How to Mix Paint to Make the Colour Pink: 7 Steps (with Pictures) (2024)

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Co-authored byJeanine Hattas Wilson

Last Updated: April 19, 2024References

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   Place some white and red paint on your palette. Add red to the white. Start by adding just a bit of red to the white, and mix well. Keep adding a bit of red at a time until you reach the pink you want to use for your work.^[1]

   • Most standard reds can be used to make a pink. Each red will produce a different shade of pink, so you can experiment until you find one that you especially like.^[2]
   • For the best results when mixing colors to make pink, choose an opaque white (such as Titanium White). Transparent whites (like Zinc White) may only lighten the red without creating a true pink.^[3]
   • Don’t try to create pink by adding white to red, since this will take more time and use up lots of paint.
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   Add a complementary color to tone down your pink. Shades of colors are technically created by adding black to a hue. However, many painters find that using a complementary color instead of black creates better-looking colors. You can try adding a direct complementary (a green), but using a neighboring color like blue can also create nice results.^[4]

   • Whichever color you choose to tone down your pink, start by adding just a little at a time to the pink, and mixing well until you get the hue you like.

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1. 1

   Select a base color. There are a number of readily available watercolor hues that can be used to create beautiful pinks. You may like to use these colors more or less as-is, just thinned with just a bit of water. Choose a base color such as:^[5]

   See Also

   3 Ways to Mix Colors to Make Pink - wikiHowHow to make pink paint: step-by-step guideWhat Colors Make Pink - Easy Mixing Shades3 Ways to Mix Colors to Make Pink - wikiHow

   • Permanent Rose
   • Quinacridone Rose
   • Ruby Red
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   Dilute your base color to lighten it. Watercolors work by allowing the white of the paper to reflect light through the transparent layers of paint applied to them. To create a lighter pink, all you need to do is dilute your base color with enough water so that the layer becomes very transparent.

   • Experiment by diluting your paint with various amounts of water on your tray before applying it to your paper. This will give you a feel for the kinds of pink you can make.
   • You can also thoroughly wet your paper first and then apply a small amount of your red to create a pink wash.
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   Use an alternate color to shade the pink. The tube colors will work great for areas of pink local color when diluted. To add shading, however, use a wash of a color like cobalt blue over a layer of pink.^[6]

   • Using an alternate color to create shading, rather than black, will result in richer, more vibrant colors.
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   Use a warm color to brighten the pink. Applying an underwash of a warm color before applying a layer of pink will make the hue appear warmer and brighter. A yellow underwash can be especially effective.^[7]

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   Mix the pink with red to deepen the color. If your base color isn’t as rich as you would like it to be, select a deeper red. Mix it with some of your pink/rose red on your palette or tray, then thin to your desired saturation.^[8]

   

   William F. Powell, Portrait Artist

   To make a bright pink, start with a pure red like cadmium red light. Slowly add small amounts of titanium white while mixing until you achieve the desired pink tone. For a more muted pink, use an earthy red like Venetian red as your base instead.

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