What Colors Make Gray?
Black and white make gray. You can also mix any two complementary colours — such as blue and orange — for a richer, more natural gray.
Black + White = Gray
Black
1 part
White
6 parts
Gray
The simplest neutral gray. Add black gradually — a little goes a very long way.
Blue + Orange = Gray
Blue
1 part
Orange
1 part
Gray
Complements cancel each other into a "chromatic gray" that looks far more natural in painting than black-and-white gray.
Red + Yellow + Blue = Gray
Red
1 part
Yellow
1 part
Blue
1 part
Gray
All three primaries in even amounts neutralise into gray. Adjust one slightly to warm or cool it.
Adjusting your gray
To lighten: Add white for silver and dove gray.
To darken: Add black for charcoal and slate.
To mute or soften: Gray is already neutral — lean it warm with a speck of red, or cool with a speck of blue.
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), gray is made from equal amounts of red, green and blue light, e.g. #8A8D91.
Frequently asked about making gray
What colors make gray?
Black and white make gray. You can also mix any two complementary colours — such as blue and orange — for a richer, more natural gray.
What two colors make gray?
Black + White makes gray. The simplest neutral gray. Add black gradually — a little goes a very long way.
How do you make gray lighter or darker?
Add white for silver and dove gray. Add black for charcoal and slate.
Is mixing gray paint the same as mixing gray light?
No. Paint mixes subtractively while light mixes additively. With light (RGB), gray is made from equal amounts of red, green and blue light, e.g. #8A8D91.