What Color Does Pink and Green Make?
Last updated: March 11, 2024
Pink and green are great colors on their own, but have you ever wondered what pink and green make when you mix them together? Since pink and green are complementary colors, the answer isn't as simple as with some other common color combinations. In this case it's all about the tone of the colors that you're blending. Once you start thinking about it, you get a whole world of complexity out of simply wondering what color pink and green make.
If all of this has your head spinning, we're here to help. We'll not only answer what pink and green make, but we'll also explain complementary colors and suggest some fun ways you can use green, pink, and all the colors they make for your holiday gifts and decorations.
Mixing Pink and Green | Complementary Colors | Shades of Pink and Green | Making Other Colors | Holidays with Pink and Green
What Color Does Pink and Green Make?
There isn't one simple, clear answer to that. Unlike something like blue and pink, which make purple, green and pink don't create one single color that you can point to. The unique, complementary relationship between pink and green means you can end up with many different possibilities, including some wild and fun ones. Let's take a look at all the colors pink and green can make.
Pink + Green = Brown
One of the colors pink and green can make is brown. This is partially because of their complementary relationship on the color wheel (more on that later). Because they are sort of opposites, mixing them can make neutral colors - like brown!
Not all browns are made the same, however. You can get a lot of different shades of brown depending on how you mix pink and green. You could get a deep, rich, earthy brown or a bright, light brown. It all depends on the amount of pink and green in the mixture.
Pink + Green = Gray
Another neutral possibility is gray. But how do you know if you'll get brown or gray when you mix pink and green? It depends partly on the “temperature” of the colors you mix. Cooler, bluer pinks and greens are more likely to result in a gray shade. While warmer, redder pinks and greens are more likely to result in a brown shade.
Pink + Green = Eggplant?
It doesn't stop there. The coolness or warmth of your starting colors opens the door to a lot of fun possibilities. You could end up with eggplant, a purple-y color with a fair bit of green in it. You could get mauve, a sort of washed-out purple. You could get asparagus, a light shade of green.
You might notice that a lot of these colors have names based on natural items - eggplant, asparagus, etc. You probably won't be surprised to learn that you can find a lot of these colors around you in nature. Green and pink pop up in the natural world quite a lot, and the names of the colors they make together reflect that.
Green and Pink Are Complementary Colors
So why can you make so many colors from green and pink? Part of it is because neither of them are primary colors. The three primary colors are red, yellow, and blue. All other colors technically can come from just these three. Green is a secondary color, alongside purple and orange. But pink is even farther out there, being a tertiary color, somewhere between red and purple.
On top of that, green and pink are “complementary colors.” Complementary colors sit across from each other on the color wheel and basically “cancel each other out.” Being opposites, they oppose each other, often resulting in neutral colors like gray and brown. Certain shades of green and pink are perfect opposites, so when you mix them, you're usually going to get a neutral shade that “cancels” out both colors.
Shades of Green and Pink
So why can you also get fun combinations like eggplant and asparagus? Since neither green nor pink are primary colors, they often contain bits of those primary colors. You can have a yellowy green or a reddish pink. You can have a blueish green or blueish pink as well.
This can have a huge impact on what colors pink and green make. Two blueish shades will mix into something more like eggplant, letting that blue shine through. A yellowy green plus a warm pink can result in something redder than you might expect.
There is such a huge realm of possibility here. Don't let it overwhelm you, though! Instead, think of it as a chance to explore and create. Try out different shades and temperatures of pink and green and see what happens. You might create something you never expected!
How to Mix Pink and Green to Make Other Colors
How you mix pink and green to make other colors will depend on your medium and your goals. Paint will mix entirely, so you might want to take it slow with that medium and add only little dollops of color at a time. Colored pencils, however, layer and blend immediately on the page, so the safest route may be to test some combinations on scrap paper before committing to anything.
And, as noted above, pink and green are complementary, so if you place them next to each other - such as in a flower arrangement for Mother's Day or food basket as a gift - you will see that striking contrast right away. Depending on the specific shades of green and pink, this can make your gift stand out. Test out different pinks and greens next to each other and see how they catch your eye.
What Two Colors Make Green?
As we mentioned, green is a secondary color. That means two of the primary colors mix together to make green. Those two colors are blue and yellow. However, it's very important that you note the type of blue and yellow you use to make green. As we said, a bluer green will result in vastly different mixtures than a yellowy green. So exactly how much blue and yellow you use to make green can have a big impact on your end result.
What Three Colors Make Pink?
Pink is even more complicated. Some people think it's about what three colors make pink, but you can get away with using just two - red and white. Slowly add white to a bit of red until you get the shade of pink you're looking for.
Of course, for a more dynamic color, you might add a little bit of other colors. Perhaps a bit of purple gives you the result you're looking for. Or maybe your pink requires some cooling blue tones. If you go this route, just be cautious, as you can quickly end up with a neutral like brown or gray if you mix the wrong things too quickly.
Using Pink and Green for Holidays
Pink and green are great colors for celebrating all sorts of holidays. Mother's Day and Easter are especially good holidays for green and pink to shine, as they fall during times of the year when spring is waking up all the trees and flowers around us. That means there will be a lot of pink and green blooming in nature. You can steal a bit of Mother Nature's style for your own holiday decorations and gifts.
Use Pink and Green for Mother's Day Cards and Gifts
Want to wish your mom the happiest of Mother's Days? Decorate her card or gift with pink or green. This might mean a bouquet full of pink flowers nestled among green leaves and stems. It might mean a card colored lovingly by hand.
Even gifts like a food basket can incorporate green and pink. If you're planning to give mom baked goods or any kind of food in a jar, you could easily decorate with pink and green. Search for ribbons and bows in those colors. Or head outside and see if you can find flowers to decorate with. These striking yet joyful colors will bring your mother joy on her special day.
Use Pink and Green for Easter Eggs and Decorations
You can do a lot with pink and green for Easter. Paint your Easter eggs with pink and green, or try your hand at mixing dye to see what color pink and green can make. The contrast of pink and green can make for a fun and colorful design on your Easter eggs.
You can also decorate baskets. Try out a pink paper Easter basket with green Easter grass. The striking contrast will make the treats inside the basket even more enticing.
Use Pink and Green on These Kawaii Coloring Pages for Kids
There's no need to wait for a holiday to try your hand at all the fun colors pink and green can make. You can mix them right now on these adorable Kawaii coloring pages! (And even though we say they're for kids, we think that any teen or adult could have a fun time with these cutesy images too!)
What Other Colors Can I Mix?
