Traditionally, the color gold is associated with riches, royalty, and treasures and has been associated with wealth and prestige. When mixing paints, it is difficult to recreate that rich and reflective gold color because gold is a reflective and rich color. The risks of trying to render this color incorrectly are that it will turn out like mustard or rust. To get the perfect golden color, one must know how to mix the proper ratio of colors, so it is crucial to understand what colors make gold.
A color that signifies luxury and class, gold is one of the most delightful colors in the world. We are going to explore the world of gold today. This article will explain what colors make gold and how they may be used to make it look great in design.
Gold color can provide the illusion of wealth and success despite not everyone being able to afford the real thing. Therefore, let’s dig a little deeper to find out the meaning behind this remarkable color.
Gold Color: A Short History
Colors of sunlight, leaves, flowers, and gold metal are among the natural forms that have influenced the color. Gold has been popular since ancient times and continues to be popular today. Yellow ochre was frequently used in ancient times to produce the color gold, although it does not possess the same properties as metallic gold. Gold has evolved into many varieties throughout time, and today there are many varieties to choose from.
In ancient Egypt and Rome, brown, orange, and yellow pigments were used to manufacture a type of gold pigment. Egyptians revered gold as an eternal color, and the color was used as a symbol of objects associated with ceremonial purposes and other items related to their art. In order to give the yellow ochre a golden color, saffron was added to it as a small portion. Additionally, solid gold products were also used as burial items, like the well-known gold mask of Tutankhamun. The Greeks regarded gold as a symbol of eternal power and wisdom. In Greek mythology, Helios, the sun god, rides a chariot made of gold and is always dressed in gold. In illustrations of Greek gods, their hair is often golden or yellow.
From the thirteenth to the fourteenth century, gold leaf became popular in Italy for use in paintings. Golden leaf was frequently used on religious objects, including altarpieces, beginning during the middle ages and continuing into the Renaissance. The artist Gustav Klimt, now known as one of the most respected artists in the world, used gold leaf in his paintings in the early 20th century, during his famous “gold phase”. Today, gold is still used to symbolize fortune, elegance, and success. In addition to using gold for painting art, it is also used in décor to add a feeling of glamor and class.
Color Theory and the Gold Color
Having a basic understanding of color theory is crucial to producing a variety of colors and hues. Gold color located between yellow and orange on the color wheel, gold occupies a space between them. Its brightness increases with the presence of yellow. Adding more orange is a way to decrease color saturation. Yellows, oranges, and reds are common warm colors. The fact that gold is so close to these colors allows one to consider them analogous or a group of closely related colors. Red will warm up your gold color when mixed with it. However, if too much red has been added, a bit of yellow can help balance it out.
On the opposite side, you will find all the cooler colors like blues, purples, and greens. These are the complementary colors to the warm colors. The simplest method to have a cooler tone is simply to add blue to your gold color. Ensure that you do not add too much pigment, otherwise, the result will be muddy brown in color.
You can lighten gold with a little white or yellow, and you can darken it with brown or blue. It’s possible to darken gold with black, but it might be too drastic, and then it’s hard to fix. Brown or blue would probably be better.
What Colors Make Gold
Brown + Yellow = Gold
There are many shades and hues of gold colors, and they usually have a warmer feel. Yellow and brown are the colors that are needed to create gold with two colors. It is always better to combine these two colors starting with yellow, as adding brown to yellow will produce gold faster, whereas if you start with brown, it might take a lot of yellow paint to achieve gold. Gold colors and other shades and hues can be created by varying the ratios of the various colors.
Adding more yellow, for example, will make the color more vibrant. It is also possible to achieve this effect by adding more white to the paint. To get the desired color, add colors slowly, in small increments. Add some orange when you have your basic brown and want to give it a more realistic metallic look. This will not change the color but will provide it with a more natural metallic look. It’s also possible to create gold using the three primary colors. You can create green by combining yellow and blue and brown by adding red. After adding yellow paint to the brown, you can turn it into gold.
