.
7. Test your paint or watercolor with your paintbrush on a white sheet of paper.
8. If you still don't have a yellow color, repeat steps 6 to 7 until you have the right color or shade.

What Colors Make Yellow Cool or Cooler?

Like with other colors, yellow shades are divided into three categories based on color temperature. Those with hints of blue are cool yellows, while those with red undertones are considered warm yellows. Meanwhile, those that balance both hints or undertones are called neutral yellow pigments.

Learning what yellow shade is cool, warm, or neutral will ensure you combine the right colors to get the exact or almost the same color you want. That said, here are the different color blends to use to make your yellow coloring agent cool or cooler:

• Neutral or Cool Yellow + Cool Blue: Vibrant, Light Yellow
• Neutral or Cool Yellow + Cool Blue: Vibrant, Dark Yellow
• Cool Yellow + Warm Blue: Muted, Light Yellow
• Warm Yellow + Cool Blue or Green: Muted, Dark Yellow

Neutral or Cool Yellow + Cool Blue: Vibrant, Light Yellow

Adding a bit of cool, bright blue color to a cool (or neutral) yellow color will result in a cool, bright yellow color that perfectly resembles lemons and represents enlightenment. The perfect colors to use in this case are cadmium yellow light or lemon yellow and cobalt teal blue.

Just be careful not to add too much blue, or you'll end up with a green color.

Neutral or Cool Yellow + Cool Blue: Vibrant, Dark Yellow

If you want a vibrant, cool yellow with a darker hue, adding a small amount of turquoise blue to cool yellow is the way to go.

While turquoise blue is almost the same as cobalt teal blue, it leans more toward the brown spectrum rather than the green. Hence, the resulting color is darker than what you get when using teal blue.

Just be mindful of the amount of blue you add, as you might end up with a green color.

Cool Yellow + Warm Blue: Muted, Light Yellow

Cobalt blue also leans more toward the brown spectrum, like turquoise blue, but it has more warmth.

Adding a bit of this blue hue to your cool yellow light paint or watercolor will give you a muted or less vivid dark shade of yellow. This type of yellow is ideal for painting stuff with an almost similar color, temperature, and shade to pedestrian lanes.

Just make sure you control the amount of blue added to avoid ending up with a green color.

Warm Yellow + Cool Blue or Green: Muted, Dark Yellow

If you want an earthy, cool, dark yellow that you can use to create traffic signs, shadows, and the like, the perfect colors are warm yellow and cool blue or cool green. The red undertone of the warm yellow will react with the blue tint, creating a brownish shade while also muting the two colors' vibrancy.

With that in mind, I recommend adding a bit of ultramarine blue or cadmium green to the yellow ochre to achieve muted, cool, darker shades of yellow.

Just ensure you don't add too much blue, or you'll end up with a green color.

What Colors Make Yellow Warm or Warmer?

When it's time to use warm or warmer yellow pigments in your artwork, what colors should you use to increase the temperature of your neutral or warm yellow?

There are two different ways to do so, namely:

• Neutral or Warm Yellow + Warm, Vibrant Red: Warm, Light, Fiery Yellow
• Neutral or Warm Yellow + Cool, Dark Red: Warm, Muted, Dark Yellow

Neutral or Warm Yellow + Warm, Vibrant Red: Warm, Light, Fiery Yellow

A warm, fiery, light yellow is achievable by adding a tiny amount of scarlet red to your lemon yellow, cadmium yellow medium, or cadmium yellow deep. The resulting color is yellow with a tinge of orange.

Make sure you just add a touch of red, or you'll end up with an orange color.

Neutral or Warm Yellow + Cool, Dark Red: Warm, Muted, Dark Yellow

When added to a neutral or warm yellow, cool, darker shades of red, especially burnt sienna, create orange-brown undertones. Thus, you will have a muted yellow paint or watercolor with a hue that resembles yellow ochre.

Just make sure you don't add a little too much red, or you'll end up with a dark orange or brown color.

What Colors Make Yellow Light or Lighter?

When you don't have light or lighter shades of yellow that you need for your artwork, there are three different colors that you can add to make the yellow you have light or lighter. The additive color you use will depend on the shade of light yellow you want.

That said, here are your three choices on what colors make yellow light or lighter:

• Warm, Cool, or Neutral Yellow + White: Neutral, Muted, Light Yellow
• Warm, Cool, or Neutral Yellow + Grey: Warm, Muted, Light Yellow
• Cool Yellow + Light Green: Cool, Vibrant, Light Yellow

Warm, Cool, or Neutral Yellow + White: Neutral, Muted Light Yellow

As artists, we can't deny that we love using white to lighten any color. When adding a tiny amount of white to yellow, you will have a resulting light yellow that looks more like pastel.

