What Color Does Pink and Blue Make?
Last updated: April 28, 2025 by Michelle
What color does pink and blue make? Your first guess might be purple, but the truth isn’t quite so simple. Blue and pink are dynamic colors on their own, and you can get a lot more out of them than a generic purple when you mix them. Combining pink and blue to make new colors can turn into a fun color adventure that takes you through a lot more colors than simply purple. We’ll explore some of them, and ways you can add pink and blue mixes into your life, right here. You’ll get to use your new knowledge for crafts like knitting and coloring, or even something like soap making.
Whether you’re enjoying a coloring book page or decorating your home, learning what color pink and blue make can give you extra tools to turn your project into a work of art. Pink and blue can provide something warm and cozy or something cool and trendy. It all depends on how you mix them, but don’t worry. We’re going to help you figure it out by explaining what pink and blue make, how to use shades, tints, and tones, and how you can apply all this to your crafts and projects.
Pink and Blue Make | Lighter Purples | Tones, Shades, and Tints | How to Blend Light Purple | Lilac, Lavender, and Variations | Using Lilac and Lavender
What Color Do You Get When You Mix Blue and Pink?
Unlike blue and red (which make a deep, vibrant purple), blue and pink will yield softer shades. When you mix pink and blue you get so much more than just light purple, however. You can also produce lavender and lilac and violet. These colors stem from the pink, which is a secondary color compared to the harsh primary color of red. Pink is a toned down version of red, so that brings with it some softness you won’t get from simply mixing blue and red.
You also need to consider the medium when you mix pink and blue to make new colors. For example, paint is the easiest medium to mix. It lends itself to mixing. In comparison, colored pencils and markers will be harder to mix in that way. You can still mix pink and blue via colored pencils, it just won’t be as simple as swirling together pink and blue paint, so keep that in mind when choosing your tools.
Which Purples Do Pink and Blue Make?
That depends on where you start. If you start with pale pink and add blue you will get a pale, warm color. Conversely, if you choose bright blue and mix it with pink, you’ll get a brighter color. If you aren’t sure where to start, consult a color wheel. It can help you visualize the differences between different shades of pink and blue so you can make the exact type of purple you’re hoping for.
When you mix pink and blue you get colors like mauve, eggplant, and amethyst. Which one you end up with depends on where you start, but colors aren’t an exact science. Experiment with different blues and pinks to see where you end up. You can always start over if you don’t like what you get, but you might end up surprising yourself!
Do Pink and Blue Make Lavender?
Yes, one of the many colors pink and blue make is lavender. However, as noted above, that will depend on how you mix pink and blue. For lavender, you need a softer blue, as lavender is a more pastel shade of purple. You can also employ a little white if you overshoot your intended lavender color. More about that below!
Tones, Shades, and Tints
Tones, shades, and tints can dramatically change what color you make from pink and blue. You get tones by adding gray, shades by adding black, and tints by adding white. So you can mix pink and blue to make purple, then add black, white, or gray to subtly alter that color. For example, if your purple feels too bright, you can add gray to literally tone it down. You can add black if you want a purple that also works as shadows in a piece of art. Use white to create a purple that’s more bright and pastel.
How to Mix Blue and Pink
Let’s go back to our color wheel. It can show us not just the three primary colors (red, yellow, and blue), but also the three secondary colors (green, purple, and orange). You might notice that pink doesn’t make that list, and that’s because it’s a shade of red. This makes it a tertiary color. These designations might sound purely academic, but they will have a big impact on what color pink and blue make when you mix them together.
Technically, when you mix pink and blue, you aren’t making purple. You’re making shades of blue and pink. These shades do, admittedly, look a whole lot like purple, but if we’re talking about color theory, they fall under the label of shades.
How to Get the Perfect Purple by Mixing Blue and Pink
Okay, let’s get to the good part — actually mixing pink and blue to make purple. We’ll give you some tips for how to get the perfect purple. Keep in mind that if you mess up, it’s always easier to make something darker rather than lighter. So if your color is too light, it’s easy to add black and darken it, but if it’s too dark, it’s very hard to add white and make it lighter.
Lilac and Lavender
Start light if you want to make these delicate, pale colors. We recommend light pink and light blue. Harsher shades of either color could result in a color that’s too bright to be lilac or lavender. If you want to mix pink and blue to make lilac, you might also want to have a bit of white on hand. This can help you tone down your mix to get just the right pastel color.
Even Lighter Purples
You can go even lighter than lilac and lavender, however. Remember that white we recommended you have on hand? Even after you get to lilac or lavender, you can add white and go even paler. Be careful because you can definitely end up with a color that looks like something that’s barely off of white, and if that’s not what you want, you may not like it.
Test this out on a coloring book page or a canvas. Whether you’re using paint, colored pencils, or other supplies, give yourself license to experiment. You can even do a test run of mixing pink and blue before you apply what you’ve learned to your real project. You may be surprised by all the interesting effects you produce.
Using Lilac and Lavender in Your Everyday Life
Lilac and lavender aren't just beautiful to look at. They're also great for arts and crafts, as well as home decor. Perhaps you want to paint a cozy nook with a soothing color. Lavender might be just what you're looking for. Add in a lilac blanket, pillows, or even candles to enhance the ambiance.
You can even design your own bath bombs, soaps, or body scrubs to really max out on the cozy potential of lavender. And we don’t just mean the color this time. The plant is also great for these crafts. It will add not just to the color, but also to the function.
Don’t limit yourself or your creativity. You can color with the kids or even design a card for a special occasion. Purple used to be the color of royalty, so make someone in your life feel extra special by using your knowledge of how to mix pink and blue to make purple to make them feel like a king.
Use Light Purple on These Mandala Coloring Pages
Mixing blue and pink isn't just for painting. You can use crayons, markers and colored pencils to achieve many of the same effects. Light purples can evoke a tranquility that's perfect for meditation and clearing your mind. Why not try it out with these mandala coloring pages?
What Other Colors Can I Mix?
