3 Ways To Make Orange - WikiHow

Home » What Colors Mix With Orange » 3 Ways To Make Orange - WikiHow

Maybe your like

Skip to ContentQuizzes
  • Home
  • Random
  • Browse Articles
  • Quizzes & Games
  • All QuizzesHot
  • Love Quizzes
  • Personality Quizzes
  • Fun Games
  • Dating Simulator
  • Learn Something New
  • Forums
  • Courses
  • Happiness Hub
  • Explore More
  • Support wikiHow
  • About wikiHow
  • Log in / Sign up
Terms of Use wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Learn why people trust wikiHow How to Make Orange PDF download Download Article Reviewed by Kelly Medford

Last Updated: July 2, 2025 References

PDF download Download Article
  • Creating the Color
    • |
  • Making Orange Polymer Clay
    • |
  • Making Orange Frosting
    • |
  • Video
    • |
  • Q&A
    • |
  • Things You'll Need
|Show more |Show less ARTICLE VIDEO X

This article was reviewed by Kelly Medford. Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art. This article has been viewed 735,636 times.

Orange is a secondary color made from combining red and yellow, but using different amounts of each color will create different hues of orange. After you learn the basic color theory involved, you should be able to apply the principle to various mediums, including paint, frosting, and polymer clay.

Steps

Method 1 Method 1 of 3:

Creating the Color

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Mix red and yellow. 1 Mix red and yellow. Orange is a secondary color, which means that you can make it by combining two primary colors. The two primary colors needed for orange are red and yellow.[1]
    • "Primary" colors exist naturally and cannot be created by combining other colors. Red, yellow, and blue are the three primary colors, but you'll only need red and yellow to create orange.
    • "Secondary" colors are made by combining two primary colors. Since you need to combine red and yellow to make orange, orange is considered a secondary color. The other two secondary colors are violet and green.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 2 Change the hue by altering proportions. Combining equal parts of pure yellow and pure red will create pure orange, but if you'd like a slightly different hue, you can add either more yellow or more red to change it.
    • Yellow-orange and red-orange are the two simplest variations. These colors are also known as "tertiary" colors. Tertiary colors fall evenly between secondary and primary colors on the color wheel.
      • Yellow-orange consists of two parts yellow and one part red, or one part orange and one part yellow.
      • Red-orange consists of two parts red and one part yellow, or one part orange and one part red.
    Advertisement
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 3 Add black or white to change the value. You can lighten or darken orange without changing the hue by adding white or black, respectively.[2]
    • The amount of white or black you add will determine how much lighter or darker the orange hue becomes.
    • Note that lighter values are typically referred to as "tints," while darker values are commonly referred to as "shades."
    4. Advertisement
Method 2 Method 2 of 3:

Making Orange Polymer Clay

PDF download Download Article
  1. Step 1 Obtain several hues of clay. 1 Obtain several hues of clay. Ideally, you should have at least two red clays, two yellow clays, one white clay, one translucent clay, and one black clay.
    • Try to include both one warm red clay (with a hint of orange) and one cool red clay (with a hint of violet).
    • Likewise, grab one warm yellow clay (with a hint of orange) and one cool yellow clay (with a hint of green).
    • Note that you can use more than two hues each of red and yellow, if desired, but using at least two should still allow you to observe the principle and understand how it works.
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 2 Mix together one red clay with one yellow clay. Using your fingers, pinch off equal portions of warm red and warm yellow. Press the two pieces together and knead them between your fingers until evenly blended.[3]
    • When finished, you should see a solid orange color without streaks.
    • This combination of red and yellow should produce a fairly vibrant orange since both starting clays leaned toward the orange portion of the color wheel.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 3 Work through the other red and yellow combinations. Make three more samples by combining equal parts of one red and one yellow clay. Follow the same procedure used to make the first orange sample.
    • Warm red and cool yellow should create a medium-tone apricot color.
    • Cool red and warm yellow should create a medium-tone melon color.
    • Cool red and cool yellow should create a dull orange with hints of brown in it.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 4 Lighten the orange. Pick your favorite created hue of orange and duplicate the color twice more. You can lighten orange clay in two ways, and using two samples of the same hue will make it easier to compare results.
    • Add a small pinch of white clay to one orange sample, blending until no streaks remain. The color should have a lighter tint while also looking less bright.
    • Add a small pinch of translucent clay to the other orange sample, blending until no streaks remain. The color should look less bright but should not change value or tint.
      • Note that adding too much translucent clay will create a semi-transparent wash instead of an opaque orange.
  5. Step 5 Darken the orange. 5 Darken the orange. Create another sample of your favorite orange clay color. Pinch off a small piece of black clay and mix it into the sample, blending until no streaks remain.
    • The resulting orange will have the same hue, but the black should give it a darker shade. As a result, the orange may look slightly brown.
    • Black clay can have a dramatic effect on other clay colors, including orange, so you should work in very small amounts to avoid darkening the shade too much.
    6. Advertisement
Method 3 Method 3 of 3:

