There’s no denying that sage green is one of the most calming and sophisticated colors. It can add a touch of elegance to your art piece or project. But what should you do when you don’t have it? How to make sage green paint?
To make sage green paint, you must first combine yellow, blue, and red. You can then adjust the sage nature of the mixture by adding a small amount of white or black. And you can also mix yellow, blue, and gray to get sage green.
But how should you approach the mixture to get the perfect sage green color? Well, you will find the steps and all there is to it and the mixing process below.
How to Make Sage Green with Blue, Yellow, and Gray?
Let’s first go over the most straightforward process of making sage green without needing any green. Here are the steps you need to follow:
1. Make a Primary Green With Yellow and Blue
Even if you don’t have green, you should have blue and yellow in your arsenal. These are two of the most basic colors that should be in your painting supplies. And to get a primary green, you must mix 2 parts yellow and 1 part blue.
Yes, you would have had to mix in equal parts of yellow and blue for true green. But if you take a closer look at the sage green color, you will find that it has a lot of yellow tones. That’s why you must mix double the yellow compared to the blue.
2. Add More Yellow to Get a Bright Grass Green
When you have the basic green, you need to add more yellow to convert it into grass green. The amount of yellow you need to work with here depends on your primary green.
But in general, two additional parts of yellow should do the trick. Mix the combination thoroughly with your brush and make it evenly blended.
3. Make Gray With White and Black
You can mix it using black and white if you don’t have gray. And when it comes to the amount, the mixture should be equal to the grass green color you made in Step 2.
Once you figure that out, mix 1 part of black with 3 parts of white. Use a clean brush for this. And when mixed thoroughly, you should end up with a medium-light gray color. This would be the optimal shade of gray for getting sage green.
However, if you want the final mixture to be on the darker side, try 1 part black to 1 part white. On the other hand, add more white to the mix to make the final combination a little bit lighter.
4. Mix the Grass Green With Gray to Get Sage Green
All you have to do at this point is stir the gray color with green grass. Use the total amount of both colors to get a good result. And once you mix them properly, they should give you a standard shade of sage green.
To be safe, you can add the colors in small amounts. That will increase your chances of getting the perfect sage green paint you need. Remember, you can always add color to the mixture but not take one out.
5. Make Adjustments to the Sage Green If Needed
Want your sage green to be a bit on the lighter side? You can add a little amount of white color to it. On the other hand, add a tiny amount of black to make the sage darker. Finally, add more gray if you want a somber and subdued sage.
How to Make Sage Green With Red, Blue, and Yellow
You don’t need to work with white and black if you don’t want to. There’s a process of making sage green without them. And here are the steps:
1. Make Primary Green With Yellow and Blue
The method of making basic green is standard. You will need to mix in yellow and blue. However, as the primary goal here is to make sage green, you should use more parts of yellow than blue.
That is, you should add one part of blue to two parts of yellow. That will get you a primary green, which will be ready to convert to sage green. Stir the mixture properly and make sure that it is evenly blended.
2. Mix Red into the Mixture to Get Sage
Once you have green, you just need to add red to the mixture. But do not just put a load into the blend. Instead, you have to add little by little. See what shade of sage green you end up with each addition.
Remember, red is pretty much on the opposite side of the green in the color wheel. So, it will overpower green instantaneously. That is why you should not add more than required.
3. Adjust the Shade According to Your Need
If you have mistakenly added too much red, do not panic because you can balance things out. When the mixture looks too red or brown, you can add more green to it. Do the opposite if the blend is too green. That is, add a little bit of the red color.
You can add a slight amount of black if you want a darker shade. But you should note that black will overpower the sage shade quickly. So, go light on it.
How to Alter Any Shade of Green to Get Sage?
Other than the methods discussed above, there are many ways to get sage green. Let’s take a look at the steps that are basically generic for all the different techniques:
1. Find a Shade that is Close to Sage
You do not have to create green color and work with it to get to sage. Instead, you can start with paint that is close to sage. For example, a camo green or olive color could be a great starting point.
Likewise, you can use mint color to start the mixing process. Basically, you can transform any shade of green to sage green. You just have to choose one.
2. Add a Bit of Red to the Paint and See the Shade It Gives
With your color of choice in place, you have to add a bit of red to it and see what shade it provides. Generally, adding red to any shade of green will lead it to sage green. However, you should never add too much of it at once.
Instead, you must gradually add and notice where the mixture is going. If the shade is too much on the brown side, you can balance it with more green. When it is on the blue side, select a “Hotter” shade of red to balance the mixture.
On the other hand, if the mixture turns yellow, you can add a small amount of magenta or red-purple to make it sage.
3. Adjust the Brightness or Lightness According to Your Need
You might notice that the shade of the sage is too muted. In such cases, white will be your best friend. Again, you just have to have a small amount. Do not go overboard with any secondary colors.
Alternatively, you can lower the brightness of the mixture by adding black. However, with black or white, you might lose the fullness or saturation of the paint.
In that case, you might need to add green-yellow or green to make the blend lively.
Read More: What Color Paint Goes With Cherry Wood?
What Colors Go With Sage Green?
So, after making sage green, you might wonder what colors it goes with. Well, sage is one of the most popular interior colors. It gives an aesthetic vibe that no other colors can match. And not to mention, it is a relaxing color too.
However, not all the colors will go well with it. But in general, accent colors and wood tones go perfectly with it. You can even add metallic colors around it. And all of these apply to interior designs as well.
That is, the colors mentioned above will go well with sage and give your room a calm nature. You can take things further by giving the room a touch of dark orange or yellow tone.
In terms of paintings, pastel blue also blends well with sage. You can even try orange, blue, cream, red, grey, and pink with it. All you have to ensure is that the color is not overpowering the sage green.
An overpowering color will mute the sage color, making it look out of place. Therefore, it is always a good idea to stick with subtle colors. They will not overpower sage, allowing things to look perfectly in place.
A Quick Look at How to Make Sage
Make | Mix |
Sage without green | Yellow and blue to get green. Yellow and green to get grass green color. White and black to get gray. Gray and grass green make sage green. |
Sage with Red, Blue, and Yellow | Yellow and blue to get green. Red and green to get sage green. |
Sage with green | Add red with green. |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is sage near green or blue?
The base color of sage is green. Even if you are using blue to make sage, you have to add yellow, which will make you create green. So, in short, sage is more green than blue.
2. What tone is sage green?
The tone of sage green is grey-green. It gets that tone due to being muted. And interestingly, if you look at the family tree of green, you will find sage there.
3. How to brighten sage green?
You can use white to brighten up most of the colors. And that applies to sage too. However, remember that too much white will reduce the fullness of the paint. In such cases, you should add more green to it.
Final Words
See? You don’t have to go through any intricate steps to learn how to make sage green paints. And the process will become much easier if you have green with you.
In that case, you just have to add red to it. But if you don’t, just make green with blue and yellow. Afterward, add red to the green you just created.