Neutralize strong colors

When a color is too bright and needs to be toned down, or you want to create a shadow, mix a small amount of the color opposite on the color wheel to “neutralize” the color. For example, add a small amount of ultramarine blue to cadmium orange to take a little of the fire out of the orange.

1. How do you make a color less intense?
2. What happens when you neutralize a color?
3. What colors neutralize each other?
4. How do you tone down a bright wall color?

How do you make a color less intense?

A color can be made less intense by adding gray to the color. In some ways, intensity can be measured by the amount of gray in the hue. Hues can only degrade in intensity. In other words, additional colors cannot be added to a hue to make them “more intense”.

What happens when you neutralize a color?

A complementary relationship between colors means that they are on opposite sides of the color wheel. When true complements are mixed together, they can neutralize or cancel each other out, producing a gray or black.

What colors neutralize each other?

When you mix all three Primary Paint Colors together you get a dark neutral. So because Complementary Colors always contain all three Primary colors, they quickly neutralize each other when mixed together.

How do you tone down a bright wall color?

To lighten the color, tint some of the original paint with a small portion of white paint; thin with water, and roll the wash evenly over the entire wall. Darkening the wall color works the same way, except black is used instead of white to shade the original color.