Complementary color pairs for oil painters
The reliable pairs
| Pair | Neutral near | Character |
|---|---|---|
| Ultramarine Blue × Burnt Sienna | 2 : 1 | The workhorse. Warm greys, cool browns, good darks without black. |
| Ultramarine Blue × Burnt Umber | 1 : 1 | Cooler, darker; a near-black for shadows. |
| Cobalt Blue × Cadmium Orange | 3 : 1 | Clean, luminous greys; orange is strong. |
| Alizarin Crimson × Viridian / Phthalo Green | 6 : 1 or weaker | Rich chromatic greys and deep darks; the green dominates — dabs only. |
| Yellow Ochre × Dioxazine Purple | 8 : 1 | Soft warm neutrals; purple is extremely strong. |
| Cadmium Yellow × Ultramarine + a little red | — | Yellow has no single-tube complement; use violet or the two-tube version. |
The ratios are starting points for one set of tubes. Tinting strength varies by brand — the same pair in Winton, Gamblin and Magicfly needs different amounts — so treat them as “which side dominates” rather than numbers to measure.
Pairs that make mud
Any pair where one pigment is far stronger than the other and you mix them in equal amounts: Phthalo Green with any red, Prussian Blue with orange, Dioxazine with yellow. The strong one wins, the mix goes dark and dirty, and adding white just makes it a dark pastel. Put the weak color out first, add the strong one in dabs.
Complements made from earths (Burnt Sienna × Ultramarine) are forgiving because both are moderate tinters; complements made from modern organics (phthalo, quinacridone, dioxazine) are not.
Using complements for shadow color
A shadow is the local color darkened with its complement, not with black. Orange skin shadows get a dab of blue; green foliage shadows get red; yellow fabric shadows get violet. The shadow stays related to the object and the picture holds together.
Neutral Mid GreyRecipe by paint setBrownRecipe by paint setMaroonRecipe by paint setOlive GreenRecipe by paint setRustRecipe by paint set
Questions
What is the complement of blue in oil paint?
Do complementary colors make black?
Why does my complement mix look muddy instead of grey?
