Explore More Tools

Color Harmonies

Create balanced color palettes.

Shades & Tints

Generate light and dark variations.

Tailwind Palette

Create full design system scales.

Digital Painting, Real Physics

Why standard color mixers fail artists

If you've ever tried to mix Yellow and Blue in Photoshop, you probably got a dull grey instead of the Green you expected. That's because computers use light (RGB), but artists use pigment.

Our Real Paint Mixer bridges this gap. It simulates Subtractive Color Mixing, calculating how physical inks absorb light to give you accurate, real-world results. It's the perfect tool for traditional painters, print designers, and color theory students.

Why Use This Paint Mixer?

Pigment Physics

Simulates the CMYK absorption model. Yellow + Cyan = Green. Magenta + Yellow = Red.

Ratio Control

Adjust the exact percentage of each color. Mix 1 part Red with 4 parts White for a perfect pink.

Multi-Mix

Don't stop at two. Mix 3, 4, or 10 colors together to create complex, organic muddy tones.

Opacity Logic

Understands how darker pigments overwhelm lighter ones, just like real oil or acrylic paint.

The Science: Additive vs. Subtractive

Additive (Screens)

Start with Black screen. Add Red Light. Add Green Light.
Result: Brighter Yellow Light.
Add Blue Light.
Result: Pure White Light.

Subtractive (Paint)

Start with White canvas. Add Red Paint (absorbs green/blue). Add Green Paint (absorbs red/blue).
Result: Darker Brown/Black.
Every layer subtracts light.

Pro Tips for Realism

  • ✓Muddiness is good! Real nature is rarely fully saturated. Most natural shadows are not black, but "muddy" mixtures of complementary colors.
  • ✓Use Tinting for Pastels. To make a pastel color, don't just reduce opacity. Mix your color with a high ratio of White (e.g., 90% White, 10% Red).
  • ✓Complementary Neutralization. To desaturate a vibrant color without making it "grey," mix it with a small amount of its opposite color (e.g., Red + tiny bit of Green).

Who is This Tool For?

Traditional Artists

Preview expensive paint mixes digitally before wasting canvas and pigment.

Art Students

Safely experiment with RYB vs CMYK models to interpret color theory assignments.

Print Designers

Visualize overprinting effects and transparency interactions for screen printing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why creates Yellow + Blue = Gray on my computer screen?
Screens use Additive Mixing (RGB). Computer pixels are tiny lights. When you mix Red light and Green light, you get Yellow. When you add Blue light to that Yellow, you get White (Red+Green+Blue). Screens cannot simulate 'darkening' by mixing colors without special algorithms like ours.
How does this tool simulate real paint?
We use a Subtractive Mixing Algorithm (CMYK-based). Instead of adding light (like screens), our math simulates pigments absorbing light. So when you mix Yellow (absorbs Blue) and Cyan (absorbs Red), the only light left reflecting back to your eye is Green.
What is the difference between RGB and CMYK?
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is for things that *emit* light, like monitors and phones. CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is for things that *reflect* light, like paper, paint, and ink. Our tool translates your digital RGB inputs into a CMYK space to calculate the mix, then converts it back to RGB for you to see.
Can I use this to mix wall paint?
Yes, it's a great approximation! While real-world chemistry (like binding agents and finish) affects the final look, our tool gives you the theoretical 'pigment result'. It's perfect for planning artistic palettes or understanding how base colors will interact.
Why does mixing all colors create black?
In subtractive mixing, every pigment you add absorbs more wavelengths of light. If you mix enough colors, they absorb *all* visible light, leaving nothing to reflect back to your eye. We perceive this lack of light as Black (or a muddy dark brown in reality).
What are the true primary colors?
In classical art, you learned Red, Yellow, Blue (RYB). However, in modern printing and physics, the true subtractive primaries are Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. You can make a cleaner Red by mixing Magenta + Yellow, but you can't make Magenta by mixing Red + Blue (you get purple). Our tool supports experimenting with both models.
Does the ratio of paint matter?
Absolutely. Our tool includes Ratio Sliders for this exact reason. Mixing 90% Yellow with 10% Blue yields a lime green. Mixing 10% Yellow with 90% Blue yields a deep forest green. Balacing these ratios is the key to color matching.
Can I copy the result to Photoshop/Figma?
Yes! Click the large color blob or the hex code at the bottom to copy the final result. You can use this Hex code in any digital design software.