Turquoise, also known as aquamarine, is found between blue and green in the color spectrum. It can be soft and pale or deep and vibrant - if you can't find any turquoise on the market, you'll need to mix the colors blue and green yourself to get the exact shade you want. The easiest way to get it is by mixing cyan blue with smaller and smaller amounts of green.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Choose the Colors
Step 1. Decide what shade of turquoise you want
"Turquoise" generally indicates a clear blend of blue and green, more bluish. You can, however, achieve different shades of the turquoise spectrum: add a drop of white or light gray for a pale, subtle turquoise, or use light blues, greens, and yellows for an eye-catching color. Consider using a more eye-catching shade or a more neutral shade.
Step 2. Purchase one blue and one green paint
The type does not really matter (acrylic, oil, watercolors, etc.), but it will be easier to mix two paints of the same type. Look for them on the internet or at a local art store. Keep your eyes peeled - you may be able to find a turquoise color that is exactly the shade you are looking for. If you are starting with a turquoise base, you can use very small drops of blue, green, white or yellow to change the hue according to your preferences.
- If you are a beginner, start with acrylic paints. These are easy-to-mix paints that you can buy in small, inexpensive wring-out containers.
- If you buy the colors in a store, ask the staff which products are suitable for mixing with turquoise. Experienced employees should be able to suggest the best shades of green and blue to get the color you want.
Step 3. Buy white and yellow paints to get paler colors
If you want a paler, more neutral shade of turquoise, you can mix blue and green with white or yellow. Which shade of white or yellow to choose depends on your preferences, so experiment to best recreate your vision. For example, you could choose warm off-white as the base for turquoise water in a tropical landscape; a marked and artificial white could instead be the basis of a cold and distant turquoise planet.
Step 4. Use a slightly green tinted blue paint
Try cyan, cobalt, cerulean and ultramarine - all blues more greenish than purple. Within each pigment there are small quantities of the other colors, which predispose them to be combined with others. Turquoise is a mixture of green and blue, so be sure to use a blue that already contains green pigments. You should be able to spot these pigments by simple observation: a blue tending to green indicates the presence of green pigments, while a blue tending to purple has red pigments.
- Blue and phthalo green pigments are the most common in turquoise paints. Phthalo blue contains many green pigments and is therefore particularly suitable for obtaining turquoise. Many paint manufacturers sell "phthalo blue" products.
- Blue paints contain red or green pigments. If a blue paint contains more red pigments than green pigments it is not suitable for producing turquoise.
- You cannot find a "pure" blue color, that is, a blue capable of obtaining a good green (when mixed with yellow) and a good purple (when mixed with red). This is because blue will always have a prevalence of green or red pigments, due to the chemical impurities of the pigments.
Method 2 of 3: Get a Living Turquoise
Step 1. Prepare the blue and green colors
Pour a small amount of cyan blue on one side of the palette and green paint on the other. Alternatively, you can pour the paints in the same spot.
- If you don't already have green paint, you'll have to do it yourself. Mix equal amounts of blue and yellow to get it.
- If you don't have a paint palette, you can mix paints on any clean, dry surface. Try mixing them on a plate, on a sheet of paper, on cardboard or on a brick. Make sure you don't do this on objects that you don't want to get dirty.
Step 2. Use a 2: 1 ratio of blue and green
Turquoise contains more blue pigments than green, so try using twice as much blue paint than green. Try experimenting with different ratios, but use 2: 1 as a base reference.
- By using more green paint, for example with a 4: 3 ratio, you will get an aquamarine turquoise. By reducing the amount of green instead, you will get a turquoise similar to pure blue.
- Consider adding a drop of yellow to get a lighter shade. Try a 1: 5 or 1: 6 ratio of yellow to blue. Mix yellow with blue and green.
- Add white paint if the hue is too bright. White will make the color paler and more neutral.
Step 3. Mix the colors
To start, pour a drop of green on the palette and mix it with two drops of blue. Keep mixing the colors until the paint is evenly distributed. When mixing, the color should turn turquoise.
Make sure you have enough color - better to have plenty. If you try to add more blue and green in the process, you may be able to change the color
Step 4. Keep making changes to the blend until you are completely satisfied
When the turquoise color is evenly blended, take a good look at it to make sure it's the shade you want. Try using the swatch to color material - paints often look different when spread on a surface. If you are not satisfied, keep adding small amounts of blue, green, yellow or white until you get the perfect color.
Step 5. Paint
When you have the turquoise you are looking for, you can use it to paint. You can use the same brush you used to mix the color, but if you want to be more precise, you should clean it before you start. If you need more turquoise, be sure to add blue and green in exactly the ratios you used earlier.
If you can't reproduce exactly the same color you got with the first blending, consider producing more of the new shade and using it to cover the one you used earlier
Method 3 of 3: Get a Pale Turquoise
Step 1. Use white as the base color
If you want to get a very pale turquoise, start with white or a very light blue. White will be the main color of the blend, so use as much as you think you will need - when in doubt it abounds. If you want a darker turquoise, you can use an almost white gray.
Step 2. Mix the colors
Try a 2: 1: 4 ratio of blue, green, and white. There is no set rule for getting pale turquoise, so you'll need to find the best ratio yourself. Start small, with just a few drops of color, and mix them together until you get a uniform shade. Consider changing the color to make it brighter or even paler, and add blue or white as needed. If you would like to replicate the color in the future, be sure to make a note of the precise ratios you used.
- Remember: until you start painting, you can always change the color ratio. Make sure you are satisfied before you paint the canvas.
- Make sure you have enough paint to finish your job. It would be very difficult to try to reproduce the same color halfway through.
Step 3. Paint
When you are satisfied with your pale turquoise, you will be ready to use it. Apply the color on the surface of your choice and enjoy the pleasure of having created a color yourself!
Advice
- You can get light shades of turquoise by adding a small amount of white to the blue and green colors.
- You can also get turquoise by adding a hint of yellow to the blue color. A ratio of 1: 6 or 1: 5 should give a good result.
- Turquoise is usually considered a relaxing color, because the term aquamarine refers to sea water.
- You can vary the intensity of the color by increasing or decreasing the amount of blue and green; the most used ratio is 2: 1 (2 blue: 1 green).
Warnings
- Many types of color can stain work tables and clothing. Make sure you wear clothes that you don't mind getting dirty and put protection on the surface you work on.
- Some pigments are stronger than others. If you can't get the turquoise on the first try, add more green or yellow to the blue, until you get the result you want. If green or yellow prevails, try adding a little blue.
