What Colors Make Golden Yellow?

Are you curious about what colors make golden yellow when mixed together? Stick around as we share the answer…

Equal parts royalty and fun, golden yellow seems to encompass what it means to be mature yet still exciting and youthful.

Defined as a cross between a duller and a redder shade of buttercup yellow, golden yellow takes on a more orangey-yellowish tone compared to others in the spectrum.

Upon hearing the words “golden yellow” you might easily think of hope, radiance, and optimism. It may even remind you of sunny days and cool winds.

Bearing roots from gold, this particular hue is not only associated with royalty, but it also evokes a sense of love, wisdom, compassion, and illumination. It also symbolizes grandeur and timelessness.

In art, golden yellow plays a key role. Whether these be in pop culture, impressionism, symbolism, and many others, there’s no denying that this hue is essential no matter what period or piece it is in.

Because of this, learning how to properly combine colors in order to achieve a lovely golden yellow is important.

Apart from knowing how to expand your horizons beyond the usual and more basic tones, it also allows you to use your color-mixing skills in a variety of ways.

From painting your own masterpiece to crafting your own special makeup look for a night out, the possibilities are endless.

To learn more about golden yellow, keep on reading…

Color Theory and the Color Wheel

At a glance, you might easily dismiss this hue as part of the yellow spectrum. You’re not wrong.

However, while it falls in line with the other yellow-toned hues, what sets it apart from the rest is its subtle complexities and the other pigments found within.

To start off, a refresher on color theory and the color wheel is in order.

The color wheel depicts the relationship of one shade to another, while color theory makes use of science and art combined to gauge what hues work well together.

In an expanded color wheel, you might see golden yellow as analogous to the base form of yellow, meaning it is located near the primary color yellow.

It is also closely related to the two other yellows that sit on either side of it, or as a monochromatic combination. A monochromatic approach anchors itself on three shades, tones, and tints from one base color, in this case, yellow.

The Basics of Color

In its most basic form, the color form holds 12 hues. These include the basic or primary colors, namely red, blue, and yellow.

Secondary pigments, on the other hand, are made up of two primary tones combined. These are green, orange, and violet.

Lastly, tertiary shades come about by adding one primary color with one secondary shade. These result in red-orange, red-violet, blue-green, blue-violet, yellow-green, and yellow-orange.

What Colors Make Golden Yellow

Now that you have taken our short refresher course on color theory, the color wheel, and the basics of color mixing, you might have an idea of how golden yellow is achieved.

For this, you will, of course, need your base pigment: yellow.

To arrive at the slightly duller and muted shade of golden yellow, you will also need brown pigment.

To make brown using only primary colors, simply add equal parts of red, blue, and yellow together.

Mix yellow and a small amount of brown to get golden yellow.

Another way you can achieve this is by adding a hint of red into the mix. You may also experiment with combining gray with yellow.

Golden Yellow in Design

To this day, golden yellow remains such a magnetic force that its influence can be seen throughout various fields and industries.

From fashion, art, pop culture, and interiors – the sky is the limit. Here, we pay homage to and recognize some of the golden yellow’s best moments throughout history.

In terms of fashion, golden yellow continues to show up on the runway of some of the finest designers and fashion houses today.

From Fendi, JW Anderson, Kate Spade, and many others, this color is not going away anytime soon, not when the call of spring and summer is just around the corner.

In the world of art, it appears that many artists over the years have grown fond of this hue. Even Vincent Van Gogh was captivated by it, exhibiting the masterful use of this pigment from his cult-favorite sunflowers to the tones of his private bedroom.

Even Gustav Klimt was a fan of this hue, taking lengths to use actual gold, particularly for his golden phase which spanned a number of paintings, including Pallas Athena, Judith I, Adele Block-Bauer I, and of course, The Kiss.

Art lovers and enthusiasts alike who seek to get their hands on his work may see this golden yellow hue in reproductions.

The Bottom Line

There is no denying that color combinations are essential in just about any work or field. From artistic pursuits to design needs, this skill certainly comes in handy.

Hope you enjoyed this article about what colors make golden yellow, feel free to go beyond the box and use these for your own creations.