Urooj Niazi 
Knowing the process of creating yellow colour is crucial to the work of artists, designers and anybody operating with traditional or digital media. Yellow is an important aspect of color theory, but when using paint pigments or light, there is a vast difference in its creation. In subtractive color mixing, Yellow is one of the main colors, which cannot be created by mixing other pigments. But under the additive systems of color such as in digital displays the yellow color is seen when red light mixes with green light. This tutorial gives you an overview of both of the systems along with teaching you the method of mixing tints, shades, and tones with a base yellow. These techniques once mastered will guarantee an elegant vibrant output in any artistic undertaking.
Understanding Color Theory: Pigment vs. Light
One must learn the process of yellow colour-making by initially learning the two dominant systems of colour-mixing that are subtractive and additive.
Subtractive Color Mixing (Paint, Ink, Dye)
Light is absorbed by the pigments in this system. The colors are yellow, red, and blue; these are the primary colors. Yellow being one of the primary colors, one cannot mix two other colors of paint to form yellow. Thus, any discussion of the production of yellow colour using pigment commences with the choice of a yellow base that is pure.
Additive Color Mixing (Digital Screens, Lighting)
Additive mixing involves the mixing of colored light. In this case, the colors are red, green and blue (RGB), which are the main colors. When the intensity of the red and the green light is combined, they will produce an intense yellow. This is why the digital screens are capable of generating yellow with ease using red and green subpixels only.
How to Make Yellow Colour with Paint Pigment
Although you cannot make yellow out of other colors, you can make numerous shades of yellow when you have the base color. Learning the manipulation of yellow enables you to have richer, softer, cooler or warmer tones.
Lightening Yellow (Creating Tints)
Slowly add white into your yellow paint to get a much lighter and more pastel color. This generates soft tones with yellow butter and creamy pale. This technique is imperative to artists who look into the ways of creating yellow colour to highlight or smooth background.
Darkening Yellow (Creating Shades)
Yellow should be darkened with care–it is not too long before it turns a dead greenish, with the addition of black. Rather, complementary or warm earth colors should be used.
- To hot rich yellows: add little burnt umber, raw sienna or dulled orange.
- To make colder and deeper yellows: a tiny bit of blue or purple is added, but great care must be taken lest the color turn muddy.
Adjusting Yellow Temperature (Warm vs. Cool)
The temperature has a great impact on mood and harmony of art.
- The use of red or orange tinges can be added to warmer yellows (golden yellow, amber).
- Cooler yellows (lemon, chartreuse) need to be supplemented with little green or blue.
To create the best emotional touch on the work, artists who learn to create yellow colour tend to change the temperature until they discover the right colour.
Practical Tips for Perfect Yellow Mixing
- It is best always to start with small portions of other colors- yellow changes very fast.
- Apply as a test mixture on a scrap palette or scrap surface before applying to a piece of artwork.
- Label or document combinations that are successful so that they can be used again.
- Your base yellow should be taken into account: lemon yellow combines with different colors than cadmium yellow or Indian yellow.
Learning the process of creating yellow colour on various mediums and the ability to modify base yellow colours, you can open up a plethora of options that can be applied to painting, design or digital art.
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