Blue and black are two dark colors that are often paired with light, vibrant colors in designs. Yet, what would happen if they were mixed together? Let’s take a look at what blue and black create if they’re combined in different mediums.
What Color Do Blue and Black Make in Paint?
If you mix blue and black paint together, you’ll get dark blue, also commonly known as navy blue. That’s because mixing black with a color creates a shade, which is a darker version of that color. The more black paint you use in the mixture, the darker the result will be.
Understanding the RYB Color Model
Most people are familiar with the RYB model because it’s taught in early art classes. It’s a subtractive color model, meaning that wavelengths are removed when colors are combined. It’s most commonly used for physical art mediums like paints and pastels.
On this color wheel, the primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. You can mix combinations of those colors together to make green, purple, and orange, which are the secondary colors. Mixing a primary and secondary color together can make a tertiary color, such as blue-green or red-orange. If you mix all three primary colors together, you’ll usually get some type of brown.
Creating Tints and Shades
If you want to make a color lighter or darker, you can make tints or shades of it. So, if you don’t like the type of color that blue and black create, then here are some tips for how to alter it.
Making Lighter Blue
A tint is a lighter version of a color, which is made by adding white to the mixture. You’ll need to add a lot of white to dark blue to notice a significant difference. Another way to make your blue and black mixture not look as dark is to only mix a little bit of black with blue instead of a 50/50 combination.
Making Darker Blue
Navy blue is already a dark color, so you probably won’t need it much darker. Yet, if you do, you’ll make a shade. A shade is created by adding black to a color. Dark blue is already a shade of blue, but the more black you add, the darker the result will be.
Dark Blue Color Meaning
Since dark blue is a shade of blue, it can have all the same meanings as other types of blue. However, it also has some unique meanings. Dark blue often symbolizes knowledge, power, and professionalism.
Overall, blue symbolizes trust, loyalty, and responsibility. It’s known for having calming, relaxing, and supportive effects. Some other positive meanings of blue include confidence, peace, and honesty. Yet, it could also mean passive, predictable, and depressed. The exact meaning depends on the type of blue and the context.
Can You Create Blue and Black Paint?
While it might not seem like it, you can create blue and black paint out of other paints. Blue is a primary color, so the RYB color model doesn’t show you how to make it. Yet, if you look at the CMYK color model, which is used for ink, cyan and magenta make blue.
There are several ways to create black paint. In some cases, you might be able to make black with red, yellow, and blue. The primary colors mixed together usually make brown, but if you choose deeper versions, such as ultramarine blue, crimson red, and yellow ochre, you’ll be more likely to get black. Another method to try is adding blue to brown.
If you run out of blue and black paint, it will likely be easier to buy more paint from the store instead of trying to create these unique mixtures.
What Color Do Blue and Black Make in Lights?
Mixing blue and black together in lights is not possible because lights can’t be the color black. The RGB color model is used for mixing lights, but it’s a form of additive color mixing that doesn’t have black in it. Instead, it uses red, green, and blue as the primary colors, and if those colors are mixed together at full brightness, they make white.
When people refer to “black lights,” they’re talking about ultraviolet lights that give off a purple glow. So the fact of the matter is, you cannot mix blue and black lights to make a new color.
Why Can Lights Not Be Black?
Black is the absence of detectable light, so it’s not a color in lights. Most colors can be made on the RGB color model by combining red, green, and blue at different brightnesses, but the only way to make black is by putting all three colors at zero percent brightness. So, making black lights is the equivalent of turning off the lights. That’s why you can’t mix black with other colored lights.
However, even though black isn’t a color that exists on the visible light spectrum, it’s still a color we can see. When we look at colors, we need our eyes to perceive them but also our brains to provide context. So, even though colors like black and brown aren’t part of the rainbow, we can see them because our brains provide context for our eyes. Those colors do exist, but they aren’t colors of light.
How Do Our Eyes Perceive Color?
When our eyes perceive color, it’s a complicated process. The color an object appears as represents the wavelengths that reflect off the object. So, when light shines on a yellow banana, colors like red, blue, and violet will be absorbed into the object, while yellow will reflect off it. That makes the banana appear yellow to you.
This process works because the colors on the visible light spectrum have different wavelengths. On one end of the spectrum, violet has short, frequent wavelengths. On the other side of the spectrum, red has longer, less frequent wavelengths. So, those wavelengths help determine which colors reflect off the object.
We have cone and rod cells inside our eyes, which help us see color. The cone cells help us in bright light, which occurs for most of the day. Rod cells are more sensitive, so they can help you see colors in dim lighting. Together, these photosensors allow you to see colors under most lighting conditions.
