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Introduction
The question “what seven colors make white?” may sound like a riddle, but it’s a valid one. In art, color mixing is a fundamental technique that can be used to create a wide range of hues and shades. White is often used to lighten or soften colors, but how exactly is it created? In this blog post, we will explore the science and art of color mixing to answer this question.
The Science of Color Mixing
Color mixing is the process of combining two or more colors to create a new one. The science of color mixing is based on the three primary colors: red, blue, and yellow. These three colors are called primary because they cannot be created by mixing other colors. However, they can be used to create all other colors.
Secondary Colors
When you mix two primary colors together, you create a secondary color. The three secondary colors are green (created by mixing blue and yellow), orange (created by mixing red and yellow), and purple (created by mixing red and blue).
Tertiary Colors
When you mix a primary color with a secondary color, you create a tertiary color. There are six tertiary colors: red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-purple, and red-purple.
Now that we understand the basics of color mixing, let’s explore how we can use it to create white.
The Color Wheel
The color wheel is a visual tool that artists and designers use to understand and mix colors. It’s a circular diagram that shows the relationships between primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. The color wheel can help us understand how to mix colors to create white.
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are pairs of colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. When you mix complementary colors together, they neutralize each other and create gray or brown. However, when you mix all three primary colors together, you get white. This is because all three primary colors are equally represented, and they cancel each other out.
For example, the complementary color of blue is orange. If you mix blue and orange together, they will create a grayish-brown color. However, if you mix blue, red, and yellow together, you will get white.
RGB Color Model
The RGB color model is used in digital art and design. It stands for red, green, and blue, which are the primary colors used in digital displays. The RGB color model is based on the concept of additive color mixing, which means that colors are created by adding light together.
When you combine all three primary colors at full brightness, you get white. This is why computer screens and televisions appear to be white when turned on.
CMY Color Model
The CMY color model is used in printing. It stands for cyan, magenta, and yellow, which are the primary colors used in printing. The CMY color model is based on the concept of subtractive color mixing, which means that colors are created by subtracting light from white paper.
When you combine all three primary colors at full intensity, you get black. This is because all the light is absorbed by the ink on the paper. However, if you subtract all three primary colors equally, you get white. This is why printers often use white paper as the base color for printing.
Color Temperature
Color temperature is a term used to describe the warmth or coolness of a color. Colors can be classified as warm or cool based on their position on the color wheel. Warm colors are those that contain more red, while cool colors contain more blue.
When mixing colors to create white, it’s important to consider their color temperature. If you mix warm colors together, you will get a warm white that contains more red. If you mix cool colors together, you
will get a cool white that contains more blue. The ideal white color for a particular application will depend on the context and the desired effect.
Color Mixing Techniques
There are several techniques that can be used to mix colors to create white. Here are some of the most common ones:
Equal Parts
The easiest way to mix colors to create white is to use equal parts of all three primary colors. This means adding the same amount of red, blue, and yellow to your palette, and mixing them together until they create a uniform white color.
Gradual Addition
Another technique is to gradually add small amounts of a primary color to a secondary color until it turns white. For example, you can add a small amount of blue to orange until it becomes a light peach color. Continue adding blue until the color becomes white.
Tinting
Tinting is the process of adding white to a color to lighten it. To create white, you can gradually add small amounts of white to your palette until you achieve the desired shade. This technique is often used in watercolor painting and other mediums that rely on transparency.
Glazing
Glazing is a technique used in oil painting where layers of transparent colors are applied to a white canvas. By layering different colors on top of each other, artists can create a wide range of hues and values. To create white, artists can apply a thin layer of white paint on top of the layers of glaze.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the answer to the question “what seven colors make white?” is actually quite simple: all three primary colors, red, blue, and yellow, must be mixed together in equal parts to create white. Additionally, when all three primary colors are combined at full brightness in the RGB color model or subtracted equally in the CMY color model, white is produced. Color temperature and mixing techniques can also affect the resulting shade of white. With a better understanding of color mixing, artists and designers can create a vast array of colors, including white, to bring their vision to life.
