What Color Does Pink and Green Make? Complete Guide

When you think of pink and green, you might not realize how popular this color combination is. This color pairing is quite trendy in the fashion world and is a tried and tested combination that works well for interior designs. However, pink mixed with green is another matter altogether. You might be finding it difficult to picture what happens when pink and green are mixed, so let us see if we can make things a bit clearer. Read further to discover more about what pink and green make!

What Color Does Pink and Green Make?

To quickly summarize, pink and green mixed will produce a more neutral color like gray or brown. However, it can also produce a more desaturated or muted green color, depending on the shade of green and pink and the ratios used. It is similar to what happens when you mix red and green, just that pink is a softer and lighter version of red.

 In the table below, you have a standard pink and green, which when mixed, create a desaturated dark green like asparagus.

However, if you use darker shades of pink and green, it will produce a color closer to gray. This also depends on the type of colors used, for example, is it a warm or cool green? We will explain this in the next section of our article.

Color Mixing Overview for Different Shades of Green and Pink

Mixing Pink and Green Paint

Getting back to the color wheel and how colors relate to one another, we will now be discussing how pink mixed with green results in a gray or brown. If you are using the traditional color system, red, yellow, and blue are the primary hues, and green is one of the secondary hues. Green is made by blending blue and yellow. So, pink and green mixed form a mixture of all three primary hues.

When pigment colors are blended, it uses subtractive color mixing. This means that some colors are absorbed, while the color left over is reflected. If all three primaries are mixed, it kind of cancels each other out and creates a neutral. If you use pure single colors in equal proportions, it should produce a pure black. However, this hardly ever happens when using paints. 

Pink and green mixed will, therefore, create a range of options that lean more toward gray or brown. The ratios or proportions of paint colors added also affect the resulting color. Results will also depend on the color bias. As we have mentioned you can have both cooler and warmer versions of pink and green.

Take the colors in the table below, which are examples of warmer colors. The strawberry shade of pink leans more toward red, while the olive color has a yellow undertone. You can also use a warmer peachy pink that has orange undertones. This blend of warmer pinks and greens will create a neutral closer to brown.

On the other hand, cooler versions will create a color closer to gray. Red and green are also known as complementary colors, meaning that they are located on opposing ends of the color wheel. When placed side-by-side, they form a high contrast, but when these two colors or complements are mixed, they cancel each other out and create a grayscale neutral.

Depending on the ratios, the pink will tone down the green to create a more desaturated green. In more equal proportions, pink mixed with green will produce a muted muddy gray or brown. 

Creating Lighter and Darker Shades

Creating just the right gray and brown by mixing pink and green can be quite challenging. However, once you have mixed your colors, you can make some adjustments. To make a color lighter, as you would with red to make pink, you will add white. This is how you make color tints.

You can add white to your gray or brown to create a lighter version. Keep adding white until you reach the desired look. Instead of going lighter, you can go darker as well. Adding black to the mix will create what is known as a color shade. Only add small amounts of black, as it is difficult to adjust if you have added too much.

Pink mixed with green can also be darkened further by simply adding more blue instead of black.

Meaning of Gray and Brown

Gray and brown might seem a bit dull and are not as vibrant as other colors, but these neutrals also have certain meanings attached to them. Gray might seem the most boring of the two, as it can appear cold and unassuming.

Gray can be calming, especially when paired with colors like blue. Gray is also perceived as a safe neutral choice that is associated with wisdom and has a certain seriousness and mystery about it.

Gray can also be sophisticated, conservative, and mature. However, it can also negatively symbolize coldness, sadness, pessimism, and isolation.

Brown is warmer and is associated more with nature and the earth. The brown color is grounding and offers a sense of stability. The warm color is also comforting and reliable. The color is also associated with wisdom, security, honesty, simplicity, and protection. Negatively, it can be seen as predictable and boring.

Understanding Pink and Green As Colors

Where do pink and green sit in the grand scheme of things? We have all learned a little something about color theory at school, where the traditional RYB color system was used to help with using and mixing colors. In this system, you will find that the primary hues are red, yellow, and blue.

These colors come as is and cannot be made by mixing other colors. However, you can mix two primary colors, which then create your secondary colors that include, orange, green, and purple. All of these colors can be seen on the color wheel, which is a simple visual illustration of every color.

So, from this, we now know that green is a secondary hue that is made by combining blue and yellow. Pink can be described as a lighter version of red, a primary color.

When you look at the color wheel, you might notice that the blue, green, and purple colors are on one side, while the red, orange, and yellow colors are on the other side. Pink, as a version of red, is considered a warm color and is placed close to the other warm colors like orange and yellow. Green is considered a cool color and is located close to the other cool colors like blue and purple.

However, you can also get pinks that have a cooler undertone, which are called cool pinks, and they contain hints of blue.  There are also warmer greens that can contain more yellow. Now as these colors sit on the color wheel, there are some rules as to how all the colors relate to each other. But before we get into that, what is the basic meaning behind pink and green?

Meaning of Pink

As with red, pink is associated with love, but where red is a stronger and more passionate color, pink is a softer and more compassionate and romantic hue. Pink is nurturing, calming, comforting, warm, and hopeful. Pink also has a playful, happy, and youthful side.

The color pink is also associated with intuition and kindness and is often seen as a feminine color. In other countries like Japan, pink is seen as more of a masculine color, and in Korea, it is the color of trust.

Pink can also be seen in a negative light and can be associated with immaturity, a lack of confidence, and being overly emotional.

Meaning of Green

 Green is a color that we see everywhere in nature, so it is often associated with harmony, balance, tranquility, health, youth, and fertility. Green is a color that can both calm and revitalize, creating a balance within our bodies. The color green is also a color of hope that promises growth and prosperity.

