The color turquoise (turquoise), or more commonly known as navy blue, is somewhere between blue and green on the spectrum. Turquoise can range from a soft, pale hue to a bright, striking hue – and unless you can find a place with a ready-made turquoise, you'll have to mix blue and green yourself to get the color you want. For a basic turquoise color: mix a cyan blue with a little extra green.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Choosing Paint
Step 1. Decide what turquoise color you want
“Turquoise” generally means a mix of dominant blue with bright green. However, you can mix several colors within the turquoise spectrum: add a dash of white or light gray for a pale, soft turquoise, or use blues, greens, and bright yellows to mix up a pop of turquoise. Consider whether you want a lighter or softer hue.
Step 2. Buy blue and green paint
The paint medium doesn't matter much – acrylic paint, oil paint, watercolor, etc. – but it's easier to mix two paints of the same type evenly. Look for paint online or at an art supply store. Look closely: you may be able to find turquoise paint that is ready to use and suitable for your intended use. If you're starting with turquoise, you can use a small dollop of blue, green, white, or yellow to tweak the pigment a little.
- If you are new to painting, start with acrylic paints. Acrylic paint is a medium that's easy to use and easy to mix, and you can usually buy it in small bottles.
- If you're buying paint at an art supply store, ask the dealer about what products mix well into turquoise. If he understands, he will be able to suggest specific hues of boru and green to mix into the color you want.
Step 3. Purchase white and/or yellow paint for a lighter shade
If you want a lighter, lighter turquoise, you can mix blue and green with white or yellow. The amount of white or yellow tones used is entirely up to taste, so choose something that matches your preferred feel or feel. For example, you might be able to choose a warm, bone-white color as a base for turquoise water when painting a beach scene; You might be able to choose a stronger, “artificial” looking white as the basis for painting a distant, cold turquoise planet.
Step 4. Use blue paint with colors that tend to be greenish
Try cyan, cobalt, cerulean, ultramarine – any blue that looks greener than purple. There is a small amount of color hidden within each pigment, which means that each paint color is affected by a certain mix of colors. Turquoise is basically a mixture of blue and green, so make sure you use a blue that already has green pigment. You will be able to guess the tendency of the dang pigment by looking at its color: a bluish green color indicates a green tendency, while a purplish blue color indicates a red tendency.
- Blue phthalo pigment and green phthalo pigment are some of the most commonly used in turquoise paint. Phthalo blue (short for phthalocyanine pigment) has a strong green pigment tendency, so it is optimally adapted for mixing turquoise colors. Many commercial paint brands have “phthalo blue” products.
- Blue paint has a red or green pigment. If the blue pigment has a tendency to green, then that color has more green pigment than red. Other blue pigments (purple ones) have a tendency to red, and are less suitable for making turquoise.
- You won't find a "pure" blue - that is, a blue that makes a good green (when mixed with yellow) and a good purple (when mixed with red). This is because the blue color will always have a red or green color tendency due to the impure chemical nature of each pigment.
Method 2 of 3: Blending Bright Turquoise Colors
Step 1. Prepare your blue and green paint
Spoon some blue-turquoise (cyan) paint on one side of your palette, and apply some green paint on the other. Alternatively, place both blue and green paint directly on the same point.
- If you don't have green paint, you will need to make one. Mix equal amounts of blue and yellow to make green.
- If a paint palette is not available, feel free to mix your paint on a dry, clean surface. Try mixing paint on a plate, a piece of paper, a piece of cardboard, or a piece of ceramic. Make sure you don't paint anything important.
Step 2. Use a 2:1 ratio of blue to green
Turquoise has more blue pigment than green, so try to use twice as much blue as green. Please experiment with various comparisons, but use the 2:1 ratio as a reference.
- Adding a little more green – for example a 2:1, 5 ratio of blue to green – will give you a deep turquoise hue of sea green. With a smaller ratio of green (from a ratio of 2:1) will create a mixture that is close to blue only.
- Try adding a little yellow for a lighter shade. Try a 1:5 or 1:6 ratio of yellow to blue. Mix yellow into blue and green.
- Add a little white paint if the color is too light. The white color will soften and pale the turquoise color so it doesn't become too thick.
Step 3. Mix the paints
To start, place a spoonful of green paint on the palette, then mix the paint with two spoons of blue paint. Continue mixing the paint until the paint is evenly mixed. As you mix it, the blue will mix with the green so that it becomes a clear turquoise color.
Make sure you use as much paint as you need – even more. If you try to add blue and green in the middle of the painting process, you might mess up the comparison and end up with an uneven turquoise
Step 4. Continue to adjust the blending until you are completely satisfied
When the swirls of turquoise paint have completely evened out, take another look to make sure you're happy with the color. Try painting a piece of unused material – paint often changes its quality slightly when applied. If you're not satisfied, continue adding bits of blue, green, yellow, or white until you get the turquoise you need.
Step 5. Paint
Once you've mixed the turquoise, you're ready to go. Make sure the turquoise is the one you want. Feel free to paint using the same brush to create the turquoise color, but consider cleaning the brush first for precision. If you need to replenish your turquoise stockpile, make sure you add the same amount of blue and green you used the first time.
If you mix more paint with blue/green in the middle, but you don't get the same ratio as before: consider mixing a large amount of the new hue, then repainting all the turquoise for an even finish
Method 3 of 3: Blending Pale Turquoise Colors
Step 1. Use white as the base color
If you want to mix a pale turquoise, start with white or a very light blue. White paint will make up most of the mixture, so use as much white paint as you need – maybe a little more. Consider using an almost white gray for a darker turquoise.
Step 2. Mix the paint
Try a 2:1:4 ratio of blue:green:white. There's no single right way to mix light turquoise, so you'll have to experience the comparisons for yourself. Start small, with just a few drops of blue and green in the middle of the white paint, and mix the colors together until you get an even hue. Measure whether you want a lighter turquoise, or even a lighter shade, and add blue or green paint as needed. If you want to repeat this color, make sure you note the exact ratio.
- Remember – until you start painting, you can always adjust the pigment ratio to your turquoise color. Make sure you're happy with the color before you start painting.
- Make sure you use enough paint to finish your work. It can be a complicated process if you try to repeat the paint mix ratio once you have painted half of your work.
Step 3. Paint
When you're happy with your light turquoise, you're ready to go. Sprinkle the color on the surface of your choice and have fun mixing your own paint!
Tips
- Make it light turquoise by adding a bit of blue and green to the white paint.
- You can also mix up the turquoise color by adding a little yellow paint to your blue paint. A 1:6 or 1:5 ratio can give good results.
- Turquoise is widely regarded as a calming color. Use it on your painting for a calming effect.
- You can vary the intensity of the color by changing the color ratio. Start with a basic 2:1 ratio (two parts blue and one part green), and experiment from there.
Warning
- Most paints can stain clothing and work surfaces. Make sure you eat clothes that you don't worry about getting dirty. Protect your work area with newsprint or rags.
- Some pigments are stronger than others. If you don't get turquoise in your first mix, add green or yellow to blue – or add blue until you're satisfied. If the green or yellow is very strong, consider starting with a new blue paint by giving it only as much brushwork from the previous mixture.
