How to Mix Coral Oil Paint
To mix coral with oil paint, combine 4 parts Cadmium Red, 3 parts Cadmium Yellow Pale and 2 parts Titanium White. Coral is a warm red-orange lightened a little with white. Keep the white small; too much and coral turns into peach.
Opens the free browser simulator with these colors on the palette. Squeeze them out and blend with the palette knife.
Step by step
- Put down 4 parts of Cadmium Red. It is the largest amount, so it is your base.
- Add 3 parts of Cadmium Yellow Pale.
- Add 2 parts of Titanium White. White lightens the mix but also cools and softens it, so add it gradually.
- Blend with a palette knife, folding the paint over itself until no streaks of the separate colors remain.
- Pull a thin smear out to the side. Thin paint shows the true color better than a thick pile.
Lighter versions of coral
The same recipe with more and more titanium white mixed in, by volume:
#E97A5C
#ED9478
#EFA48A
#F1B8A2
#F3D7C8
Another way to mix coral
With Vermilion and Titanium White: 5 parts Vermilion and 2 parts Titanium White.
Tips for mixing reds and pinks
Reds are strong, and white changes them more than you expect: it cools them and pushes them toward pink. Add white gradually and compare against the color you are aiming for.
Questions
What colors make coral?
To mix coral with oil paint, combine 4 parts Cadmium Red, 3 parts Cadmium Yellow Pale and 2 parts Titanium White. You can also mix it from 5 parts Vermilion and 2 parts Titanium White.
How do you make coral lighter?
Add titanium white a little at a time. Adding the same amount of white as the whole mix gives about #F1B8A2. White also cools and softens a color, so you may need a touch more of the warm color in the recipe to keep the same character.
How do you make coral darker?
Add alizarin crimson or a little burnt umber. A tiny amount of green also darkens red, since green is its complement, but black tends to turn reds brown.