Negatively, green can be a symbol of jealousy and immaturity.

Understanding Pink and Green in Other Color Models

There are a few color models in use today, the RGB color system is quite popular due to the advances in technology. This color model can be seen in things like your cellphone screen and is the blending or overlaying of colored light. Color mixing is additive in this model, as it adds layers of the visible color spectrum that vary in brightness to create the perceived color. This is the opposite of the subtractive method that takes away parts of the color spectrum.

Red, green, and blue are your primary hues, and cyan, magenta, and yellow are your secondary hues. Isaac Newton, an English physicist was the first to explain the visible light spectrum.

So, we now know that when all three of these primary colors are combined at full brightness, they will create white light. As you can see below, the RGB color code contains a percentage of red, green, and blue. So, if you combine pink and green, it creates a blend that contains all primary colors. 

As with brown and gray, white is a neutral color and also holds some meaning. White is often associated with peace, cleanliness, and innocence. White can be seen as the harmony between colors and can be seen as simple yet refreshing. Other associations include hope, purity, clarity, and perfection. Some negative associations with white involve it being cold, distant, and boring.

Printing Color Model

When printing, a printer uses different color ink pigments to create colors. This model uses subtractive color mixing, similar to the traditional color model. However, in this case, the primary hues include cyan, magenta, and yellow (CMYK). Black is also added to the set of colors used. The secondary hues include red, green, and blue. Pink and green mixed, in this case, will also involve all of the primary colors. However, instead of white, it will create black or dark gray, depending on how dark or light the colors used are.

Black is another neutral that is associated with sophistication, power, and mystery. Black can also evoke feelings of sadness and is associated with depression.

Best Uses for Pink and Green in Art and Design

When pink and green are paired, they create a striking and eye-catching combination that can be utilized in a design. In art, green is used much more as it is the color of nature and can be used in creating beautiful landscapes. When painting, green is also often used as a background, as it can make other colors stand out, especially skin tones. Pink is used less often, but it can be used to create skin tones and in other elements like flowers or clothing.

Pink can also be used to tone down greens.

Pink and green mixed can help to form a range of grays that can be used to highlight, or it can be used for shading, adding backgrounds, or even to help create skin tones. Different shades of brown can also create backgrounds and can add warmth to a painting. Brown can also be used to create a more subtle movement of light to dark and can also be used to create skin tones. Pink and green are colors that can also be used in a variety of design possibilities.

Graphic Design

Pink in graphic designs and branding is often seen as a more feminine color, so any products and services are aimed at a primarily female demographic. Other common ideas where pink is used include companies that sell baby products, makeup, or toys. Green is aimed at nature, harmony, and health, so it is an excellent color for any health and wellness products or services. Green is also ideal for eco-friendly products or environmental brands.

Green is also associated with wealth, so banks may use this color, along with blue, which is a color that symbolizes trust.

These colors can be used throughout your business, from creating websites to logos and other promotional items. Pink and green can also be used together to create an eye-catching look, depending on the different shades used. Gray and brown are ideal neutrals to use with any color, including pink and green.

Fashion Design

Wearing pink and green can be quite a bold fashion choice, but it seems to be a popular one. You can also tone down the look by using softer shades and combining them with neutrals like gray, brown, and white. You can also simply add pops of pink and green to an outfit, by accessorizing with handbags, shoes, scarves, coats, or painting your nails.

Interior Design

Using pink and green to design interiors can create some amazing, fun, and sophisticated looks. Remember to incorporate the 60, 30, 10 rule when designing, to make sure the look is balanced. There are also many alternative colors to choose from. There are more vibrant and striking pinks or softer and calmer pinks, and the same goes for green.

Both colors can be applied to the walls as your main color choice. However, if these colors seem too much, you can also bring pink and green in on a smaller scale by adding accessories like cushions, plants, or artwork.

Consider pairing with neutrals like brown and gray or white to create a more balanced look.

Pink and green are common colors that have many design possibilities. However, when working with paints, the results of mixing pink and green might surprise you. The only way to understand the reason behind pink and green forming a neutral gray or brown is to learn everything about color theory. The best way to do this is to mix your own paints, experiment, and have fun while doing so!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Does Pink and Green Make?

When mixing paints, pink and green combined in equal amounts will create a neutral gray or brown, depending on the shade of each color used. You can also use smaller amounts of pink to tone down the green, creating a softer and more muted green. 

Does Pink and Green Work Well Together?

Pink and green are complementary colors, so they form a high contrast when paired. There are also many variations of both colors, and all of them work quite well together to create a visually appealing design.

What Does Hot Pink and Emerald Green Make?

Hot pink is a vibrant and warm pink, while emerald green is a cool green. Mixing these two in equal amounts will produce a shade of dark gray with reddish undertones.

Charlene Lewis( Content Creator and Creativity Writer )

In 2005, Charlene completed her Wellness Diplomas in Therapeutic Aromatherapy and Reflexology from the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for a couple of years, before opening up her own therapy practice. It was in 2015 that a friend, who was a digital marketer, asked her to join her company as a content creator, and this is where she found her excitement for writing.

Since joining the content writing world, she has gained a lot of experience over the years writing on a diverse selection of topics, from beauty, health, wellness, travel, and more. Due to various circumstances, she had to close her therapy practice and is now a full-time freelance writer. Being a creative person, she could not pass up the opportunity to contribute to the Art in Context team, where is was in her element, writing about a variety of art and craft topics. Contributing articles for over three years now, her knowledge in this area has grown, and she has gotten to explore her creativity and improve her research and writing skills.

Charlene Lewis has been working for artincontext.org since the relaunch in 2020. She is an experienced writer and mainly focuses on the topics of color theory, painting and drawing.

Learn more about Charlene Lewis and the Art in Context Team.