What two colors make denim blue?

Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 3 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Titanium White leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

What is the hex code for denim blue?

Chromilla uses #4A6588 as the target for denim blue. The watercolor recipe is predicted to dry to about #415D85.

Can I mix denim blue without black?

Yes. Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses no black: 3 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue.

How to Mix Denim Blue in Watercolor

Quick answer

To mix denim blue (#4A6588) in watercolor, use 3 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% 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

Denim Blue

#4A6588

Predicted dry result

92% match when dry

Mix to #48658E while wet. It dries to about #415D85.

Denim Blue in watercolor: tube ratios, and ml for a 100 ml batch
Paint	Pigment	Parts	Share	100 ml batch
Titanium White	PW6	3	58%	58 ml
Alizarin Crimson	PR83	1	21%	21 ml
Phthalo Blue	PB15	1	21%	21 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 muted, grayed denim blue. This guide gives you the pigment ratios that land on #4A6588 in watercolor, using the same solver that powers the Chromilla mixer.

Pigment recipe

Checked August 2026

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

1. Titanium White
PW6
58%
2. Alizarin Crimson
PR83
21%
3. Phthalo Blue
PB15
21%

What colors make Denim Blue?

Titanium White, Alizarin Crimson, and Phthalo Blue, in roughly a 58:21:21 ratio.

How to make Denim Blue in watercolor

Start with Titanium White at about 58% as your watercolor base, then work in Alizarin Crimson and Phthalo Blue in the order above. Adjust in 5% steps until the swatch reads #4A6588.

Why mix Denim Blue instead of buying it

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

Lighter Denim Blue

#607CA1

6 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 91% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Darker Denim Blue

#344E70

68% Viridian Green, 29% Ultramarine Blue and 3% Yellow Ochre. Chromilla's model predicts a 95% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Warmer Denim Blue

#536289

67% Ultramarine Blue, 28% Titanium White and 5% Cadmium Red. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Cooler Denim Blue

#506389

7 parts Titanium White, 3 parts Alizarin Crimson and 2 parts Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 93% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.

Denim Blue questions

What two colors make denim blue?: Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses 3 tubes rather than two: 3 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Titanium White leads the mix. Chromilla's model predicts a 92% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
How do you make denim blue paint lighter without losing the hue?: Re-balance the mix instead of only adding white. For a lighter denim blue (#607CA1) in watercolor, Chromilla mixes 6 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue. Chromilla's model predicts a 91% dry match against the target, scored against its own color model, not a measured paint-out.
What is the hex code for denim blue?: Chromilla uses #4A6588 as the target for denim blue. The watercolor recipe is predicted to dry to about #415D85.
Can I mix denim blue without black?: Yes. Chromilla's watercolor recipe uses no black: 3 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue.

Denim Blue in other mediums

Denim Blue in Acrylic: 3 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue, predicted 91% dry match by Chromilla's color model.
Denim Blue in Oil: 3 parts Titanium White, 1 part Alizarin Crimson and 1 part Phthalo Blue, predicted 97% dry match by Chromilla's color model.

Get this recipe for your paint brand

Open the live mixer with Denim Blue + watercolor pre-loaded and calibrate to your tubes.

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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.