What Colors Make Gold?
Yellow with brown or orange makes gold. Note that this gives the gold hue only — actual metallic shine comes from mica or metallic pigment, not from mixing.
Yellow + Brown = Gold
Yellow
5 parts
Brown
1 part
Gold
The core mix. Brown deepens yellow into the warm, slightly dull tone that reads as gold.
Yellow + Orange + Black = Gold
Yellow
5 parts
Orange
1 part
Black
a speck
Gold
Orange warms it, the speck of black gives depth. Stop before it tips into mustard or bronze.
Yellow + Red + White = Gold
Yellow
6 parts
Red
a touch
White
1 part
Gold
A lighter, brighter champagne gold. The white keeps it from going brassy.
Adjusting your gold
To lighten: Add white or yellow for champagne and pale gold.
To darken: Add more brown for bronze and antique gold.
To mute or soften: Add a speck of purple (yellow’s complement) for a dulled, aged gold.
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), gold is strong red and green light with almost no blue. Screens cannot show metallic shine, so gold is faked with gradients from dark bronze to pale highlight, e.g. #C9A227.
Frequently asked about making gold
What colors make gold?
Yellow with brown or orange makes gold. Note that this gives the gold hue only — actual metallic shine comes from mica or metallic pigment, not from mixing.
What two colors make gold?
Yellow + Brown makes gold. The core mix. Brown deepens yellow into the warm, slightly dull tone that reads as gold.
How do you make gold lighter or darker?
Add white or yellow for champagne and pale gold. Add more brown for bronze and antique gold.
Is mixing gold paint the same as mixing gold light?
No. Paint mixes subtractively while light mixes additively. With light (RGB), gold is strong red and green light with almost no blue. Screens cannot show metallic shine, so gold is faked with gradients from dark bronze to pale highlight, e.g. #C9A227.