What Colors Make Silver?
Black and white make the grey base for silver, and a speck of blue gives it the cool metallic cast. As with gold, real shine needs metallic pigment.
White + Black + Blue = Silver
White
10 parts
Black
a touch
Blue
a speck
Silver
Mix a light grey first, then cool it with the speck of blue. That cool cast is what separates silver from plain grey.
White + Black = Silver
White
10 parts
Black
a touch
Silver
A neutral light grey. Correct in value but reads flat without a cool tint.
Blue + Orange + White = Silver
Blue
1 part
Orange
1 part
White
8 parts
Silver
Complements cancel into a chromatic grey that looks far more like real metal than black-and-white grey. Lean blue-heavy.
Adjusting your silver
To lighten: Add white for platinum and pale pewter.
To darken: Add black for gunmetal and charcoal grey.
To mute or soften: Silver is already near-neutral — warm it with a speck of brown for an aged, tarnished look.
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), silver is high, near-equal red, green and blue light with a fraction more blue. Screens fake the metal look with gradients and highlights, e.g. #C0C4C8.
Frequently asked about making silver
What colors make silver?
Black and white make the grey base for silver, and a speck of blue gives it the cool metallic cast. As with gold, real shine needs metallic pigment.
What two colors make silver?
White + Black + Blue makes silver. Mix a light grey first, then cool it with the speck of blue. That cool cast is what separates silver from plain grey.
How do you make silver lighter or darker?
Add white for platinum and pale pewter. Add black for gunmetal and charcoal grey.
Is mixing silver paint the same as mixing silver light?
No. Paint mixes subtractively while light mixes additively. With light (RGB), silver is high, near-equal red, green and blue light with a fraction more blue. Screens fake the metal look with gradients and highlights, e.g. #C0C4C8.