What Happens When Green is Mixed With Blue?

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Discover the beauty of blue-green, whether you’re mixing paint or light

Co-authored by Jeanine Hattas Wilson and Kyle Hall

Last Updated: January 5, 2026 Fact Checked

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Mixing Blue & Green Paint

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Blue-Green Variations

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Mixing Blue & Green Light

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Color Theory

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If you’re new to painting or color theory, it’s not always clear what you’ll get when mixing two different colors, which is part of the fun! Blue and green in particular are two staples in every artist’s arsenal, and mixing them gives you an array of beautiful blue-green hues. In this article, we’ll teach you what color to expect when mixing equal parts of blue and green paint, how to mix different blue-green variations, what happens when you mix blue and green light, and more!

What color does blue and green make?

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What Color Does Blue and Green Make Summary

Mixing equal amounts of blue and green paint makes teal. To make other blue-greens, like turquoise, cerulean, and aquamarine, use a higher ratio of green or blue, and incorporate some white. Using more green creates a warmer blue-green, while using more blue creates a cooler blue-green.

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What color do you get when you mix blue and green paint?

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Mixing equal amounts of blue and green paint makes teal. Teal is a beautiful blue-green color with a calm and soothing quality. The color got its name from the Eurasian Teal, a type of freshwater duck with a teal streak on its head.^{[1]
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Research source} It’s a tertiary color on the color wheel, which is a color made by mixing a primary color (blue) with a secondary color (green).^{[2]
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- The primary colors are red, blue, and yellow.
- The secondary colors are green, orange, and purple. Secondary colors are made by mixing two primary colors. For example, combining blue and yellow makes green.
While teal is made from equal parts blue and green paint, there are endless variations of blue-green you can mix by adjusting the ratio of blue to green. For example, if you use more green than blue, you’ll end up with a warmer, greener blue-green color. If you use more blue, you’ll get a cooler, bluer blue-green color. Adding white paint to your mix will also help you create different types of blue-green.

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Different Variations of Blue-Green

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Turquoise Named after the iconic gemstone, turquoise is a vibrant blue-green color that has dazzled humans for thousands of years.^{[3]
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Trustworthy Source

Gemological Institute of America
Nonprofit institute responsible for gemological research and education and setting gemstone buying and selling standards

Go to source} Use it to paint beautiful ocean waves and bright skies, or paint it on interior walls for a beachy, coastal vibe.
- To mix turquoise paint: The gemstone turquoise actually comes in various hues, some greener and others bluer, so you have flexibility when mixing this blue-green color. Start with about 2 parts white paint, 1 part green, and 1 part blue. Add more blue or green as needed, depending on whether you want the turquoise to lean more blue or green.^{[4]
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Cerulean Cerulean is a bright, cool blue-green color that is often associated with the sky. It’s popular in painting and fashion and was cemented in pop-culture history by the famous cerulean sweater scene in the 2006 film The Devil Wears Prada.^{[5]
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- To mix cerulean paint: Mix equal parts green and blue, then add more blue until you get cerulean.^{[6]
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Cyan Cyan is a vibrant, energetic blue-green. It’s a secondary color in additive color theory, which is the color theory used when mixing light (as opposed to paint, which uses subtractive color theory).^{[7]
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- To mix cyan paint: Use 3 parts white, 2 parts blue, and 1 part green. Add more green in small amounts as needed.^{[8]
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Aquamarine Aquamarine is a soothing color that skews more green on the blue-green spectrum. It shares a name with the beautiful gemstone of the same color.
- To mix aquamarine paint: Use 2 parts white, 2 parts green, and 1 part blue.^{[9]
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Seafoam Green Seafoam green is a calming, oceanic color that is primarily green with subtle hints of blue. It’s often used in interiors for a pop of color that pairs well with neutrals.^{[10]
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- To mix seafoam green paint: Mix equal parts green and blue to get teal. Then, gradually mix in white until you get seafoam green.^{[11]
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  Research source} Add small amounts of green as needed if the color skews too blue.
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Tiffany Blue One of the most iconic blue-green hues, thanks to Tiffany & Co.’s packaging, Tiffany blue has a delicate, classy quality. The exact color is trademarked by Tiffany & Co., although it’s technically a type of robin’s egg blue (another blue-green variation).^{[12]
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- To mix Tiffany blue paint: Use 5 parts white, 1 part blue, and 1 part green.^{[13]
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Section 3 of 4:

What color does blue and green light make?

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Light mixing and paint mixing actually work in different ways, which is why you get cyan when mixing blue and green light but teal when mixing blue and green paint. Light mixing is additive, meaning colors of light layer together to make a new color when mixed. Paint mixing, on the other hand, is subtractive, meaning pigments subtract from each other when mixed and leave behind a new color.^{[14]
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Section 4 of 4:

Color Theory

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Color theory uses primary, secondary, and tertiary colors to create various hues. In color theory, there are three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. Primary colors can’t be made using other colors, but you can make any other color using only the primary colors. For example, you can make green by mixing blue and yellow or purple by mixing blue and red.^{[15]
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- Secondary colors are colors made by mixing two primary colors. The secondary colors are orange, green, and purple.
- Tertiary colors are made by mixing a primary color with a secondary color. The tertiary colors are blue-purple, red-purple, yellow-green, blue-green, red-orange, and yellow-orange.
- Adding white to any color will lighten it, while adding black will darken it.