Does Black Exist on the CMYK Color Model?
The CMYK color model is used for printing. It’s a form of subtractive mixing that’s the opposite of the RGB color model because the primary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow, while the secondary colors are red, green, and blue. However, even though these color models might seem somewhat similar, black does exist in CMYK.
In fact, the “K” in CMYK represents black. It stands for “key,” as in “key color.” Black is the key color for CMYK, which is why you’ll see it included with printer ink, along with the three primary colors. So, black exists in all the color models except for RGB.
Colors mixed in CMYK often have similar results to RYB. If you mix blue and black, you’ll still get a shade of blue that’s similar to navy blue.
Designing with Blue and Black
Blue and black are both darker colors that can give off a serious or somber tone when used together. So it’s not recommended to use only the two of them because it could give off unpleasant vibes. A way to make the design more appealing is to use lighter versions of blue or to add different tints of blue in addition to the darker blue.
Another way to make a blue and black design more interesting is to add another color to the mix. White is a neutral color that works well with blue and black. Some other options are gold, turquoise, red, or brown. If you’re designing a room, it’s best to limit the amount of black you use to prevent it from overpowering the other colors.
Black can go with just about any color, so you don’t have to use it with blue. However, it’s always good to include some lighter colors like white in the design to balance it out a bit. Blue also goes well with a wide range of colors on its own. Some colors to consider using with blue are green, purple, pink, or peach. If you’re making a logo or design, you can use blue’s complementary color (orange) to help words and icons stand out more.
Mixing with the Color Black Can Be Difficult
Black isn’t an ideal color for mixing. In paint and ink, it can easily overpower other colors, but in lights, it doesn’t exist at all. Black is the absence of color in the RGB color model. So, the color black can only be used in small amounts using subtractive mixing to create shades of a color. Otherwise, it’s not an ideal color for mixing.
Mixing with a wide variety of colors is a great way to understand color theory. Not all mixtures will give you a pleasing result, but that’s okay. Experimenting with color combinations could help you discover the perfect color for your art.
As an enthusiast and expert in color theory, I can confidently guide you through the concepts and information presented in the article about mixing blue and black colors. My understanding of color models, their application in various mediums, and the perceptual aspects of color enables me to provide comprehensive insights.
Blue and Black in Paint:
When blue and black paint are combined, they create a darker shade known as navy blue. This result aligns with the principles of the RYB color model, commonly taught in art classes. In the RYB model, primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) are mixed to form secondary and tertiary colors. Mixing black with a color produces a shade, which is a darker version of that color.
RYB Color Model:
The RYB color model is a subtractive model used in physical art mediums like paints and pastels. Primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) can be mixed to create secondary colors (green, purple, and orange), and further combinations yield tertiary colors. Mixing all three primary colors usually results in brown.
Tints and Shades:
Tints, lighter versions of a color, are created by adding white, while shades, darker versions, are produced by adding black. Adjusting the ratio of blue to black allows for control over the darkness of the resulting color.
Dark Blue Color Meaning:
Dark blue, being a shade of blue, inherits the meanings associated with blue, such as trust and loyalty. However, it also symbolizes knowledge, power, and professionalism.
Creating Blue and Black Paint:
While blue is a primary color, the CMYK color model used for ink reveals that cyan and magenta can be mixed to produce blue. Black paint can be created by mixing primary colors, and deeper versions (e.g., ultramarine blue, crimson red, and yellow ochre) may yield black.
Blue and Black in Lights:
In the RGB color model for lights, mixing blue and black is not possible, as lights cannot be the color black. Black lights typically refer to ultraviolet lights emitting a purple glow.
Perceiving Color:
Our eyes perceive color through a complex process involving cone and rod cells. The color an object appears is determined by the wavelengths it reflects, and our brains provide context for the colors we see.
Black in the CMYK Color Model:
Unlike the RGB model, the CMYK model used in printing includes black as a key color (represented by "K"). Black exists in CMYK alongside cyan, magenta, and yellow.
Designing with Blue and Black:
Using blue and black together can convey a serious tone. To enhance appeal, incorporate lighter blue versions or add different tints. Adding a neutral color like white or introducing other colors such as gold, turquoise, red, or brown can make the design more interesting.
Mixing with Black:
Black, while versatile, can overpower other colors in paint and ink. In the RGB model for lights, black doesn't exist, and its use in mixing requires careful consideration to avoid dominance.
Conclusion:
Understanding color theory, models, and the implications of mixing colors in various mediums is crucial for effective design and artistic expression. Experimentation with color combinations can lead to discovering the perfect balance for your artistic endeavors.
