How to Make Teal – Lean to Create the Shades of Teal

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What comes to mind when you think of the color teal? Maybe images of tropical beaches or rainforests come to mind? Teal is a combination of the colors green and blue and provides a feeling of calmness, balance, and renewal. We will be taking a look at what colors make teal, the different shades of teal, and how to make teal paint in this article.

A History of the Color Teal

The history of teal is not as extensive as some other colors like red or blue, however, there are a few facts that do stand out. The first mention of the actual color came about in 1917. There is a species of freshwater duck known as the Common or Eurasian Teal, which has a blue-green stripe located on its head. Hence, the name teal was used in reference to this duck and the name became synonymous with the color.

Teal is regarded as a darker form of cyan, which is one of the colors used in printing. Teal was also added to the original collection of sixteen web colors that formed HTML, which is the building block for websites, in 1987.

The color teal is close to similar colors like aqua, as both have combinations of green and blue. However, teal has a lower saturation that makes it a softer color for the eyes. The color became popular in the 90s, as quite a few sports teams chose the color for their uniforms. Since teal is associated with trustworthiness and reliability, it has been used in marketing campaigns over the years. Teal has also become a popular color in design and around the home in various combinations with other colors.

What Two Colors Make Teal?

Teal can be the description for quite a few colors that contain blues and greens or greenish blues. The color teal is not a primary or secondary color and falls in the category of tertiary colors. So, when it comes to what colors make teal, you will need to look at combining a primary blue with a secondary green color. To this mixture, white is added to create your specific teal color. However, there are also many shades of teal.

This means you can use a variety of blue and green tones to produce different shades of teal. However, to produce a color that leans towards blue-green and is a darker teal, you can simply leave out the white. The most common two colors used to make teal include phthalo green and phthalo blue. This brings us to a bit of color theory and takes into consideration the color wheel. Colors can have a color bias, meaning, you can change the color so that it is warmer or cooler. So, if you want control over the colors you create, it is best to use your primary colors and start mixing colors from scratch. To do this, you need to create green from your primary colors of blue and yellow, and to this, you will then add more blue to create a teal color.

You can also make a light teal color or a darker color by adding more white paint or leaving out the white altogether. You can also try adding an extremely small amount of black or gray to the mix, however, burnt umber can also be used. There are also various shades of your primary colors you can choose to create a teal color that is brighter, more muted, or darker in color.

On the color wheel, your colors that sit directly opposite one another are known as complementary colors. These colors, when placed close together, can make the colors seem bolder and brighter. So, your coral, or other shades of coral and orange will make teal stand out.

Shades of Teal

Teal, like any other color, has many shades and tones and you will need to find the right color that fits your requirements. The correct color also depends on what type of medium you use and the surface you are painting on. So, experimenting and testing out various colors can help you to reach your perfect teal color. For example, to create a brighter and lighter shade of teal consider blending an aquamarine blue with green.

There are also different approaches when it comes to creating colors. Painters will combine the primary colors and other hues to get the colors they want. When it comes to digital colors, it is a combination of red, green, and blue (RGB), while printing involves a mixture of cyan, magenta, yellow and black (CMYK). Below are a few of the more popular shades of teal with their hex codes and percentages of color. The hex code is simply a representation of the amounts of red, green, and blue in a color that everybody can recognize.

How to Make Teal Paint?

What colors is teal? The general method for creating this color is to blend blue, green, and then white paint. Depending on your needs, you will have to decide on the shade or tone of teal you are looking for. We have mentioned that phthalo blue, as well as green paint, seems to be a popular choice. Another point to take into consideration is to select a blue shade that leans more towards green than it does red.

Sometimes, it is best to create a color palette and to document your colors so that you can replicate the process in the future. To do this, select a variety of blue shades and tones. Even though blue is a primary color, artists might differ in their opinion on exact shades of teal. By testing out a lighter blue and a darker blue, you are more likely to find the color that best suits your needs. Your second color, green, is just as important in creating the color teal. The best option would be to choose a green that is not too dark, so something like emerald green or a nice intense Kelly green is recommended.

You can add white to the mix for a light teal color, however, for a lighter and brighter version, consider selecting a few shades of yellow. Different types of yellow can add brightness as well as create bolder and deeper colors. In this case, you can still use the white to tone down the color if you added too much of any of the other paints. To start, mix two parts blue paint with one part green and add a half to one part yellow. This should give you a general teal color to work with. You can work on changes as you go to create the color you need. Another option is to use phthalo blue and mix in some bright yellow, then add small amounts of white paint.

