If we were to ask you to define the color teal, you would probably say that it is a bit bluish and greenish. Well, you will not be entirely wrong if your answer is that. However, as artists, we do not have the same version of the color in our minds.
Some might refer to the color as something a bit bright and light at the same time. That is why many cannot really formulate the color properly by mixing the other colors.
Now the question that stands is how to make teal paint properly. Well, that is what we are going to focus on in this article precisely.
From the years of painting experience, we know the exact blend of colors that makes the color teal. And we have an idea regarding every version of the paint.
So, if you want to get the right shade of color in your painting, you need to read through the entire article.
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What Colors Make Teal Paint?
Many beginner artists are going to ask what two colors make teal color paint. But the thing is that the actual shade of the paint cannot be gained using just two colors. You would need to add a third color to get the exact shade.
Generally, the ideal shade of teal color consists of three different paints. The first one is blue, followed by green, and a little bit of white.
When you blend these three colors, you are sure to end up with teal paint. However, it is certainly possible to mix yellow to the blend. That will offer a distinct shade to the color.
How to Make Teal Paint: Complete Step-by-Step Guide
Most of the artists will work with acrylic colors, which is why the question of how to make teal acrylic paint is pretty common.
Considering that, we have focused on acrylic colors in our guide. The steps that you need to follow to get acrylic teal color are as follows:
Step 1: Get Yourself the Right Selection of Blues
The base of the paint is blue. But which blue should you pick? We recommend picking all of the blues that you have in your arsenal. So, include the brighter, lighter, deeper, and darker shade of blue.
By picking all of the shades of blue, the chances of creating the color that is right for the painting you have in your mind will be high.
Squeeze a little bit of each of the shades on the palette and move along to the next step. However, please do not mix them up. Instead, keep them separate.
Note that with regards to shades, teal tends to be a bit darker than its close cousin, turquoise. The blue tint you will pick in the end will dictate how much richness or depth the paint will have.
Step 2: Select the Right Shade of Green
The color green is the second color that you need to work with to make the teal paint. However, unlike blue, there is no need to get numerous shades. Instead, you need to pick the right shade of color.
Here, the right shade of the green color would be the one that is not dark. So, medium green shades such as those akin to emerald green or Kelly green would be sufficient for the process.
Step 3: Choose a Couple of Yellow Colors
Now that you are done selecting the right shade of green, it will be time to play with the shades of yellow.
And this is another color in which different artists are going to have different opinions. It will boil down to the shade of teal that your painting demands.
So, it would be ideal if you worked with all of the shades of yellow that you have in your arsenal. Squeeze them all out into the palette, just like the blues. Keep them separate, and do not mix them up with any of the other colors.
Step 4: Grab a White Paint
The white paint is the last color that you would want to pick. Here, we would recommend going with the plain shade of white.
That will provide the right touch-up that the tone of the teal paint requires. You might not even need to use the white color if the teal color’s depth and darkness are right at the first attempt.
We are going to use white paint to change the density of the color. The plain white will also allow us to make the necessary adjustments and tweaks.
Step 5: Get Mixing
Once you have all of the colors on the palette, it is time to mix them. First, mix 2 parts of the blue paint with ½ to 1 part of yellow and 1 part of the green. You might not nail the teal color on the first go, but that is okay.
Instead of getting discouraged, try to get the general feeling of the color and make necessary changes. Here are the things that we attempted at first:
- We mixed a bit of the phthalo blue with some yellow and added white to the mix, creating a basic form of the color teal.
- Using both brushes and knives, we blended the colors together. The brushes are great for mixing paints of large amounts, whereas the knife will offer you more control when mixing a small amount of the paint.
- We tried different shades of blues and yellows to get the shade of teal that our work required.
- Using every shade of blue and yellow available, we made every tone and temperature of the color, which allowed us to end up with each shade of the color teal.
Finally, if the shade of the color does not satisfy you and you are looking for something that is a bit on the lighter shade, mix in a bit of white.
The white color will do a proper job of lightening up the shade and adding complexity and opacity to the paint.
But before you go full in on the white, we would recommend starting with a little bit. Get the paintbrush to mix in the white and squeeze more if required properly.
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How to Make Dark Teal Paint?
Your work might require a darker shade of teal. In that case, you would want to mix the green and a dark shade of blue first.
Instead of adding the white right away, see how the color looks at first. Then add a little bit of dark yellow. In most cases, that should offer you dark teal paint.
But if the darker shade is not up to your satisfaction, opt for colors with a burnt-umber tone. Mix a bit of that to the blend, and you should be capable of making the shade of teal darker.
How to Make Teal Color Paint Brighter?
Like the darker shade of the teal, you might also want to work with a brighter shade of the color.
Well, the process is as simple as the dark one. First, mix a bright shade of yellow with green. Then opt for a light blue color. That should offer you an aqua-ish teal color.
If you want to add depth and make it lighter and brighter, add a little bit of white paint. That will add complexity and make the mix a bit bright and light.
However, if you were looking for cooler tones or the color of water, simply blend the green and blue hues together. That will offer you a teal color representing water. And it does not require any yellow or white paint.
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What Is the Teal Color Code in RGB and CMYK?
Working on a painting digitally? Well, in that case, you will require the codes for the color teal. In CMYK, which stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key(black), the percentage of the blend is as follows:
- C: 83 percent
- M: 11 percent
- Y: 41 percent
- K: 14 percent
To obtain darker and brighter shades, you need to play with yellow and black. In other words, the Y and K. Increase them to get a darker shade and decrease them to get a lighter shade.
On the other hand, for the RGB color profile, the code is #008080. This will offer you the basic color of teal.
Like the CMYK, you would need to play with the colors to achieve darker and lighter tones. For a darker shade, increase the blue a bit and lower the white. Decrease them to get a lighter shade.
Final Words
As you can see, learning how to make teal-colored paint is not that hard at all. You can easily blend the blue, green, yellow, and white together to get the right shade of color.
So, whenever you do not find a dedicated tube of paint, do not panic. Just follow the steps correctly.