Red + Blue + Yellow = Gold
You first need to mix equal amounts of red and blue to obtain a green color. Afterward, you should add yellow paint in an equal quantity to the green paint. Combine until you receive a brownish-golden color. This would be a dark gold color that has a warm tone.
The color can be brightened by adding more drops of yellow. Repeat this process until you achieve the desired gold color. If you find the shade excessively yellow, add a drop of blue and a drop of red. In this way, the yellow will be balanced with purple tones.
Black + Red + Yellow = Gold
Mix equal amounts of black and red paint in a cup. It should turn a warm maroon color after being mixed thoroughly. Then add an equal amount of yellow to the mix. Blend until it becomes a gold color.
You can make gold a warmer color by adding orange or brown, as well as magenta. If you’re looking for a cooler hue, add a couple of drops of blue to the mix.
How to Make the Color Gold Lighter
To make your gold lighter, you have two different options for adjusting the tone. Lighten your gold color either by using white paint or adding more yellow. Several shades can be used to lighten the tone of any color. The most common is white. Adding a touch of white can brighten up colors, but it also has its disadvantages.
First, white tends to mute a color while bringing it to a lighter tone. If you choose to lighten your gold with white, your gold may appear less vibrant. In addition, you only need a minimal amount of white to lighten the gold color. Add white slowly, or it is easy to overdo.
Adding a bit of yellow to your gold color will lighten its tone. In our opinion, this is the most preferred method. You can add more yellow to your gold paint without changing the vibrancy of the shade because yellow is already one of the base colors. When you add a dash of yellow to your gold, it will become brighter and more vibrant.
How to Make the Color Gold Darker
Gold paint can be made darker by adjusting the amount of pigment you add to it, depending on the final color you want. Maintaining your gold hue is simply a matter of balancing your ratio of browns and yellows. If you put a little more yellow in your gold, it will become lighter, but it will become darker if you put a little more brown in it.
The second suggestion is dependent on whether you want to adjust your golden shade’s temperature as well. You can enhance the warmth and darkness of your gold by adding a deep warm orange color. Experiment with all the paints in your collection to see how you can make the color gold darker.
Shades of Gold
There are many shades and tints to choose from when it comes to colors, especially when it comes to computer graphics colors. In addition to their hex code, which indicates the amount of color present, these colors can also be identified by their RGB (red, green, and blue) code. This code is comprised of six letters and numbers followed by a hashtag. It is the same principle for printing colors, though they are measured as a percentage of cyan, magenta, yellow, and key.
| Gold Shades Name | Shades | HEX | RGB | CMYK |
| Gold | #ffd700 | 100, 84.3, 0 | 0, 16, 100, 0 | |
| Golden Yellow | #ffdf00 | 100, 87.5, 0 | 0, 13, 100, 0 | |
| Golden Poppy | #fcc200 | 98.8, 76.1, 0 | 0, 23, 100, 1 | |
| Goldenrod | #daa520 | 85.5, 64.7, 12.5 | 0, 24, 85, 15 | |
| Metallic Gold | #d4af37 | 83.1, 68.6, 21.6 | 0, 17, 74, 17 | |
| Golden Brown | #996515 | 60, 39.6, 8.2 | 0, 34, 86, 40 | |
| Rose Gold | #b76e79 | 71.8, 43.1, 47.5 | 0, 40, 34, 28 | |
| Harvest Gold | #da9100 | 85.5, 56.9, 0 | 0, 33, 100, 15 | |
| Sunglow | #ffcc33 | 100, 80, 20 | 0, 20, 80, 0 | |
| Pale Gold | #e6be8a | 90.2, 74.5, 54.1 | 0, 17, 40, 10 |
Conclusion
As a color, gold stands out compared to other hues. Adding more or less of one of the base colors will be an exercise when learning how to make gold paint. Also, observe how white adds a gleam to the hue when it is combined with them. Remember to use gold in moderation no matter what. To avoid overwhelming your audience, keep it muted and neutral if you will make it a central point of your piece. Whenever someone asks you what two colors make gold, tell them what those two colors are. You can reply by simply saying brown and yellow.
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