How to Mix Dark Blue

You can create a darker blue simply by mixing an existing blue with another color. If you know how to mix colors, you’ll have plenty of great options for any piece of work. There are quite a few colors that can be added to blue to make it darker. Mix one of the following colors with blue carefully, and you will actively create the perfect dark blue for your work. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Add black to blue

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Squeeze an adequate amount of blue onto the palette. Make sure to get just as much color as you need to complete the dark blue sections, because once you’ve mixed a perfect color it’s going to be very difficult to replicate exactly the same. Excess is better than lack. ^{[2] X Research Source}

If you don’t finish your work in one go, you can store leftovers in an airtight container, such as a plastic food container.
Consider lining the bottom with a damp paper towel or sponge, or use the Sta-Wet Palette to keep the color from drying out. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Squeeze a small amount of black next to blue on the palette. Avoid casting black directly on top of blue. Place black next to blue so you can add black little by little and have easier control over the intensity.

Convert a small amount of black to blue by dragging from the edge of the black droplet with a brush. Remember not to get too much black the first time. Black is very strong, so it only takes a small amount to make a difference.

Mix the black into the blue little by little. Blend the two colors together with a tint tool or use a brush to blend them back and forth. You don’t need to over mix; sometimes the color can be dull if mixed too well. You just need to mix just enough to get the desired tone. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Continue mixing more black to achieve the desired dark blue, if needed. This may take several repetitions, but you should continue mixing little by little so that the blue doesn’t get too dark for you.

If you accidentally mix too much black, add a little blue to balance the color ratio.

Combination of complementary colors

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Print the color wheel on paper. The color wheel shows the primary colors red, yellow, and blue, and other colors are created by combining primary colors. There are some color wheels that cover only primary and secondary colors. It is recommended that you use a color wheel that has a variety of shades, tones, and shades. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Find where the color on the color wheel matches the available blue tones. To determine the right complementary color, you need to find the exact position of the blue you have on the color wheel. Don’t judge a color tone by its name. You should brush the color on a piece of white paper and wait for it to dry, then compare with the color wheel to find the most accurate position. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Defines an orange tint that complements an existing blue tint. The complementary color here will be a color that is symmetrical to the blue you have on the color wheel. It would be orange with a tint that can be mixed with blue to make a deep blue. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

You can start with a deep sepia (Burnt Sienna) mixed with a dark blue (Ultramarine Blue).
Another possible option is a combination of cadmium orange (Cadmium Orange) and Cobalt Blue.

Squeeze an adequate amount of blue onto the palette. It’s better to mix too much than too little, because if you don’t, it will be very difficult to mix the same color again.

You should save some blue, in case you accidentally mix too much orange and need to adjust the shade by adding more blue to the mix.

Squeeze a small amount of orange next to blue on the palette. It is best to place orange next to blue to gradually mix little by little. You will need enough orange to mix, but not as much as blue. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Using a paintbrush or color trowel, drag some of the orange from the edges to the blue. Remember not to get too much orange the first time. As you add orange little by little, you will have a chance to see how the shade of blue changes.

Mix orange into blue. Blend the orange into the blue using a tool such as a tinting trowel or using a brush to blend it back and forth. Complementary colors mixed with blue can form a vibrant deep blue, so it’s best to avoid over-mixing. You should only mix just enough to gauge the shade of the color and not let the color tarnish. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Mix more oranges little by little until the desired shade of blue is achieved. Avoid mixing large amounts of orange at once. If orange trumps blue, the color you create will be a shade of orange rather than dark blue. Continue adding small amounts of orange and evaluating the results until you get the perfect shade of blue.

If you accidentally mix too much orange with blue, you can add blue to balance the ratio.

Mix similar colors to create color combinations

Pour some blue and purple on the palette. Purple is a similar color to blue, close to blue on the color wheel. Remember to take a sufficient amount of color to use. The background color is blue will need more than purple used to mix. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Mix a small amount of purple into the original blue. You can use a paintbrush or trowel to blend. ^{[11] X Research Source} Add purple little by little to blue to control color combinations and produce blue-violet.

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Color test. Many paints, including acrylics, will darken as they dry. Acrylics dry pretty quickly, so you can easily test the color by dabbing a small amount of color onto your canvas and letting it dry. Drying time may take longer than 15 minutes. Then you will see the correct color before using for your work. ^{[12] X Research Source}

If you’re not satisfied with the dried color, go back to the palette and re-adjust by adding blue or purple.

Advice

Keep the palette clean after mixing and applying colors.
Work under the light to make sure you get the color you want, no matter what method you use.

Warning

Always work in a ventilated area when mixing and applying colors.
It’s very difficult to mix the right color again if you’re not used to it, so you need to make sure to mix the right colors the first time. As you gain more experience, you’ll find it easier to remix the right color you’ve just created with lots of practice and eye training.

Things you need

Color palettes (paint palettes, ice cream lids, old plates, etc.)
Mixing fly, craft wooden sticks, etc…
Color

Steps