How to Mix Turquoise in Oil

Quick answer

To mix turquoise (#40C4C4) in oil, use 9 parts Titanium White, 1 part Yellow Ochre and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts an 88% 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.

Adjust for my paints

Target

Turquoise

#40C4C4

Predicted dry result

88% match when dry

Mix to #70BDBC. It dries true to color.

Turquoise in oil: tube ratios, and ml for a 100 ml batch
PaintPigmentPartsShare100 ml batch
Titanium WhitePW6980%80 ml
Yellow OchrePY43111%11 ml
Phthalo BluePB1519%9 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 bright blue-green turquoise. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #40C4C4 in oil, using the same solver that powers the Chromilla mixer.

Pigment recipe

Checked August 2026

Ratios calibrated for oil. Start with the dominant pigment, add the modifiers in the order below, and adjust in 5% steps to your target swatch.

  1. 1. Titanium White

    PW6

    80%
  2. 2. Yellow Ochre

    PY43

    11%
  3. 3. Phthalo Blue

    PB15

    9%

What colors make Turquoise?

Titanium White, Yellow Ochre, and Phthalo Blue, in roughly a 80:11:9 ratio.

How to make Turquoise in oil

Start with Titanium White at about 80% as your oil base, then work in Yellow Ochre and Phthalo Blue in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #40C4C4.

Why mix Turquoise instead of buying it

Mixing Turquoise yourself lets you approximate an expensive or hard to find tube from pigments you already own, match Turquoise 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 Turquoise

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.

Lighter Turquoise

#5FDEDE

Not a confident recipe: the closest mix is 88% Titanium White, 7% Yellow Ochre and 5% Phthalo Blue, and chromilla's model predicts an 83% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Darker Turquoise

#14AAAB

12 parts Titanium White, 4 parts Yellow Ochre and 3 parts Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts an 89% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Warmer Turquoise

#49C5B5

10 parts Titanium White, 2 parts Yellow Ochre and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts an 88% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Cooler Turquoise

#41C2D2

83% Titanium White, 10% Phthalo Blue and 7% Yellow Ochre. Chromilla's model predicts an 89% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Turquoise questions

What two colors make turquoise?
Chromilla's oil recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 9 parts Titanium White, 1 part Yellow Ochre and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Titanium White leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts an 88% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How do you make turquoise paint lighter without losing the hue?
Lighten in small steps and compare against the target each time. Chromilla's palette struggles with a lighter turquoise (#5FDEDE) in oil: Chromilla's model predicts an 83% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
What is the hex code for turquoise?
Chromilla uses #40C4C4 as the target for turquoise. The oil recipe is predicted to dry to about #70BDBC.
Can I mix turquoise without black?
Yes. Chromilla's oil recipe uses no black: 9 parts Titanium White, 1 part Yellow Ochre and 1 part Phthalo Blue.

Turquoise in other mediums

  • Turquoise in Acrylic: 9 parts Titanium White, 1 part Yellow Ochre and 1 part Phthalo Blue, predicted 79% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
  • Turquoise in Watercolor: 9 parts Titanium White, 1 part Yellow Ochre and 1 part Phthalo Blue, predicted 82% dry match by Chromilla's color model.

Compare acrylic, oil and watercolor for turquoise

Get this recipe for your paint brand

Open the live mixer with Turquoise + oil pre-loaded and calibrate to your tubes.

Open in mixer

Deep-dive guide

How to mix Turquoise, the long version

Common mistakes, per-brand recipes, and the honest limits when the target sits outside what real paint can reach.

Read the guide

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.