Making Orange Frosting

PDF download Download Article
  1. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 1 Set up a few samples. Prepare at least four custard dishes or small bowls. Spoon about 1/4 cup (60 ml) of prepared white frosting into each dish.
    • There are multiple ways to create orange frosting, but each one requires a base of white frosting. You'll need at least four samples of white frosting, but setting up six to twelve will allow you to experiment with more options.
    • You should obtain at least four different food dyes: one orange, one red, one yellow, and one black. Consider getting additional hues of red and yellow for additional experiments.
    • Ideally, you should use paste, powder, or gel food dyes that are designed for use with frosting. Avoid liquid food dyes since these tend to have a negative effect on frosting consistency.[4]
  2. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 2 Mix orange food coloring into one sample. Dunk a clean toothpick into the container of orange food coloring. Transfer the coloring by dunking the newly-coated end into one sample dish of frosting. Stir until the food color is evenly distributed, leaving behind no visible streaks of color.
    • Since you're mixing the food coloring with white icing, the final result won't be as dark as the hue of the dye. You'll always end up with a lighter shade, regardless of how much orange dye you use.
    • Note, however, that adding very small amounts will create a very light orange while adding greater amounts will produce a stronger, brighter value.
  3. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 3 Combine red and yellow food coloring in another sample. Dunk separate, clean toothpicks into one container of red food coloring and one container of yellow food coloring. Mix both dyes into another sample of white frosting, continuing until no streaks remain.
    • The combination should result in an orange frosting. This second sample may not look exactly the same as your first, of course, since the red and yellow you use may result in a slightly different hue.
  4. Watermark wikiHow to Make Orange 4 Create a darker shade of orange. Create another sample of orange frosting using the orange food dye or the combined red and yellow dyes. Mix a very small dot of black food coloring into the sample, as well.
    • The black should darken the shade of the orange without changing the hue. Only use small amounts of black food coloring at a time, though, since even small amounts can have a dramatic impact on the color of the frosting.
  5. Step 5 Try other combinations as desired. 5 Try other combinations as desired. If you prepared any additional samples of white icing, you can use them to experiment with different combinations or food colorings. Take notes so you'll be able to duplicate the same orange hues and values later.
    • Most food coloring manufacturers have recommendations for you to follow, but you can easily experiment on your own.
    • Several ideas include:
      • Combine nine parts red with ten parts yellow to create a rosy peach color.[5]
      • Mix two parts orange with one part golden yellow to make an apricot color.[6]
      • Create a rusty orange by mixing eight parts orange, two parts red, and one part brown.[7]
    6. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search Add New Question
  • Question Do I mix red and yellow to make orange? Community Answer Community Answer Yes. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 20 Helpful 56
  • Question How can I make green from orange? C Grace C Grace Community Answer It is not possible to make green from orange. They are both secondary colors. Orange is made from yellow and red, primary colors. Green is made from blue and yellow, primary colors. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 22 Helpful 28
  • Question How can I make orange from red yellow and green? Sehara Goonasinghe Sehara Goonasinghe Community Answer You would only need to use red and yellow to make orange. If you want to make a darker orange, use more red. For a lighter orange, use more yellow. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 31
See more answers Ask a Question 200 characters left Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Submit Advertisement

Video

Read Video Transcript

Tips

Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Things You'll Need

Making Orange Paint

  • Paint palette or paint dish
  • Palette knife
  • Scrap paper
  • Paint brush
  • Red craft paint
  • Yellow craft paint
  • Black craft paint
  • White craft paint
  • Orange craft paint

Making Orange Frosting

  • 4 to 12 small bowls
  • Prepared white frosting
  • Orange food coloring
  • Red food coloring
  • Yellow food coloring
  • Black food coloring
  • Toothpicks
  • Spoons

