Pink is a tint of red, so the two colors are very similar. Yet, red is known for being bold and vibrant, while pink is seen as gentle and romantic. So, even though they’re alike, they can make an interesting combination.
What color do red and pink make when combined, and is the result the same in every medium? Let’s see what happens when you mix these two beautiful colors and if the result is equally as amazing.
What Color Do Red and Pink Make with Paint?
If you mix red and pink paint together, you’ll get a lighter red or a darker pink, depending on how you look at it. Most people refer to this color as raspberry pink or rose pink.
Pink is made by adding white to red. So, when you add red to pink, it just makes the color darker and closer to red. Yet, the result of this combination is still light enough to give off the playful and comforting nature of pink.
Understanding the RYB Color Model
RYB is the color wheel that’s regularly used in early art classes. It’s a form of subtractive color mixing, which means wavelengths are removed when colors are combined. It’s most commonly used for paint, but it can also work for other physical art mediums like pastels and colored pencils.
The primary colors on the RYB color model are red, yellow, and blue. Combinations of those colors can mix to create the secondary colors, which are green, purple, and orange. If you mix all three primary colors together, you’ll get brown. You might notice that pink isn’t on the color model, but it can be created using tints.
Making Tints and Shades of Pink
You can make colors lighter or darker in paint by creating tints and shades. Here’s how to adjust the color of a red and pink mixture by using other colors.
Mixing Lighter Pink
Tints are defined as lighter versions of a color, which can be made by adding white. So, if you add white to raspberry pink, you’ll get a different type of pink that’s lighter. The more white you add, the lighter and paler the color will look.
Mixing Darker Pink
Shades are darker versions of colors, which can be made by adding black paint. However, a little black paint can go a long way, so only use it sparingly. It will make a darker, deeper version of pink, like rose pink.
Raspberry Pink Color Meaning
Raspberry pink is an uncommon color that doesn’t have a lot of its own meanings. Some consider it a symbol of passion, energy, and health. However, the general meaning of the color pink is compassion, love, and playfulness. Pink makes people feel calm, nurtured, and comforted.
All types of pinks can have both positive and negative meanings. The color has many optimistic attributes like kindness, warmth, and intuition. Some people also see it as a timid, emotional, and immature color. The meanings this color portrays all depend on how you use it.
Can You Make Red and Pink Paint?
If you run out of red or pink paint, you might be able to make more of it without needing to run to the store. If you’re only missing pink, you can easily make it using red. Mix 50% red with 50% white paint to get a nice pink color. However, you cannot make pink without using a type of red.
Making red paint is a little trickier since it’s a primary color, but it’s not impossible to do. According to the CMYK color model, which is used for printing, yellow and magenta can make red. Yet, magenta is an uncommon paint color, so it might be easier to go and buy red paint from the store instead.
What Color Do Red and Pink Make in Lights?
Pink isn’t commonly used in lights because it’s a tertiary color on the RGB color model. It’s made by mixing red lights with magenta lights. So, mixing pink with red in lights will add a little extra red to the color, making it similar to the raspberry pink you’ll get with paint.
Understanding the RGB Color Model
The RGB color model is a type of additive mixing, which means wavelengths are added to the mixture rather than removed. It’s commonly used for lights and digital displays. Since the method of mixing is different than paint, it can have different results.
On this color wheel, the primary colors are red, green, and blue. Then, combinations of those colors can mix to create the secondary colors, which are cyan, magenta, and yellow. If all three primary colors are mixed together at full brightness, they’ll make white.
The CMYK color model, which is a subtractive model used for ink, is the opposite of RGB. The primary colors are cyan, magenta, and yellow, while the secondary colors are red, green, and blue. All three primary colors mixed together make black. Since CMYK and RGB have the same tertiary colors, they have the same result when mixing red and pink together.
How Do You Mix Colored Lights?
Mixing lights is much different than mixing paint. If you already have red and pink lights, you can shine them on top of each other to see what the mixture is. You can also make any of the colors on the RGB color model by layering red, green, and blue on top of each other at different brightnesses.
For example, pink can be made by using red close to full brightness, blue a little over halfway, and green a little under halfway. Then, when you add red to that pink mixture, it’ll be lots of red with a little bit of green and blue, which will look close to raspberry pink.
Color mixing in lights may be confusing for those who are used to mixing with paint. So, it can be fun to experiment with different color mixtures and brightnesses to see what the results will be.
How Do We See Color?
When light shines on an object, a lot goes on in our eyes and brains to perceive that color. All the colors on the visible light spectrum have different wavelengths. For example, one end of the spectrum has short, frequent wavelengths and appears violet, while the other end has long wavelengths that appear red.
Some wavelengths absorb into an object while others bounce off it. The wavelengths that reflect off something help us understand what color that object is. For example, a ripe banana will absorb red, orange, green, cyan, blue, and violet wavelengths, but reflect yellow ones. Thus, the banana will look yellow to us.
Our eyes have cone and rod cells, which help us see color. Cones function well in bright lights, allowing us to see colors in daylight. Rods are a little more sensitive, so they allow us to see colors in dim lighting. Both types of cells work together to help us see the colors around us. Our brain also works with our eyes to help us interpret what colors we’re looking at.
Using Red and Pink in Design
Since pink is a tint of red, the two go well together in designs. They both give off warm, positive energy. They go great with other warm colors, such as orange and yellow. Adding more tints and shades of red can also make the design more interesting.
Red and pink aren’t commonly used in interior designs, but they can make a space look fun and exciting. The best way to keep the space looking natural is to pair these beautiful colors with neutral colors, like white and brown. That way, the calm colors and bright colors will balance each other out.
When used on their own, red and pink go well with similar colors. Red goes best with orange and yellow, but if you want to make a red design pop, you can use green to contrast it. Pink is a lighter version of red, which makes it more versatile since it doesn’t clash with as many colors. Lighter versions of other bright colors like blue, green, purple, or yellow could each go nicely with pink.
Do Red and Pink Always Make the Same Color?
Even though RYB, RGB, and CMYK are very different color models, they all create a raspberry pink when mixing red and pink together. This is because pink is so similar to red in all instances, so it simply creates a pink with a little more red in it.
However, not all color combinations work like that. Some colors create varying mixtures when using different mediums. For example, red and green make brown when mixed in paint, but they make yellow in lights. That’s because the color models have unique primary colors, and the methods of mixing are different.
The best way to understand color mixing is to experiment with it. There are so many different versions of each color, and it’s a great idea to get creative with the colors you use.
