Yellow is a primary color in traditional painting and pigments, which means it cannot be created by mixing other colors. However, in digital displays (using additive color mixing), yellow can be made by mixing red and green light.
How to Make Yellow in Different Contexts
- In traditional painting or pigments: Yellow is a primary pigment and cannot be mixed from other colors. You start with yellow paint directly. You can mix yellow with other colors to create different shades, such as orange (yellow + red) or green hues (yellow + blue), but pure yellow itself cannot be made by mixing other paints.
- In digital (additive) color model: Yellow is made by combining red and green light at full intensity (RGB value R=255, G=255, B=0). This explains how yellow appears on screens and in digital art.
Creating Different Shades of Yellow
While pure yellow cannot be mixed, you can create variations and shades:
- Darker yellows can be made by adding colors like brown, green, gold, orange, or red, but not black since it dulls yellow.
- Warmer yellows are created by mixing yellow with warm red tones such as scarlet or burnt sienna.
- Cooler yellows can be achieved by adding small amounts of blue to yellow, moving the color toward a greenish hue.
Summary
- To make yellow paint or pigment , buy yellow as it is a primary color.
- To make yellow on screens or with light , mix red and green light.
- To modify yellow’s shade or temperature , mix it with other colors but always start with yellow as a base.
If the question is about paint or pigments, yellow itself cannot be made by mixing other colors. For screens, red plus green light makes yellow. This is the essential knowledge about making yellow color based on color theory and practice in both digital and physical media.
