How to Mix Lime Green Oil Paint
To mix lime green with oil paint, combine 2 parts Cadmium Lemon, 1 part Cadmium Yellow and 1 part Viridian. Lime green is a yellow-dominant green. Start from a lemon yellow and add only a touch of green or blue; a warm yellow turns it olive.
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 2 parts of Cadmium Lemon. It is the largest amount, so it is your base.
- Add 1 part of Cadmium Yellow.
- Add 1 part of Viridian.
- 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 lime green
The same recipe with more and more titanium white mixed in, by volume:
#97BC3C
#B7D059
#C6D970
#D5E090
#E6EAC1
Another way to mix lime green
With Cadmium Yellow Pale, Cadmium Lemon and Viridian: 4 parts Cadmium Yellow Pale, 4 parts Cadmium Lemon and 3 parts Viridian.
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 lime green?
To mix lime green with oil paint, combine 2 parts Cadmium Lemon, 1 part Cadmium Yellow and 1 part Viridian. You can also mix it from 4 parts Cadmium Yellow Pale, 4 parts Cadmium Lemon and 3 parts Viridian.
How do you make lime green lighter?
Add titanium white a little at a time. Adding the same amount of white as the whole mix gives about #D5E090. 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 lime 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.