Making Orange Polymer Clay

  • Warm-tone red polymer clay
  • Warm-tone yellow polymer clay
  • Cool-tone red polymer clay
  • Cool-tone yellow polymer clay
  • White polymer clay
  • Translucent polymer clay
  • Black polymer clay

You Might Also Like

How toMake Red Make GrayWhat Colors Make Gray? A Color Mixing Guide Make Paint ColorsHow to Make Paint Colors: Everything You Need to Know Mix ColorsHow toMix Colors 2 Easy Ways to Make Orange Food Coloring How toMake Different Colors With Food Coloring Make YellowWhat Colors Make Yellow? Make Brown from Primary ColorsHow toMake Brown from Primary Colors Make GreenWhat Colors Make Green? Plus, How to Customize the Shade What Colors Make Brown? Creating Different Shades of Brown How to Make a Peach Color Mix Colors to Make PinkWhat Colors Make Pink? A Guide to Mixing Different Shades of Pink Create Realistic Flesh TonesHow toCreate Realistic Flesh Tones Construct a Color WheelHow toConstruct a Color Wheel Advertisement

References

  1. ↑ https://artincontext.org/what-colors-make-orange/
  2. ↑ https://artincontext.org/what-colors-make-orange/
  3. ↑ http://www.jaedworks.com/clayspot/polyclay-faq/mixing.html
  4. ↑ https://www.bhg.com/recipes/desserts/cakes/natural-food-coloring-frosting/
  5. ↑ https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/articles/frost-by-numbers-how-to-make-frosting-colors
  6. ↑ https://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/newcolorcharts.pdf
  7. ↑ https://www.cakecentral.com/tutorial/20151/how-to-color-your-icing

About This Article

Kelly Medford Reviewed by: Kelly Medford Professional Artist This article was reviewed by Kelly Medford. Kelly Medford is an American painter based in Rome, Italy. She studied classical painting, drawing and printmaking both in the U.S. and in Italy. She works primarily en plein air on the streets of Rome, and also travels for private international collectors on commission. She founded Sketching Rome Tours in 2012 where she teaches sketchbook journaling to visitors of Rome. Kelly is a graduate of the Florence Academy of Art. This article has been viewed 735,636 times. 1 votes - 100% Co-authors: 13 Updated: July 2, 2025 Views: 735,636 Categories: Mixing Paints Article SummaryX

To make orange paint, mix together equal parts red and yellow paint. For a lighter yellow-orange color, mix together 1 part red paint and 2 parts yellow paint. To make a darker red-orange color, combine 1 part yellow paint and 2 parts red paint. If you don’t have yellow paint, mix together equal parts red and green paint to make yellow, then mix that with more red paint to make orange. To make orange food coloring, mix together equal parts red and yellow food coloring. Add more red food coloring to make the color darker, or add more yellow food coloring to make it lighter. For tips on how to make orange using paint, food coloring, or clay, read on! Did this summary help you?YesNo

In other languages Portuguese French Indonesian Dutch German Arabic Spanish Italian Japanese Vietnamese Russian Hindi Thai Korean Turkish
  • Print
  • Send fan mail to authors
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 735,636 times.

Did this article help you?

Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Kelly Medford Reviewed by: Kelly Medford Professional Artist Co-authors: 13 Updated: July 2, 2025 Views: 735,636 100% of readers found this article helpful. 1 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote

Quizzes & Games

What Color Is My Name QuizWhat Color Is My Name QuizTake QuizWhat Should I Bake QuizWhat Should I Bake QuizTake QuizWhat Is My Favorite Color QuizWhat Is My Favorite Color QuizTake QuizWhat Color Should I Paint My Nails QuizWhat Color Should I Paint My Nails QuizTake QuizWhat Cake Flavor Am I QuizWhat Cake Flavor Am I QuizTake QuizWhat Makeup Should I Wear QuizWhat Makeup Should I Wear QuizTake Quiz

You Might Also Like

Make RedHow toMake RedMake GrayWhat Colors Make Gray? A Color Mixing GuideMake Paint ColorsHow to Make Paint Colors: Everything You Need to KnowMix ColorsHow toMix Colors