What colors is teal? You can also achieve teal by doing the following. Take one part of white paint and put it onto your palette. You can then use three parts of cyan blue, placing it alongside your white paint. Gradually mix the two paints, then next to this, place one part cadmium yellow next to the mixed paint. Slowly mix the yellow paint into your blue-white mixture. This should make a basic bright teal color. You can darken the color by adding a little burnt umber. You can use black, but this might dampen the color too much.

To create a light teal color, you can add a small amount of white. You can also add a small amount of either green or blue, the paint will then show up more green or blue in the teal color. If you have added too much of either color paint, try adding a little yellow to even the color out.  Take notes on the ratios and paint you use and make samples of the colors for future reference.

Interior Decorating With Teal

Teal can create a calm and inviting atmosphere in any space and has become a popular color in many homes and even businesses. You have a choice of choosing a more vibrant color to make a statement or try a more subdued shade to create a calming effect. You have a few colors that work amazingly well with teal. White can create an excellent contrast with teal, as well as coral and other orange shades. Golds, browns, and neutral colors work especially well with teal; however, cream, pinks, and navy colors can also be used. Teal is a versatile color that can be used on walls as well as furniture and décor accessories. Some examples include:

• A muted teal painted wall combined with a mirror that has a gold frame
• Create a teal accent wall, with the other wall surfaces being a cream or white
• Consider a teal painted roof with white walls
• Teal themed kitchen with gold and brown accents
• Subdued teal for kitchen cabinets and walls for a soft look that creates a calming atmosphere
• If you are going to choose a gray to go along with teal, preferably choose a warmer gray, otherwise, the room can appear a bit too cold

When painting walls, it is a major task and can be quite an expensive project. So, before you go out to purchase your paint, select a few samples and test them out on the wall you want to paint. You can then decide which shade of teal you prefer and then you can go ahead with painting.

Tips for Working With Shades of Teal

Painting can be an exploration of color and techniques, where anything is possible if you only try. However, you do have some tricks that artists have learned along the way. So, when you are discovering how to make teal paint, there are a few things you can do to make the process easier.

• To create a more lustrous shade of teal, you can use metallic acrylic paints to make the color seem more iridescent
• Acrylics will become darker as they dry, so it might be best to mix a color lighter than you want
• You can use a paint brush to blend paint colors or a palette knife. Brushes are great for larger amounts of paint, while the palette knife can mix more effectively with smaller amounts
• Try not to use black to darken colors, it will darken the paint, but it will also make it appear dull, and adding too much is difficult to remedy
• To darken paint, rather use a darker shade of the paints you are already using. For teal consider gray or burnt umber
• Acrylic paints dry quite quickly, and any mixtures should be used, but you can store the unused paint in an airtight container for a short time
• Select different tones of blue and green to get different shades of teal

Take a look at our what colors make teal webstory here!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Color Teal a Primary Color?

Teal is not a primary or secondary color and is known as a tertiary color. Teal requires a blend of blue, green, and white. You can create teal with the primary colors. First, combine blue with some yellow to make green, which becomes your secondary color. Then, you can add in more blue and some white to create a basic teal.

What Two Colors Make Teal?

The two colors that make teal are blue and green. By blending an equal amount of both colors, and then adding a little white, you can create a basic teal color. Experiment with different amounts of paint colors to help achieve the color you want.

Is Teal Considered a Cool or Warm Color?

When considering color theory, colors can have a color bias, meaning they can either lean towards warmer or cooler colors. So, since teal is made up of blue and green, these are both cooler colors and that makes teal a cool color as well. However, you can also create warmer undertones by using different tones of blue or green.

How Can You Darken Teal?

When you want to darken teal, black is an option but not the best one. Preferably, you should use a small amount of burnt umber or orange, which are complementary colors.

Are Teal And Turquoise Colors The Same?

Turquoise is a more vibrant and lighter tone, consisting of more blue than green. On the other hand, teal is more of a deeper blue-green combination. However, they both fall into similar areas that lie between blue and green. The hex code for teal is #008080, while turquoise is #30d5c8.

Duncan van der Merwe( Color Theory Expert, Video Editor )

Duncan graduated with a diploma in Film and TV production from CityVarsity in 2018, after which he continued pursuing film while taking on a keen interest in writing along the way. Since having graduated, he began working as a freelance videographer, filming a variety of music videos, fashion and short films, adverts, weddings and more. Throughout this, he’s won a number of awards from various film festivals that are both locally and internationally recognized. However, Duncan still enjoys writing articles in between his filming ventures, appreciating the peace and clarity that comes with it.

His articles focus primarily around helping up-and-coming artists explore the basics of certain colors, how these colors can be paired with other shades, as well as what colors are created when you mix one with another. All while relating these shades to historically significant paintings that have incorporated them into their color palette. As a lover of the arts himself, he takes great interest in the Renaissance era of paintings, an era that has directly inspired many of his favorite films.

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