Lighter Royal Blue
#4064BA
7 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Titanium White and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 90% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How to Mix Royal Blue in Acrylic
Quick answer
To mix royal blue (#2B4CA0) in acrylic, use 9 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Phthalo Blue and 2 parts Titanium White. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out. Chromilla is a web-based paint color mixer that turns any color, from a photo, the camera or a hex code, into exact paint-tube ratios for acrylic, oil and watercolor, using Kubelka-Munk pigment mixing and aiming at the color after it dries.
Target
Royal Blue
#2B4CA0
Predicted dry result
93% match when dryMix to #254CA4 while wet. It dries to about #244492.
| Paint | Pigment | Parts | Share | 100 ml batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultramarine Blue | PB29 | 9 | 65% | 65 ml |
| Phthalo Blue | PB15 | 3 | 20% | 20 ml |
| Titanium White | PW6 | 2 | 15% | 15 ml |
How we calculated this: Kubelka-Munk pigment mixing, then a per-medium dry shift, scored with CIEDE2000. Method and accuracy benchmark. Last checked August 2026.
Terms used here: Tinting strength, Dry shift, Kubelka-Munk, Delta E (dE2000), Pigment code, Gamut.
A vivid, deep royal blue. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #2B4CA0 in acrylic, using the same solver that powers the Chromilla mixer.
Pigment recipe
Checked August 2026
Ratios calibrated for acrylic. Start with the dominant pigment, add the modifiers in the order below, and adjust in 5% steps to your target swatch.
1. Ultramarine Blue
PB29
65%2. Phthalo Blue
PB15
20%3. Titanium White
PW6
15%
What colors make Royal Blue?
Ultramarine Blue, Phthalo Blue, and Titanium White, in roughly a 65:20:15 ratio.
How to make Royal Blue in acrylic
Start with Ultramarine Blue at about 65% as your acrylic base, then work in Phthalo Blue and Titanium White in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #2B4CA0.
Why mix Royal Blue instead of buying it
Mixing Royal Blue yourself lets you approximate an expensive or hard to find tube from pigments you already own, match Royal Blue across paint brands whose factory tubes differ, and rebuild the exact color when you run out mid painting. The recipe above is the working starting point.
Common mistakes
That pigment is a very strong tinter, add it a touch at a time or it will swallow the mix. White cools and chalks a mix as you add it, so tint in small steps and stop before it goes pastel.
Variations on Royal Blue
Each variation is its own target (lighter and darker move OKLCH lightness by 0.08; warmer and cooler turn the hue 12 degrees toward red or blue), solved fresh.
Darker Royal Blue
#173486
76% Ultramarine Blue, 21% Phthalo Blue and 3% Titanium White. Chromilla's model predicts a 94% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Warmer Royal Blue
#42469F
9 parts Ultramarine Blue to 1 part Titanium White. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Cooler Royal Blue
#294CA0
9 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Phthalo Blue and 2 parts Titanium White. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
Royal Blue questions
- What two colors make royal blue?
- Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 9 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Phthalo Blue and 2 parts Titanium White. Ultramarine Blue leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- How do you make royal blue paint lighter without losing the hue?
- Re-balance the mix instead of only adding white. For a lighter royal blue (#4064BA) in acrylic, Chromilla mixes 7 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Titanium White and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 90% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
- Why does royal blue look different when acrylic dries?
- Acrylic binder looks milky while wet and clears as it dries, so the dried film reads darker. Chromilla's model applies a 10% value shift for acrylic, so the wet mix #254CA4 is predicted to dry to about #244492. Dries slightly darker and a touch warmer.
- What is the hex code for royal blue?
- Chromilla uses #2B4CA0 as the target for royal blue. The acrylic recipe is predicted to dry to about #244492.
- Can I mix royal blue without black?
- Yes. Chromilla's acrylic recipe uses no black: 9 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Phthalo Blue and 2 parts Titanium White.
Royal Blue in other mediums
- Royal Blue in Oil: 9 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Phthalo Blue and 2 parts Titanium White, predicted 98% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
- Royal Blue in Watercolor: 9 parts Ultramarine Blue, 3 parts Phthalo Blue and 2 parts Titanium White, predicted 95% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
Get this recipe for your paint brand
Open the live mixer with Royal Blue + acrylic pre-loaded and calibrate to your tubes.
Technique guides for this color
Related mixing guides
Pigment mixing is subtractive, so small ratio changes matter. The mixer refines this recipe to your brand and updates on the fly.