Featured Articles

Develop Productive HabitsHow toDevelop Productive HabitsPractice Self CareHow toPractice Self CareWhat Song Matches Your Life Right Now?What Song Matches Your Life Right Now?Your 2026 Vision: What Does Next Year Hold?Your 2026 Vision: What Does Next Year Hold?Understanding the Most Attractive Face Shapes (& Determining Your Own)Understanding the Most Attractive Face Shapes (& Determining Your Own)Type A B C D Personality TestType A B C D Personality Test

Trending Articles

Make OutHow toMake OutHow Rare Is My Birthday QuizHow Rare Is My Birthday QuizWhat Am I Craving QuizWhat Am I Craving QuizIs Your Personality More 6 or 7?Is Your Personality More 6 or 7?What Should My Name Really Be QuizWhat Should My Name Really Be QuizIs a Guy You Don't Know Well Interested in You?Is a Guy You Don't Know Well Interested in You?

Featured Articles

250+ Messages to Reassure Your Partner (For Him & Her)250+ Messages to Reassure Your Partner (For Him & Her)What Is My Favorite Color QuizWhat Is My Favorite Color Quiz215+ Funny & Creative Personalized Vanity Plate Ideas215+ Funny & Creative Personalized Vanity Plate Ideas100+ Creative Ways to Say Good Night100+ Creative Ways to Say Good NightWhy Can't I Sleep QuizWhy Can't I Sleep Quiz150+ Love Paragraphs to Make Him Feel Special150+ Love Paragraphs to Make Him Feel Special

Featured Articles

What Does Your Tattoo Placement Mean? Spiritual & Aesthetic MeaningsWhat Does Your Tattoo Placement Mean? Spiritual & Aesthetic Meanings19 of the Rarest Wonders from around the World19 of the Rarest Wonders from around the WorldWhat Is the Fun Scale? The 3 Types of Fun & Their BenefitsWhat Is the Fun Scale? The 3 Types of Fun & Their BenefitsWhat Is My Aesthetic QuizWhat Is My Aesthetic Quiz Celebrate Xmas: Expert Advice on Enjoying the HolidaysHow to Celebrate Xmas: Expert Advice on Enjoying the HolidaysHilarious Clean Jokes That’ll Make Adults & Kids LaughHilarious Clean Jokes That’ll Make Adults & Kids Laugh

Watch Articles

Wrap a Round GiftHow toWrap a Round GiftSteam in an OvenHow toSteam in an Oven Make Plant-Based Meat: 4 Incredible RecipesHow to Make Plant-Based Meat: 4 Incredible RecipesClean a Silver NecklaceHow toClean a Silver Necklace4 Easy Ways to Open a Can of Soda4 Easy Ways to Open a Can of SodaPart Your HairHow toPart Your Hair

Trending Articles

Can We Guess If You're a Cat or Dog Person?Can We Guess If You're a Cat or Dog Person?30 of the Hardest Riddles on Earth: The Harvard Riddle & Beyond30 of the Hardest Riddles on Earth: The Harvard Riddle & BeyondWhich of the Big Three Are Your Parents? (Percy Jackson)Which of the Big Three Are Your Parents? (Percy Jackson) Perform Magic: 8 Tricks for BeginnersHow to Perform Magic: 8 Tricks for BeginnersWhat’s My Personality Based on My K-Pop Taste?What’s My Personality Based on My K-Pop Taste?What School Subject Are You?What School Subject Are You?

Quizzes & Games

What Is My Color Aura QuizWhat Is My Color Aura QuizTake QuizWhat Is My True Color Personality QuizWhat Is My True Color Personality QuizTake QuizWhat Color Am I QuizWhat Color Am I QuizTake QuizWhat Food Am I QuizWhat Food Am I QuizTake QuizWhat Lightsaber Color Am I QuizWhat Lightsaber Color Am I QuizTake QuizWhat Flower Am I QuizWhat Flower Am I QuizTake Quiz wikiHow
  • Categories
  • Hobbies and Crafts
  • Drawing
  • Drawing Styles
  • Coloring and Shading
  • Mixing Paints
wikiHow Newsletter You're all set! Helpful how-tos delivered toyour inbox every week! Sign me up! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy.
  • Home
  • About wikiHow
  • Experts
  • Jobs
  • Contact Us
  • Site Map
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Info
  • Not Selling Info
  • Contribute

Follow Us

×

Don’t miss out! Sign up for

wikiHow’s newsletter

Subscribe You're all set! X --533

Tag » What Colors Mix With Orange