What Colors Make Coral?
Red, orange and white make coral. It sits between pink and orange, so the white is what keeps it soft rather than fiery.
Red + Orange + White = Coral
Red
2 parts
Orange
1 part
White
2 parts
Coral
The standard mix. More orange gives a warm sunset coral; more red gives a pinker, cooler one.
Pink + Orange = Coral
Pink
3 parts
Orange
1 part
Coral
Fastest route if you already have pink mixed — the white is effectively already in there.
Red + Yellow + White = Coral
Red
4 parts
Yellow
1 part
White
3 parts
Coral
Builds coral from primaries. Keep yellow low — it is what tips coral over into peach or apricot.
Adjusting your coral
To lighten: Add white for salmon, blush and shell pink.
To darken: Add more red for deep coral, or a touch of brown for terracotta.
To mute or soften: Add a speck of blue-green (its complement) for a dusty, weathered coral.
Mixing paint vs. mixing light
The recipes above describe subtractive mixing — how paint, ink and pigment behave. Each pigment absorbs part of the spectrum, so the more you add, the darker the mixture gets.
Screens work the opposite way, using additive mixing with red, green and blue light: the more you add, the brighter it gets. With light (RGB), coral is bright red light with a good amount of green and a smaller amount of blue, e.g. #F4796B.
Frequently asked about making coral
What colors make coral?
Red, orange and white make coral. It sits between pink and orange, so the white is what keeps it soft rather than fiery.
What two colors make coral?
Red + Orange + White makes coral. The standard mix. More orange gives a warm sunset coral; more red gives a pinker, cooler one.
How do you make coral lighter or darker?
Add white for salmon, blush and shell pink. Add more red for deep coral, or a touch of brown for terracotta.
Is mixing coral paint the same as mixing coral light?
No. Paint mixes subtractively while light mixes additively. With light (RGB), coral is bright red light with a good amount of green and a smaller amount of blue, e.g. #F4796B.