Warm, Cool, or Neutral Yellow + Grey: Warm, Muted Light Yellow

Now, what if you want a highly muted, warm, light yellow shade for your painting? Simply add a tiny amount of grey to any shade of yellow paint or watercolor you have.

Cool Yellow + Light Green: Cool, Vibrant, Light Yellow

For a bright, cool, light yellow shade that can symbolize optimism and other positive emotions, a touch of lime green paint or watercolor added to yellow will do the trick.

But remember: combining the same amount of yellow and green can produce yellow-green. As such, be careful not to add too much lime green to your yellow paint or watercolor.

What Colors Make Yellow Dark or Darker?

Like making your yellow paint or watercolor light or lighter, there are also several ways to create dark or darker shades of yellow. The choice will depend on the resulting color that you're opting for.

• Yellow + Purple: Muted, Dark Yellow
• Yellow + Red or Orange: Vibrant, Dark Yellow

Yellow + Purple: Muted, Dark Yellow

Purple is one of the complementary colors of yellow, so adding a tiny amount of any shade of this color will mute your yellow paint or watercolor while also darkening it. Again, ensure you don't add too much purple or violet, as the color mix might result in brown.

Yellow + Red or Orange: Vibrant, Dark Yellow

If you need the yellow paint or watercolor's vibrancy but require a darker shade, any shade of red color will do the trick. But if you don't need or want a deep red color, I highly recommend adding any shades of color instead.

Yet again, be mindful of the amount of red or orange you add to your yellow paint or watercolor, as you might end up with a brown color.

What Colors Make Different Shades of Yellow?

Did you know that there are more than 100 shades of yellow that you can use in your artwork? Surely, you don't want to purchase each of them, as it wouldn't be practical. After all, you won't use them every time, leaving them to dry and expire.

As such, you will want to learn how to mix colors to create various shades of yellow. The most famous ones I can share with you are the following:

• Yellow, Black, and Red: Golden Yellow
• Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, and Ultramarine Blue: Dark Golden Yellow
• Yellow, Orange, and Red: Mustard Yellow
• Yellow and Orange: Cadmium Yellow

Yellow, Black, and Red: Golden Yellow

To create golden yellow from your basic yellow paint or watercolor, here's what you need to do:

1. Place a good amount of yellow on your mixing palette.
2. Add a drop or small dollop of black and the same amount of red.
3. Mix and test the resulting color on a white sheet of paper.
4. If the color isn't golden yellow, repeat steps 2 to 3 until you have the right shade.

Yellow Ochre, Burnt Umber, and Ultramarine Blue: Dark Golden Yellow

For a darker shade of golden yellow, follow the same steps as above, but change the additive colors to burnt umber and ultramarine blue.

1. Place a good amount of yellow on your mixing palette.
2. Add a drop or small dollop of burnt umber and a drop or small dollop of ultramarine blue.
3. Mix and test the resulting color on a white sheet of paper.
4. If the color isn't dark golden yellow, repeat steps 2 to 3 until you have the right shade.

Bright Yellow, Orange, and Red: Mustard Yellow

While making mustard yellow is a bit complicated, most, if not all of us, are familiar with the mustard yellow color. With that in mind, here's what you need to do to make this shade of yellow:

1. Place a good amount of yellow on your mixing palette.
2. Add a drop or small dollop of red and mix.
3. Test the resulting color on a white sheet of paper, as you should have a warm, light brownish-yellow shade.
4. If the color isn't warm, light brownish-yellow, repeat steps 2 to 3 until you have the right shade.
5. Next, add a tiny amount of orange to create mustard yellow.

Yellow and Orange: Cadmium Yellow

Using only two colors, cadmium yellow is quite easy to make. Simply follow these steps:

1. Place a good amount of yellow on your mixing palette.
2. Add a drop or small dollop of orange.
3. Mix and test the resulting color on a white sheet of paper.
4. If the color isn't cadmium yellow, repeat steps 2 to 3 until you have the right shade.

Successfully Creating Yellow Paint and Watercolor

Now you know what colors make yellow, what makes it darker, lighter, warmer, and cooler, and how to make different shades of yellow commonly used in artworks! You no longer need to pause what you're doing to run to the store just to stop painting because that "creativity juice" has already run out.

Start practicing these various blends and experimenting by using different shades of the colors I recommended. Who knows? You might create a shade of yellow that's uniquely yours and can become a signature for your artwork.