How to Mix Emerald Green Oil Paint
To mix emerald green with oil paint, combine 3 parts French Ultramarine and 2 parts Cadmium Yellow Pale. Emerald is a saturated, slightly blue green. It needs a clean, cool yellow and a strong blue or green; any earth color in the mix will kill the jewel-like brightness.
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 3 parts of French Ultramarine. It is the largest amount, so it is your base.
- Add 2 parts of Cadmium Yellow Pale.
- 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 emerald green
The same recipe with more and more titanium white mixed in, by volume:
#308362
#5DAA89
#79BB9E
#9ACAB6
#C9DFD4
Another way to mix emerald green
With Cadmium Lemon and Winsor Green: 5 parts Cadmium Lemon and 4 parts Winsor Green.
Tips for mixing greens
Greens from a blue and a yellow are only as clean as the two colors you start with. A cool lemon yellow and a green-leaning blue give bright greens; a warm yellow and ultramarine give softer, more natural ones.
Questions
What colors make emerald green?
To mix emerald green with oil paint, combine 3 parts French Ultramarine and 2 parts Cadmium Yellow Pale. You can also mix it from 5 parts Cadmium Lemon and 4 parts Winsor Green.
How do you make emerald green lighter?
Add titanium white a little at a time. Adding the same amount of white as the whole mix gives about #9ACAB6. 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 emerald green darker?
Add a little more of the blue, or a touch of a red such as alizarin crimson. Red is green's complement, so it darkens and dulls the green without making it look dirty the way black can.