What Colors Make Olive Green? What Two Colors Make Olive Green

In this article, we will be talking about olive green; how to produce it by mixing colors, and how to use it.

Let’s start by imagining the color olive. What comes to mind when you think about it?

Perhaps you are picturing green olives, which are the best representative of this particular hue. After all, it is named after the olive fruit.

You might also think of the skin color referred to as “olive.” This is a skin tone with yellow or golden undertones, which are an integral part of producing olive.

If you are an artist who paints on a canvas or one who uses the computer to create digital designs, you might be interested in knowing how to mix colors in order to get olive. This is extremely helpful to get the tint, shade, or tone you want to use in your designs.

Moreover, color mixing is one of the most important skills for an artist to master. So, whether you are a painter or a makeup artist, you can definitely benefit from knowing how to mix colors to get this hue.

Ready to know what colors make olive green? Here’s what you need to understand first.

Read on…

The Color Wheel

Before we proceed with the combination that makes olive, it is first important to know where this hue sits in the color wheel. You might remember the wheel as your very first exposure to color theory. This approach says that there are three primary colors, namely red, blue and yellow.

Now, when you mix two of these primaries you will get secondary hues, which are green, orange, and purple. Mixing a primary and secondary color results in tertiary hues. Arranging these in order in a circle makes the color wheel.

Looking at the color olive, and from the name itself, it is easy to conclude that it is a variety of the secondary color green. Specifically, olive is located between greenish and yellowish tones in the wheel.

This gives you a pretty clear clue as to what colors you should mix to get this hue. So, without further ado, you can get the answer below.

Keep on reading…

What Colors Make Olive Green?

Let’s talk about what two colors make olive green. You can mix green and yellow to get olive green. Just keep in mind that you need to use the right amount to get the hue.

When using these two colors, you will need to use more yellows as this will give you a pale greenish shade.

If you do not have green on hand, you can simply combine blue and yellow to make this base color. Then proceed with adding yellow until you get the hue you need.

Aside from the two mentioned hues, you can also get olive by combining yellow and black. In fact, mixing different amounts of yellow with a hint of black can give you a variety of green tones. You can also use grey instead of black if you want to use less yellow paint.

Olive Green in Design

Now that you know what colors to mix to get olive, you may be ready to paint using this hue. In doing so, it is important to know that this hue symbolizes hope, wisdom, and compassion. So, if you are using these themes to create a masterpiece, olive green is a great choice.

Moreover, this hue also symbolizes sophistication. This is why a lot of modern luxury items come in shades of olive. Paired with neutral hues including beige, tan, and grey, you can create an elegant painting.

Military themes will also benefit from this color. Keep in mind that military personnel wears camouflage colored with a variant of olive called “olive drab.”

This color is preferred by the military because of its toned-down characteristic, making it a suitable hue for blending into the environment, especially in forested and sandy areas.

If you are looking to create masterpieces using different versions of this hue, you can include similar colors such as a lighter tint of yellow, brownish tones, and pale greenish ones. This way, your work will exude a sophisticated air.

When highlighting this yellowish-greenish, and to some, brownish shade, you want to surround it with its complementary colors, such as varieties of red and violet. You can even add a pop of color to a design by adding olive.

Conclusion

Whether you are planning designs for a room or you are brainstorming for a painting, olive green is a great option. This versatile tone can work with other hues to create a dynamic combination. Moreover, the meanings associated with this hue give you a wide variety of ideas to experiment with.

This concludes this lesson about combining hues to create olive. We hope you learned a lot about color mixing and design.