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How to mix Charcoal Grey in oil paint
Charcoal Grey is a near-neutral dark grey. Below are the oil paint mixing recipes PaintMixLab calculates for it from three common paint sets, in parts you can measure on the palette.
Target colour #3A3A3C
Predicted mix #434445
Target #3A3A3C against the predicted mix from the Winton recipe (very close, ΔE 3.2).
Charcoal Grey mixing recipes by paint set
| Paint set | Recipe (parts) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Winsor & Newton Winton | 13 Titanium White + 12 Emerald Green + 1 Magenta 13 Titanium White12 Emerald Green1 Magenta |
Very close (ΔE 3.2) |
| Gamblin 1980 | 7 Titanium White + 4 Neutral Grey + 3 Mars Black 7 Titanium White4 Neutral Grey3 Mars Black |
Excellent match (ΔE 0.7) |
| Magicfly 40 | 4 Titanium White + 3 Light Apricot + 1 Noir 4 Titanium White3 Light Apricot1 Noir |
Excellent match (ΔE 0.5) |
Parts are by volume. Recipes follow the app’s standard engine, which adds white to bring the mix up to the predicted value on the palette. Match quality (ΔE 2000) compares the predicted mix with the target: under 1.5 is excellent, under 3.5 very close, under 6 close.
Dark Mode recipes (original engine, no extra white)
- Winsor & Newton Winton: 12 Emerald Green + 1 Magenta
- Gamblin 1980: 4 Neutral Grey + 3 Mars Black
- Magicfly 40: 3 Light Apricot + 1 Noir
What two colours make charcoal grey?
With only two tubes from the Winton range, the closest PaintMixLab finds is 3 Zinc White + 1 Ivory Black (close, ΔE 4.5). Two-tube mixes are simpler to repeat but usually a little further from the target than three.
How to mix charcoal grey by hand
- Put out Emerald Green as the base — it carries the hue.
- Work in Magenta a little at a time until the hue swings towards charcoal grey; stop as soon as it reads right, it is easy to overshoot.
- Lighten with white until the value matches your reference. Check it next to the target in daylight — a mix always looks lighter on the knife than on the canvas.
- Mix more than you think you need, and save the swatch in PaintMixLab so you can repeat it tomorrow.
Neutral greys are best mixed from a pair of complements rather than black and white alone: black-and-white greys read cold and flat, while a complement grey (blue + orange, or red + green) sits comfortably next to every other colour on the canvas. Tip the balance slightly warm or cool to suit the light in your picture.
Related colour recipes
Charcoal Grey questions
What colours make charcoal grey?
In the Winton range: 13 Titanium White + 12 Emerald Green + 1 Magenta. Other sets use different tubes because tinting strength varies by brand — see the table above for Gamblin 1980 and Magicfly.
Can I mix charcoal grey without black?
Yes. None of the recipes above rely on black alone; where a dark is needed the engine prefers a deep colour or an earth so the mix stays lively. PaintMixLab has an “avoid black” option if your set includes black and you would rather not use it.
Why does my charcoal grey look different from the swatch?
Pigment batches, how much medium you use, the lighting and your screen all shift the result. Treat the ratio as a measured starting point: match the value first with white, then nudge the hue with the smallest tube in the recipe.
Does this recipe work for acrylic charcoal grey?
Roughly. Acrylic ranges share many pigment names, but acrylics dry darker and the tinting strengths differ, so expect to add a little extra white and re-check once dry.
Mix charcoal grey from a photo instead
Point PaintMixLab at the colour you actually see and it writes the recipe for your own paint set — free for 3 days.
